Social media has become an effective marketing tool for most brands. Combine social media with famous celebrities and you have a formula for success. One of the fastest growing marketing trends is influencer marketing. In fact, a little over 80 percent of marketers want to include influencer marketing in their marketing plans in the next year.
What is influencer marketing?
Think of it as the in between stage of an official endorsement and a subtle product mention. A celebrity or highly influential person is responsible for talking about a product or brand on their social media platforms to reach potential buyers.
Some good examples of this marketing trend are the Kardashians. Love them or hate them, the entire family has perfected the art of influencer marketing. You will see their marketing efforts all over their social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat.
Influencer marketing really reaches the younger generation and is starting to rapidly expand. Brands are starting to notice and willing to pay big bucks for this marketing trend. Even small businesses are using influencer marketing in their marketing plan. Everything from fashion to entertainment to athletics are seeing the value in influencer marketing.
The key is to find influencers with followers in the brand’s target market. It is a great way to give brands exposure to the right kind of consumer. You can even think of these social media posts as commercials. But influencers are staying true to their voice and mentioning products or brands without the consumer thinking they are getting paid for it. Plus, a little less than half of consumers use an ad blocker, so this is a way for brands to get an ad out to consumers.
There is something personal and trusting when it comes to influencer marketing. And younger celebrities and influencers are learning how to successfully collaborate with brands because it is a winning situation for both parties.
As the value of influencer marketing increases, consumers will be able to expect to see even more celebrities representing a brand on their social media accounts. Not only does the brand grab the attention of consumers, but the influencer also becomes more popular and can grow their audience.
