Whether your social media efforts have been successful or could use a little boost, reach new levels of success with influencer marketing. Influencers, or brand ambassadors, can help you build trust with your audience by promoting and representing your brand in ways that support and enhance your existing marketing strategy. Here are three reasons you should consider influencer marketing:
1. You have a consistent group of people already engaging with your social media.
Turn your customers into fans that love you with an ambassador program. If existing customers love your brand, products, or services, they’ll probably already be advocating for your brand and heavily engaging with your social media through likes, comments, and shares. Some of them may already have a large social media following, or might be viewed as trusted influencers. Increase loyalty with those customers and align their activity with your goals with one simple common denominator: an ambassador program.
When you start up an ambassador program, you’ll usually use those existing customers who are already advocating for your brand and who have built a social media following or online credibility. The ambassador program will simply provide guidelines for how they advocate for your brand to create an ongoing working relationship between you and your ambassadors that fully aligns with and supports your marketing, sales, and customer service goals.
2. Your target audience heavily relies on the thoughts and recommendations of others.
Think about how you make decisions and purchases. What’s more convincing:
- A restaurant sign that says “Best Food In The City,” or a recommendation from a foodie friend?
- Product packaging that says “Amazing value, awesome product,” or a five-star review?
- A movie director telling you his recent film is incredible, or a movie critic telling you it was the greatest two hours of her life?
While customers may not always trust brands, they are more likely to trust other people, especially fellow customers. In fact, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, and 86% of women use social media for purchasing advice (Digital Marketing Institute). Your potential customers don’t know yet that you are their best option. Your existing customers who already know, trust, and love you can help build your credibility and convince others you’re worth it.
It’s certainly crucial for you to be able to convey your own value proposition, but a good word from your customers-turned-influencers can be what turns your target audience into loyal customers. Your ad or post, however great it is, might be ignored where a passionate recommendation from another person might be taken more seriously.
3. You have already proven that social media can drive revenue for you.
Have you run successful social media campaigns in the past? Take them to the next level by using some third-party influential people to boost your next campaign’s success. It can seem daunting to put some of the marketing power in the hands of others when you’ve hit your goals on your own before, but if you stay the same in the ever-changing world of marketing, you’re falling behind.Take your tried-and-true revenue-driving social media strategy and enhance it with something new: influencer marketing. It’s a method that has proven its worth: influencer marketing campaigns have been found to earn $6.50 for every dollar spent. You already know the value of social media. Capitalize on it by taking that extra step and incorporating influencer marketing.
