Traditional push marketing does not work anymore as customer is in charge of what they consume. Television has been replaced by on-demand video and ad blockers have reduced the window to get your message across.
Marketers have to deliver their message in a way that audience wants it and through people they want to listen to.
This is why influencer marketing has emerged as one of the major trends in marketing. Brands such as Adidas, Motorola and American Express have embraced influencer marketing with success.
In fact businesses are earning $6.5 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing. Influencer reach is clearly the future of marketing.
Who is an Influencer
An Influencer is any person who has a substantial following in a niche segment on the internet. The area of influence could be anything from business to pet-care.
They are actively engaged with their followers over social media or mails. They can monetize their following by product endorsements or selling their own services.
Marketers work with influencers for product endorsements to use this powerful channel. Another way to work this channel is for marketers themselves to become an influence.
For example, one of the top marketers in the world Neil Patel, is also the most influential celebrity in the area of business startups and digital marketing.
Being an influencer naturally boosts your marketing and sales. This is why most of the influencers are starting their own business. A following is very easy to monetize compared to strangers on the internet.
Why Influencers are so effective at Selling
We all know the influence of celebrities like Dr.Oz (in health sector) and Oprah Winfrey have on populations. It has been estimated that Oprah’s support for Barack Obama swayed around 1 million votes in his favour.
Today, the internet is filled with smaller stars who are celebrities to their respective audiences nonetheless.
Youtube star like Wayne Goss (3 million subscribers) and Lily Singh(13 million subscribers) are sought by brands to promote their products.
But what is it about influencer marketing that makes marketing so successful?
Influencers have a trust and connection with their audiences that an unknown marketer can never match.
Influencers give their followers tons of value in education, entertainment or inspiration. Therefore the followers trust them as an authority in their field of work and are more open to messages to them.
Secondly influencers endorsing a product act a social proof to their audiences. As kids we all wanted to do what the cool kids in the class were doing. Influencer marketing is not very different from that.
It is the mix of authority, social proof and trust that makes influencer marketing so effective.
How to Become an Influencer
Influencers are going to rule the web in coming years. According to TapInfluence, 73% of marketers have allocated budget for influence marketing.
If you don’t have huge budgets to hire top influencers it makes sense to become one yourself.
Here are some ways to increase your influence as a marketer or business founder:
- Share Knowledge
Are you into clothing? Share fashion tips with the world.
Maybe you are in B2B SaaS services. Share knowledge on how to evaluate and implement SaaS products.
Whatever your industry is there is always information that people want to know. Developing your expertise in the topic and sharing it with the world is the first step to becoming an influencer.
The deeper your knowledge the better you content will be. So make sure you exactly know what you are going to talk about.
Use various formats like blogs, video, webinars , podcasts etc. to see what works.
Tip: Videos are doing much better than any other format currently
- Networking
You have to be social if you want to be an influencer. Find out other influencers in your niche and start building relationship with them. You could start off with social media and move to personal channels such as mail and meeting at events and conference.
Interacting with your followers and comments on your posts is equally important. You will have to build virtual as well as real relations to become an influencer.
- Build Authority
People must view you as authority on subject before they trust you. Certifications, memberships in professional associations and affiliations help in this regard. Testimonials from known personalities are also helpful.
Another way to build you authority is to be quoted in well-known publications. Use HARO to register and get in touch with journalists who are looking for quotes in your industry. You can also find contacts for popular publications and contact the journalist.
- Events & Industry Meets
Do not underestimate the importance of live events and meets in influence marketing. Giving live updates from events and being with the right people will boost your following tremendously.
Takeaway
Influence has been taught in marketing and sales since a long time. These are some of ways in which you can increase your influence in the online space.
Because marketers are always looking for maximum conversion, becoming an influencer is a natural progression for a marketer. Once you are an influence, a tweet could get you more sales than Google Adsense.