On the web we are exposed to an enormous number of ways in which we can reach our visitors. A trend that has come a lot more in the spotlight since a few years; influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing is a subject that is by no means used by all companies, or even taken into consideration. Usually because there are a number of misconceptions about the practice and many parties do not know what it all means.
What is Influencer marketing?
Before I discuss the misconceptions, possibilities and further concerns in the field of influencer marketing, it is good to know what the concept entails.
It is a form of marketing where activities are developed to reach a specific (group of) influencer (s). You try to activate this subset as opposed to generally approaching the potential market as a whole.
This form of marketing plays an increasingly important role within the marketing options of companies and organizations, because they realize that their marketing through the traditional channels no longer has the power that it had before.
Why influencer marketing works?
A good influencer marketing campaign is used in collaboration with an influencer who is in contact with the target group of your brand.
The followers of the influencer all segment into a certain area of interest, which means that they often belong to the same target group. As a result, the efficiency of the campaign is often many times higher than with other marketing forms.
The advantages
If you look at the essence, the biggest advantage of what this form of marketing offers may already be clear. No longer having to focus on everyone, but on the subset of users who, after stimulation, continue to carry the message for your company or organization.
The influencers can quickly and large-scale spread your message / message to the entire target group. Influencers are also important in successful viral marketing campaigns for this reason.
How can you apply influencer marketing?
The most important thing is to determine the influencer that is suitable for your company / brand.
The style and way in which he / she approaches his / her approach must match the brand voice of your company / brand.
Prices vary per campaign depending on the members of the influencer and the platform that has been contacted. In addition, the difference between micro and macro influencers significantly influences the price.
Depending on the purpose and budget, influencers with a larger or smaller following can be chosen. That is why influencer marketing is accessible to many more companies than is often thought.
How do you find an appropriate influencer for your business?
Influencers are not celebrities, but individuals with their own niche and following. They know what they are doing and talk enthusiastically about their expertise.
Authentic and reliable
The followers appreciate that authenticity, which means they are considered reliable. Studies show that approximately 82% of consumers indicate that they will follow a recommendation given by an influencer.
The reliability and credibility of influencers is therefore high. Often many times higher than what people see when it comes from the mouth of the company itself.
“Wij van Wc-eend adviseren Wc-eend” used to be a nice concept, but the audience has simply become smarter and looks through the layer of the company. That is why reviews, testimonials and word of mouth are often stronger than a general sales message.
Be picky
But be very picky when choosing an influencer. There are enough practical examples of an influencer being unpacked incorrectly. An example is The Green Happiness. The women were known in their niche because of the healthy nutrition tips they gave.
That is until the Nutrition Center contradicted them on the basis of scientific research.
See among others; https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2016/09/27/voedingscentrum-waarschuwt-voor-the-green-happiness-a1523518 of https://www.nu.nl/eten-en-drinken/4327617/voedingscentrum-waarschuwt-dieet-the-green-happiness.html
If it goes wrong, then it can actually send your reliability and influential reputation down the drain. Therefore, critically examine whether the influencer actually understands these facts.
If in doubt, consult an (external) expert, for example, to check whether the information is actually correct and substantiate it.
How to analyse / measure it all?
Measuring what an influencer actually means can still be relatively difficult. Because what comes from the influencer and what doesn’t?
In many cases you will be able to trace everything you need through the necessary referrer urls. But you will not be able to lead everything back to the influencer in this way.
Often influencers are therefore provided with affiliate links which contain special codes that they can use for their effect.
An important tip is, for example, to ensure that you make an annotation in Google Analtyics so that you can keep a clear picture of it.
Influencer marketing and me
I myself am involved in all marketing developments. I therefore also look at the options available in the field of influencer marketing.
But in all honesty I am still growing in this field and where necessary I will also engage with parties that have made influencer marketing their core business. I can claim things, but I’d rather live up to them than claim them. But I personally think that I deal with quite a lot of aspects.
