Boasting 800 million active users, Instagram have, arguably, changed the position of social media and its power as a really effective marketing tool.
While Facebook and Twitter have long been known as great platforms for community management and YouTube a hotbed for content creators, Instagram has combined the power of all existing networks and elevated the profile of influencers and their, well, influence!
Some consider the practice of Influencer Marketing to be controversial (with the FCA making a number of revisions to their guidelines and policing campaigns pretty aggressively), but there is a strong argument for this approach over traditional marketing techniques. More and more consumers are using ad-blockers and reaching for our mobile phones during tv commercial breaks has become habitual for huge numbers of us. Ultimately, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for brands and advertisers to reach their audiences through traditional marketing channels.
Influencer Marketing provides businesses (small and large) with a unique opportunity to reach their target audience authentically, and some studies are already showing huge returns on investment. However, this doesn’t mean that Influencer Marketing is a silver bullet strategy, in fact there are a number of pretty big risks involved and it’s important for business owners to properly research influencers before starting any campaign.
To find out more We reached out to the Hopper HQ community to see how important they think Influencer Marketing is to the future of Social Media, Digital and Content Marketing, exploring whether this marketing tactic is viable for brands or a craze that’s set to disappear in the near future. Here are some of their thoughts…
Is Influencer Marketing A Profitable Marketing Strategy For Brands ?
“Yes. Influencer marketing is one of the foremost marketing methods used by brands today. Because social media has had a huge impact on our lives, brands have taken note and began reaching out to those that have created a following and have them do the majority of their marketing instead of creating traditional campaigns and they are reaping the benefits two fold. This strategy has an extremely high ROI because it is all commission based meaning they don’t spend any marketing dollars unless an influencer generates a sale; unlike traditional marketing, the dollars are spent up front without knowing if it is going to work or not!!”
– Miki Taylor, Taylor & Co. Travel
“Consumers are invested in the influencers they follow and the stories they tell. Influencers don’t take this lightly, they carefully curate their content, endorsing companies that align with their voice and personal brand. They’ll never sponsor a product that they don’t believe in themselves And it shows, consumers are starting to trust influencers more than a celebrity. A report by ZD Net found that 30% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product form a non-celebrity, and a whopping 70% of millennials prefer peer endorsements. You can’t ignore that anymore. With social media algorithms continually changing, it can be a challenge to get your content in front of your customers and grow your brand organically. One way brands can get in front of their consumers is through influencer campaigns. A recent study by Nielsen shows that for every $1 invested in an influencer marketing campaign will return $6.50, all the way up to $14. Once companies start to see the power of influencer marketing, we’ll see it become a credible strategy. You’ll even see them teaching this in Marketing 101 college classes – if they haven’t already… If there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, is not to ignore new strategies, including influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is here to stay, trust me.”
– Michelle Beauregard, MUNA
“Influencer marketing should certainly be an integral part of your tool kit in 2018. Micro influencers will play an even bigger role than before as trusted community based influencers able to target specific audiences. On the other hand, brands should be aware that Facebook is clamping down on being transparent with any partnerships influencers may have in their content and will be creating better options to disclose this in any marketing material. The transparency this brings will certainly change the way influencers are used.”
– Gweirydd Davies, S4C
Visually plan your social content. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn + Pinterest
“At KitNipBox, we’ve worked with social pages and lifestyle bloggers that have generated direct and immediate conversions for us, proving the influencer strategy to be totally worthwhile. At the same time, however, we’ve worked with dud accounts that garner little to no engagement and zero conversions. The takeaway here is that so long as a company dedicates time to research influencers that not only speak to their market, but also boast a legitimate following (re: their audience is not composed of bots), then influencer marketing can be an exteremly legitimizing strategy for brands, both emerging and iconic.”
– Diana Regal, KitNipBox
“Absolutely, but it depends entirely on the credibility of the influencer. Social media has made it so easy for brands to strike up relationships with anyone – really quickly. It’s really important that they still exercise caution, connect with the right people, and see it as a long term relationship, not just a quick transactional ‘fix’.” – important to regulate
– Tom Pearson, Greener Media
“Influencer marketing, when used thoughtfully, can be a highly effective strategy for brands. What brands need to remain aware of is being highly specific and selective about who they work with. Does the influencer share their values? Is their audience the same as the brand’s target market? Working with someone just because they have a big audience isn’t good enough but if you get it right it can be a highly effective strategy.” – important to regulate
– Henry McIntosh, Twenty One Twelve Marketing
“In today’s world of ad blockers, algorithmic feed changes, and fake accounts… Influencer Marketing is a great strategy (when done correctly) to get in front of – and convert – high quality audiences. Where most brands fail with Influencer Marketing is by treating influencers as a one-off transaction (instead of a relationship), and / or selecting influencers based on vanity metrics (instead of holistically based on their reach, relevance and resonance).” – regulate
– Yan Budman, Spark Social Solutions
Visually plan all your social channels. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook + LinkedIn.
