influencer marketing Archives - Corcoran Communications

Tag: influencer marketing

Is influencer marketing worth the investment?

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

Influencers, or opinion leaders as they are also called, can generate excitement for your brand and help to sell products and services. They build relationships for your brand via social media, reaching customers thought targeted posts and blogs. Influencer marketing content is thought to deliver 10 times higher ROI than other forms of digital marketing. If influencers are successful in helping to build sales, and many are, then they are a worthwhile investment for your brand. They key is influencer content that converts to greater awareness or better yet, a sale.

Why are influencer posts more effective than yours?

Influencers have a great understanding of social media and relating to their fan base. They earn the trust of their followers and speak directly to your targeted buyers. Consumers crave authenticity. An influencer may have less followers than a large brand, but influencer followers are often much more loyal. Influencers also discuss their experience with brands and products. They may also review products, providing valuable firsthand insight to consumers. Most importantly, they accomplish this in creative ways.

A Nielson study found that 83 percent of online responders said they trust referrals from people they know. Simply put, influencer marketing generates referrals. Because of their experiences with a brand and its products, influencer posts and blogs are often much more engaging and authentic than brand posts.

Traditional advertising vs. Influencer Marketing

Many companies are spending less on traditional advertising mediums, such as TV, radio and newspaper. Instead, they are focusing their attention on social media and social media influencers to reach their target market. They are discovering it can better target their ideal consumer. Social media influencers are also perceived to be much more trustworthy than an ad. Influencer marketing content can provide a much grater return on investment than traditional advertising.

The best platforms for influencer marketing are Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Blogs are also a powerful way to influence the public. Your ideal influencer is one that shares your key messaging and is knowledgeable of your industry. You will need to help develop usable content and graphics to assist an influencer in providing the information necessary to his or her followers. They will couple this with their own insight, life experiences, photos and videos. It’s a much more personal way of indirect advertising.

Internet & Social media statistics

Statistics prove that people are online all the time. They are searching, logging on to social media platforms and browsing the worldwide web all day, every day. Social media influence is poised to grow and if you have a well-planned influencer program in place, your sales can grow with it. An influencer can aid in your SEO efforts and help boost rankings. Here are some statistics from WorldStream and internetstats that showcase the power of social online and social media influence.

  • Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second, which translates to 3.5 billion searches per day.
  • Approximately half of the world’s 7.5 billion people are Internet users.
  • 83% of female and 75% of male Internet users are on Facebook.
  • There are nearly 2 billion users on Facebook.
  • YouTube reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.
  • 100 million hours of video content is watched on Facebook daily.

Start growing your social media interest now

Social media is the ideal spot for word of mouth marketing. Gain more interest in your brand and your products by building a greater social media presence. It will help you stay ahead of the competition and secure a loyal following. To be effective, brands need to begin authentic conversations. Media influencers are an excellent way to start these conversations and expand your social media presence in a meaningful way. They will help influence others in our target market to support your brand. Influencers will get your message out to the masses quickly and creatively. They are also an excellent value for your marketing dollar. Remember, the power of social media is in its ability to immediately reach the your target market. Exposure and awareness is imperative for a brand’s success. With the right social media influencer plan, you can achieve your sales goals starting today. If you’re interested in learning more about influencer marketing read another of our blogs. Have questions? Contact Corcoran Communications social media marketers today by emailing ruth@corcoranpr.com.

 

 

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Finding social media influencers

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018

You may not realize it, but social media influences much of what we do, from our purchasing habits to our political views and so much more. Chances are you’ve seen recommendations from a social media influencer, but maybe you didn’t realize you were following an influencer. An influencer can be anyone with credibility, industry specific knowledge and a following of target consumers. Social media influencers help persuade their followers to buy certain products, attend certain events and support particular brands. They are experts at influencing their followers via their social media channels.

Celebrity Influencers

We often see celebrity and athlete influencers such as the Kardashian and Jenner sisters endorsing products to their fans through Instagram or other social media platforms. They have a large following and a broad reach. They may promote anything from cosmetics and accessories to diet products. Famous celebrities can charge big bucks for endorsement posts and photos. While you may not be able to afford Kylie Jenner or Michael Jordan, there are less notable influencers that can fit your budget.

Micro Influencers

Many lesser known, or micro influencers can be just as valuable to a particular brand. They may partner with a business or brand in exchange for product, rather than cash payment. Many regular people have become online celebrities through their high level of engagement on social media. No matter who you select as your social media influencers, you need to be sure they match your brand’s mission and goals. Social media influencers need to have established credibility within a specific industry. For instance, if you’re selling fitness equipment, they need to be knowledgeable of the industry and products, such as a personal trainer.

What to look for in a social media influencer

First and foremost, your influencers need to be relevant to your business or industry segment. Their audience needs to be appropriate for your brand and your goals. When researching potential social media influencers, play close attention to their social media engagement. Are they telling their fans and followers what to buy, what to watch or where to go? How many followers do they have and how engaged are their followers? When they post content, how many likes are they getting, how many comments, how many shares and retweets, how many post clicks? A social media influencer should already have a captive audience that they’ve developed over time. Successful influencers will have built credibility and respect within their following. Your ideal influencer will have a loyal audience, captivating content, a high level of engagement and a broad reach.

Four types of social media influencers

  1. Celebrities – 1 million + followers
  2. Macro Influencers – 500K – 1 million followers
  3. Middle Influencers – 100K – 500K followers
  4. Micro Influencers – 1,000 – 100K followers

Tools to help you find social influencers

  • BuzzSumo – BuzzSumo is a tool used by many national brands. It has a search that can help you find key influencers in any topic area or location. The tool can filter influencers and shares by reach, authority, influence and engagement. It will also enable you to see what they share and how they share it.
  • Klear – Klear influencer marketing software allows you to easily find influencers in any category and location in the world across Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and blogs.
  • Followerwonk – This Twitter analytics tool allows users to gather and analyze information on Twitter users.
  • Traackr – This platform enables you to discover the right people to engage for your promotional, lead generation and social media initiatives. Traackr works with many national brands.
  • Klout – A tool that helps you find well-known influencers. Klout will help to research, manage and engage influencers.
  • Hootsuite – Hootsuite can search streams to help you locate social media influencers by monitoring conversations pertinent to your industry, products or services.

Interviewing influencers

When interviewing potential influencers be sure to ask for testimonials and case studies. What has worked best for them in the past? Ask for data showing their ability to covert followers to customers. Also request information as to their experience and what makes them a thought leader in your particular industry. Ask to see samples of their creativity in developing graphic and video posts. Work out a compensation package that works for both your brand and the influencer. Whether it is cash payment or product, the relationship must create value for both you and the influencer.

For more information on how influencer marketing may be able to help you increase revenue for your business, contact Corcoran Communications. Our digital marketing firm provides social media services including social media consultation, social media management and content creation.

 

 

 

 

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