Impact Group Marketing Blog

Are you determined to grow your business, but feel you’ve reached a plateau? Are you frustrated by the publicity of businesses around you and wonder how to push your company into the spotlight? As you watch brands and businesses gain exposure on social media, do you feel discouraged? Good news: there’s room for you, too! Influencer marketing is at an all-time high, but the summit has yet to be reached. Influencer marketing is an outlet for people with authority to share information about your business or product. By influencer, we don’t mean a Hollywood A-lister; we mean smart, creative, regular people with a following. By correctly utilizing an influencer, your business can be highlighted, supported, and talked about on various social media outlets. Don’t get left behind - it’s time to get in the influencer marketing game and let your business shine!

The Perks of Influencer Marketing

In a world where connection is a top priority, most age groups are tuned-in to at least one form of social media. However, Gen Z is affiliated with multiple outlets. In fact, their mastery of the online world has led to an increase in “social-media famous” people. Regular people who post something noteworthy and shareable, who then gain thousands of followers, have now become influencers in our culture. But the best part is, you can use this virtual authority to help promote your business and sell your product. TapInfluence and Neilsen Catalina Solutions released a study in 2016 that showed influencer marketing brought in 11 times the return on investment than traditional marketing. Do you need to advertise a new line of product? Do you want the world to know what your business offers? Do you need more website traffic? A virtual influencer can easily promote your product or highlight your business on their blog or various social media accounts. All you have to do is offer a quality service or product and choose the right influencer.

Choosing Your Influencer

If you’re reaching out to Gen Z, then you know you’ll reach your target audience by utilizing an authority on any social media account possible. Currently, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat, and musical.ly are by far the most popular. To reach the highest number of people and greatest demographic scale, Instagram is the outlet for you. Concerned about your budget? Don’t be. You don’t need a Hollywood celebrity to shine a light on your business. In fact, research indicates that 30% of consumers are more likely to trust a non-celebrity anyways. This generation wants to see “real people” approving a product or a business before they give it a shot. Take some time to find people with accounts that make sense for your business and reach out to them. You can offer a sample, discount, or free subscription to your product and in return ask them to positively promote your business on their account. If your influencer has a large following, imagine how 80k views about your product in one day could impact your business! However, don’t only seek out one or two major influencers—utilize your customer. A loyal customer who genuinely loves your product is the best influencer. A positive review from a trusted friend is even better. Create opportunities for your customer to post about their experience simply because they enjoy what you offer. Once traction begins to build, consider partnering with your customers who have a healthy following. Your partnership doesn’t have to be expensive to be profitable.

Gaining Traction

As your business grows, you’ll see the effectiveness of influencer marketing. However, an increased profit margin may take some time. To know if your product is gaining traction online, you’ll need to track your selected influencers to see what they post, how often, and how their followers respond. “Likes” are not as meaningful as comments, so be sure to read the comments to know what people are saying about your product. Also, pay close attention to how your influencer responds to comments. Another way to gain traction on social media is to create a hashtag for your business. You can then easily track the hashtag to determine how consumers respond to your product. This may also lead you to more influencer partnerships. Overall, you want to see a buzz of virtual conversation surrounding your business. As you watch the online world engage with your product, you’ll realize the benefits of influencer marketing. Don’t sit on the sidelines any longer - if you’re proud of the product or service you offer, get in the game! There could be an influencer online right now waiting to market your business.

Evolve Impact Group offers personalized social media management solutions for your business to ensure improved market presence and sustainable, long-term impact in the marketplace. Contact us today to learn more!

Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2018/03/20/instagram-is-a-powerhouse-for-gen-z-influencer-marketing/2/#48430d4c771a

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/influencer-marketing-fundamentals/243207/

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-to-tap-into-the-creator-side-of-influencer-marketing/