Utilizing Established Influencers to Benefit Your Brand
11.7% of US marketing budgets are devoted to social media, up from 3.5% in 2009. Studies have shown that people are much more likely to buy a product recommended by a social media influencer than a celebrity.
Influencers give their followers a sense of trust and can relate much easier on a personal level. I cannot even begin to count how many beauty products I have bought because they were recommended by Jaclyn Hill (Cosmetics Influencer). This is because on her social media platforms, there are more than just empty cluttered ads. You get to see a glimpse into her life and feel like you know her personally (I know for myself, I sincerely believe that Jaclyn and I are friends). It is much more difficult for the average consumer to relate to an A-list celebrity the way they can to an influencer.
When an influencer does a collaboration with a company, many times the company will sell out of the entire line within 24 hours.
Influencers have shown companies huge spikes in sales. To give you an idea, within the first twenty-five minutes of Champagne Pop’s launch, 25,000 units were sold. When an influencer does a collaboration with a company, many times the company will sell out of the entire line within 24 hours. Brands are now rushing to work with influencers to enhance their campaigns. This is almost a no-brainer when a company could use an influencer and their fanbase for their campaign which could cost them $500,000 when it would cost them millions to use a celebrity.
Influencer activations give a company a sales lift. A huge reason companies see such success with influencers is because they create content with a specific niche in mind. Influencers are so specialized in their content that even if they do not have as many followers as celebrities, they reach a highly relevant audience. Being able to reach such a select audience is perfect for promoting things like clothing, accessories, beauty, etc. Because these promoters have a specialized profile, people who follow them are interested in the same category of products. This creates a much stronger influence towards making a purchase.
In the upcoming years, I would expect to see a lot more influencer campaigns and less celebrity-type campaigns. Influencers can benefit your brand in ways that celebrities can’t and have the ability to directly affect sales. They have a desirable impact on their followers, which is what brands value. As the popularity of influencers increases, the market will have to adapt in order to accommodate the large influx of influencers in a vast array of industries.
