by Andrew Jerome | Jul 15, 2021

Have you ever watched a show on Netflix that you’d never normally sit down for, just because a friend recommended it? How about buying clothes endorsed by a relative? Maybe you took a risk on a new restaurant, as a colleague had enjoyed it? If you said yes, then you are already familiar with the idea behind influencer marketing.

In the context of social media, an influencer is an individual with a following based around them and a particular niche. For example, a niche could range from wellness to fashion to travel and even to video games. Followers for influencers can range from a few thousand to tens of millions, nothing to scoff at. The realm of influencer marketing is, well, influential. Today, we are going to demonstrate the power behind them.

What Is An Influencer?

Today’s celebrities aren’t just the movie stars and singers of yesteryear, but now include the influencers of YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Zoë Sugg, a popular fashion influencer, has over nine million followers on Instagram alone. With a massive number of followers like that, it makes sense to collaborate with influencers, especially in order to reach a specific audience.

The internet has brought hobbyists together like no other time in history. Comic fans flocking together to discuss a new issue or filmgoers crowding forums. Likewise, influencers attract their own specific audiences around a niche. Fashion, traveling, sports, and more all have individuals with large followings, making it easier to find a potential collaborator for a marketing campaign. Launching a new beauty product? Seek one of the many makeup gurus out there. Promoting an upcoming video game? Look toward game streamers on Twitch or Youtube. There exists an influencer for every niche and an audience that can be reached through it.

Why Use Influencer Marketing?

Illustrating the wide reach and power of influencers, a recent survey stated that over forty percent of respondents detailed becoming aware of a new brand or product on a weekly basis from an influencer’s coverage. Not just once though, but every week. Topping that off, an additional twenty-four percent disclosed discovering one every day. Think about that; Nearly one-in-four people discover a new brand or product from influencer daily. More astoundingly, nearly ninety percent said they were motivated to purchase the product after viewing the post. 

Why are followers more willing to go with the recommendation of an influencer, than that of traditional advertising? Well, a 2019 report states that almost two-thirds of people between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four placed more trust in the honesty of influencers than in a brand’s advertising.

Oftentimes, fans follow influencers because they like them or find them interesting. When we like someone, we subconsciously start to trust them and want to become more like them. When a consumer gains trust in an influencer, they are significantly more likely to buy from them. Two-hundred percent more likely that is. 

If we know one thing, it is that personal and humanized marketing works, which is why collaborations with influencers have so much success. So much success, in fact, that close to ninety percent of marketing professionals agreed that the return-on-investment for influencer marketing is as good as, if not better than all other marketing channels.

In the future, influencer marketing is projected to become even more relevant as the demand grows and social media engagement becomes ever larger. For an industry that was worth less than two billion in 2016 and grew to nearly ten billion at the end of 2020, a demonstrable audience is here to be worked with and the influencers are here to help. Find your niche, search for influencers within it, and begin your journey of influencer marketing.