Choosing Influencers for Brand Representation
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Market influencers are individuals who have the power to affect the purchase decisions of others based on their knowledge, position, authority, or relationship with their audience. They may have an actively engaged following in a particular niche. This type of marketing is becoming more and more popular because a business’s return on investment is usually so high. These individuals should not be viewed as marketing tools but rather relationship assets in collaboration with your brand.
There are many ways to divide particular influencers into groups. One way is by the power of influence and potential reach. Influence marketing is not only about selling rates but also engagement, reach, and brand awareness.
Categories
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The bulk of influence marketing occurs on social media. Below you will find three groups of influencers based on the size of their followings.
* Micro-influencers hold between 500 and 1,000 followers. Of the different types of influencers, this is the biggest group. There is actually a critical mass of followers that an influencer can actively engage with. Once you surpass critical mass, engagement declines. These individuals are able to connect with their audience one on one. They tend to have a drive of 25 to 50 percent per post. Micro-influencers have a significant impact on their audience because their followers are interested in their personal opinions and what they have to say. This group of influencers are quite affordable and have the benefit of an immediate influence.
* Macro-influencers hold between 10,000 and 1 million followers. Because their audience has grown so large, they average about 5 to 25 percent engagement per post. They may have a strong following in a certain industry. Although actual engagement with individual followers is lower than micro-influencers, their reach is much further. They may have the ability to reach more than ten times the amount of people. With this group, your brand gets more exposure.
* Mega-influencer have over 1 million followers. They may be a social media celebrity or even a celebrity with a social media account. Their engagement is much lower at two to five percent per post. Before deciding to work with a celebrity influencer, consider the needs of your brand. These individuals are better for global or you value exposure over a real connection. With this type of endorser, less of the influencer’s followers will actually be interested in your products.
Knowing the difference between influencers is important. When it comes to brand ambassadors, you want a person that represents your brand well and meets your marketing needs. When it comes to social media marketing, finding a good fit with your brand is especially important. This is because they are real personalities who talk directly to their audience. You want to project the real connection these individuals have with their followers onto your brand.
Other Types of Influencers
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There are other categories that you should be aware of: bloggers and content creators as well as industry experts and thought leaders. Micro-influencers and bloggers are probably the two biggest categories. Industry experts and thought leaders can also hold important positions for brands.
Blogging has been associated with influence marketing for a while. There are many influential bloggers with sizeable followings on the internet these days. Blogs tend to be more industry-specific than a micro-influencer’s personal account. The most successful blogs respect their readers. This creates trust between the content creator and the content consumer.
Larger blogs may even sell sponsored posts on their sites. In these situations, you would either provide a guest post or provide a heavy influence on one of the individual’s posts written on your behalf.
There are other content creators that have influence other than bloggers. There are video producers. YouTube is the main hub for this type of content, although Vimeo is becoming popular with certain audiences. Bloggers and YouTubers might fall into the category of micro-influencers as well. This is because they often rely on social media to promote their content.
Industry experts and thought leaders gain respect and followings based on their knowledge in a certain area. Sometimes this expertise is associated with the place the influencer works. They may be held out to be an expert because they work as a journalist for an esteemed publication. Bloggers and content creators might work with industry experts and thought leaders to add credit to their content.
Influence marketing is a formidable tool if used correctly. In most cases, your brand is leveraging the trust customers have in these individuals. Content tends to be more organic. It is best to partner with individuals that believe in your brand and product or service. Give them full control of their engagement with their audience when it comes to promoting your brand. Authenticity is important. Influencers can come across as puppets if your brand tries to control their voice too much. Start working influencers into your digital marketing campaign as soon as possible, and start reaping the benefits.
