In influencer marketing, a person who has a large following online will be paid to post about a brand on social media to their followers. There are many different levels of influencers, and the amount of money it costs to hire an influencer is dependent on their follower count and reach.
The idea behind influencer marketing is similar to word-of-mouth. We know that people trust their friends and families more than any other source when it comes to making buying decisions. For many, celebrities and online personalities are like a trusted friend. Social media allows people to connect with their followers in a more “real” way.
Benefits of Hiring a Social Media Influencer
Influencer marketing on Instagram alone is over a billion-dollar industry, which could more than double in the next two years, according to Mediakix. There’s a reason why: influencer marketing works. According to research by Twitter, nearly 40% of Twitter users have made a purchase directly as a result of an influencer’s Tweet. Influencers are trusted almost as much as friends for making recommendations.
According to eMarketer, 88% of PR and marketing professionals find influencer marketing effective at raising brand awareness and 87% think it is at least somewhat effective at driving sales.
The Right Way to Publish Influencer Content
There are set rules on how influencers must disclose their relationship with a brand when they endorse a product. The audience must be able to clearly understand that there was some exchange (such as monetary compensation or a gift) for the influencer to be promoting a product.
For example, you may offer a local blogger a free night stay and ask for them to post about your hotel on their website and Instagram. The blogger needs to clearly state the relationship – simply adding #sp (sponsored) or #ad in a string of hashtags isn’t enough, since many people would skip reading the hashtags. Instead, the Federal Trade Commission says the poster would need the post text to make it clear that there was an exchange for their post.
