The\nproliferation of paid streaming services, DVRs and ad blockers means that we\nare all now seeing, watching and engaging with fewer advertisements than we\nwere just a few short years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although\nmost consumers would likely be quick to say that the absence of intrusive ads\nis a positive thing, marketers are currently experiencing a limitation to the\nnumber of marketing opportunities they now have to share new messaging with\naudiences. Businesses are being pushed to identify new approaches for the first\ntime in decades and many are securing significant successes with influencer\nmarketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research\nillustrates that more than 90% of people have more trust in individuals than\nbrands [1] and interestingly, those trusted individuals do not necessarily need\nto be personal friends or acquaintances. In fact, people regularly place trust\nin online reviewers they have never met when they search for feedback and\ntestimonials to help them make key purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless\nas to whether they are style bloggers or silver screen icons, influencers have\nbuilt significant social media followings by gaining the trust of their\naudience. As influencers also hold some sway over the purchasing power of their\naudience, they can be a valuable addition to a successful advertising campaign\nin today\u2019s socially-driven digital age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most\ninstances, influencers are paid to promote a specific service or product\nhowever this should not be taken as an implication that they are solely in it\nfor the monetary benefits. The most trusted influencers will need to personally\nbelieve in your brand and your service or product before they will give you\naccess to their platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Approaching\nan influencer with a vague request is not going to deliver the results you want\nto see, so the following elements are key to creating an effective\ninfluencer-focused social media marketing strategy that works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have a clear idea as to the demographics of your ideal audience, you\u2019re going to find it impossible to both shape an effective message and identify the best possible messenger to deliver it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Skip straight over the celebrities with tantalisingly large audiences and partner with a popular influencer within your niche. The reality is that working with an influencer with between 10,000 and 100,000 hyper-engaged followers will deliver a much better return on investment (ROI) than most celebrities and help you to achieve that coveted social success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you opt to give your influencer a one-time payment or place them on a monthly retainer, make sure that they are compensated fairly for their time and access to their audience. Remember, they put their reputations on the line every time they endorse a product, so providing them with appropriate compensation is not an unfair request. Also, ensure that your influencer follows the relevant legislative requirements in declaring the commercial nature of the endorsement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Audiences\nwant authenticity and they don\u2019t want to be actively advertised to all the\ntime. For each action you ask an audience to take, endeavour to provide them\nwith between three and five engaging and valuable pieces of content. This will\nensure that you don\u2019t overwhelm audiences and actively demonstrate that you\naren\u2019t just here to sell sell sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[1]\nhttps:\/\/www.nielsen.com\/us\/en\/insights\/reports\/2018\/cmo-report-2018-digital-media-roi-measurement-omnichannel-marketing-technology.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"