Here’s how influencer marketing helps amplify your brand

Today, most companies have invaded the online world, so smaller businesses find it challenging to gain brand recognition online.

As a result, customers distrust brands that engage in self-promotion, and the demand for fresh, innovative digital marketing methods has increased.

Digital marketers’ search for a new marketing approach has driven businesses to recognize the potential of influencer marketing.

If you are into social media, you will see that many brands and company owners devote significant time and resources “trying to take advantage of [influencer marketing],” like Johan Jedaker, CEO of Bettersupport.io. 

Johan discussed outsourcing and the significance of influencer marketing in increasing brand awareness in the 429th episode of the Outsource Accelerator podcast.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a type of digital marketing in which prominent individuals, or influencers, are used to reach a larger audience to promote products of a specific brand.

In the early days, advertising products and services through digital platforms was not an option since Facebook and Twitter were just starting, and “10 years ago, it was more about direct sales,” the Bettersupport.io CEO mentioned.

“Influencers would hand out discount codes and so on to drive sales, but things have sort of turned now,” he added.

Influencers like celebrities, bloggers, and YouTube stars have large social media reach. When they promote a brand, they can tap into their existing followers and reach a larger, more engaged audience.

More than having large followers, these prominent individuals must be trusted figures in a community. They must also possess expertise or experience with the product or service they advertise.

For instance, you hire a food vlogger on YouTube to advertise your restaurant or food services. You can ask for a food critic certification as a requirement. It ensures that the product promotion comes from the perspective of a professional.

What is the value of influencer marketing?

The value of influencer marketing lies in its capacity to reach a big audience efficiently. Businesses may reach a larger audience through influencer marketing than traditional marketing.

Influencers can persuade their subscribers to buy a specific product. Followers relate to the influencers they follow and listen to them.

As a result, the company and its clients may develop a solid connection that keeps a loyal customer base.

Through influencer marketing, the brand “gets a lot of exposure on social media,” and “ultimately it leads to a higher conversion and more sales,” Johan said.

The marketing principles have not changed: telling the right story to the right people. But, the digital era has radically altered each of these principles. Without a creative product introduction, it could be hard to boost brand awareness.

As per the Bettersupport.io CEO, “when [clients] run ads on Instagram, Facebook, and so on, they can instead use the content from influencers. [It] gives them a better result in the end.”

5 ways influencer marketing boosts your brand

Influencer marketing is founded on trust, transparency, and honesty. According to MG Empower, 70% of customers consider influencers in their purchase decisions, with an even higher 83% considering sustainability.

Here are the following ways influencer marketing boosts your brand awareness:

1. Targets audience precisely

The marketing team is no longer required to brainstorm how to reach its target audience quickly since the brand advocates will do the work.

As mentioned, you only need to collaborate with the right influencer whose public profile and content are relevant to the image of your company.

2. Enhances credibility and trust

When an influencer gives a genuine testimonial about your product, it improves your brand’s reputation and trustworthiness.

3. Revamps content strategy

Influencers earn from providing compelling content for their followers. Working with them allows you to rethink your methods and adopt their techniques for a more effective social media strategy.

4. Increases audience engagement

Johan acknowledged that influencer marketing is “really about the exposure [of the] content that the influencers are generating.”

He added that “there are many segments when it comes to influencers,” two of which are:

• Mega influencers – “those with 100,000 followers and above.”
• Micro influencers – “starts anywhere from 1,000 followers.”

The point is that brands can use influencer marketing to their advantage by hiring influencers with many followers. It’s a win-win situation because public figures can gain additional followers, and the business can generate more sales.

5. Improves search engine rankings

Influencer marketing increases brand recognition, resulting in increased traffic to your website. In addition, when your business page gets shared, you can also gain high-quality and reliable backlinks.

Why does influencer marketing continue to grow?

The rise of influencer marketing may be linked to its ability to reach a big audience in a short amount of time. Leveraging the advertising prowess of influencers allows companies to build more meaningful relationships with their target market.

Risks of influencer marketing

Business owners “don’t necessarily need physical products in order to run a successful influencer marketing program.”

Marketers could do it with these simple steps: “Find the right influencers, contact them, make collaborations, and then the influencers would push that information out,” Johan advised.

However, there are just some minimal risks that you need to be aware of:

• Budget and expertise – Johan pointed out two things, “it’s expensive to run this kind of program in-house,” and  “other outsourcing companies would struggle [if] they don’t know the ins and outs of influencer marketing.”
• Fake followers – Some influencers can buy fake followers, giving the impression that they have a large fan base.

However, the Bettersupport.io CEO assures that there are “tools that helps to identify how genuine an influencer is.”

Enhance your campaign with influencer marketing

Overall, influencer marketing is a great way to enhance your campaign. You only need the right strategy and a “dedicated influencer marketing team” to get you started.

If you want to learn more about influencer marketing, you can find Johan Jedaker on Linkedin or send your inquiries to his email, [email protected]

Visit Bettersupport.io’s official website and listen to episode 429 of the OA podcast here.