Influencer marketing, a term already present in the market and popularized by the growth of social media, is the strategy used by companies to promote their products and services through influencers’ visibility and ability to generate engagement. The ease of creating content on digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok is also being leveraged to promote products.
The power to influence over the web has already been co-opted by the market, and many companies nowadays seek out people with relevant content and high engagement rates to turn advertising into financial results via influencer marketing strategies.
These new selling habits arose after companies saw that it was possible to increase brand identification among their consumers. When influencers present themselves on social media, either sharing intimate moments or offering their opinion on the relevant issues of the moment, they are able to attract people with similar interests and needs, creating openings for advertising products that meet the needs of these groups.
For businesses, several important factors are analyzed prior to hiring an influencer, such as their number of followers, likes and comments, in order to calculate engagement rates and ensure the data is promising. Charisma, clarity and fame are other factors that can sway potential hirers.
When advertising a product, companies look at who is most likely to engage the public and attract potential consumers. As an example, sponsoring posts from top influencers like Kim Kardashian, who has more than 173 million followers on Instagram alone, is expected to lead to high engagement and conversion rates. Some companies, however, are instead betting on micro-influencers: accounts with fewer followers, but with high engagement and targeted content.
The category of micro-influencers is defined as having between 10 and 50 thousand followers, with high rates of engagement and content targeted at a specific audience. This smaller number of followers creates a stronger relationship between the follower and the influencer, increasing trust when a product or service is advertised. As powerful as Kim Kardashian and her millions of followers are, her selling power through social media alone is less convincing than that of influencers who are closer to their followers.
To be a successful influencer you need a strategy to engage your followers. Nobody likes to follow a profile that only posts about products and offers services, so it is important that the content is well distributed and varied, creating identification among followers.
Authenticity is a key factor for influencers when producing original content and increasing engagement. It is important to address current issues, consistently showing their personality and opinions. The clearer and more direct the content, the more followers will be able to identify and engage with it.
Another form of interaction between influencers and followers is through live broadcasts. Social media enables anyone, with 1 or 173 million followers, to make live appearances on their own profile, strengthening contact with their fans, meeting their expectations and creating new ideas for content.
For businesses looking to use social media, it is necessary to understand influencer marketing strategies in order to compartmentalize content and attract followers, always aiming to increase engagement rates through comments and likes. As for entrepreneurs who want to associate their brands with social media influencers, the best way forward is to analyze the market and define strategies so that the product or service offered is in harmony with the publications of the hired influencer, so all advertising appears naturally and authentically to their followers.
This publication is part of our quick PR guide. Check out our blog or follow us on social media (@sherlockcomms) to learn more, and read new content written by our team.
