From your favourite shade of lipstick to the best new venue in town, most big trends never just happen on their own. Asking the celebrated and adored to be associated with your products and services however, is a surefire way to become the next big thing.
In the good old days when there was only newspaper and television advertising to worry about, stars of the stage and screen could often be found lending their good name to a wide variety of products.
Endorsing products for payment has been going on for a whole lot longer than Instagram has been around for. But these days, one of the most effective ways to promote a product is to have someone who has a huge following on social media be snapped holding it, wearing it or using it.
What is an influencer?
Broadly speaking, it is someone who has the power to “influence” the perception of others, and gently persuade them to buy, use or visit your brand. In this context, they are usually reality stars, bloggers or Youtubers or that live their lives in the public eye.
How can they help to grow a brand?
They are famous, and therefore they have a following. It is these dedicated disciples that brands are essentially reaching out to. They are easily influenced by the looks and the opinions of their idols. Therefore, if you convince someone with a sizeable following to endorse your brand on social media, chances are you have just discovered your very own licence to print money.
Is it worth it?
These demigods of social media are only too aware of their own social worth. Celebrity endorsements now cost more money than ever before, quite simply because they work better than ever before. If you can afford it, then getting a social media influencer on side is generally a very successful way to see fast results.
You can, of course, chance your arm at trying to lure your celeb on board by appealing to their more altruistic side. For example, send samples to an influencer who has a vested interest in your product i.e. they promote clean living, or vegan eating.
Remember also that customers believe the opinions of influencers, and regard the words they say to be the honest truth. Having an influencer behind your brand is a massive marketing tool that can be incredibly beneficial for you.
When done correctly, influencer marketing can be a great catalyst for business growth. So much so, that some of the younger and trendier brands do not even bother with traditional advertising anymore, they simply promote their brand by getting someone else to tell the world how great they are.
Influencer marketing offers an incredible return on your investment and can deliver excellent business growth and success if you get it right.
