Influencer Marketing is a great way to get your product and/or business out there. By “out there” I mean for the world of consumers to see. As an influencer myself, I can tell you how it works on my end of things.
Social Media
The biggest form of marketing I can do for a company is to promote them on social media. Things tend to go viral on things such as Facebook and Twitter. They can be shared thousands of times, so the amount of reach can be nearly unlimited. Imagine it: I promote the brand on my Twitter, for instance, and not only is it viewed by several thousand followers, but even if 10% of my followers retweet it, then it’s seen by their followers, and retweeted, etc. Thousands and thousands of people are going to see this brand.
Influencers do just that; they influence other’s decisions about brands. They are able to show their readers/followers what the brands offer. Now, there is some belief that only influencers with a high following are the only ones that can best promote a brand. This isn’t true. If an influencer has 1,000 followers, and engagement is high, they are going to be more influential than one that has a high following with a low engagement.
Why you need them
You can advertise on every billboard, and still never get the exposure that you would with influencers. Yes, people drive by billboards, or look at ads, but until they actually hear from someone that the brand is worth trying, most of the time they won’t.
There are many types of influencers, including celebrities, industry experts, bloggers, and micro influencers. Now, the easiest way to connect with influencers is through public relations companies. There are some pr companies that only handle a specific niche, and others that can accommodate any niche. The public relations representative will generally request information from influencers, and based on that, will match them up with brands that would be a good fit. Nancy Behrman started a public relations company in 1985, and they have a specific niche they work in. Nancy and Behrman Communications can help you get your brand out there, and they are specific to the health, beauty, wellness & lifestyle niche. They have two offices located in New York and California. This means that they are able to serve your needs regardless of your location.
Some influencers only promote brands on YouTube channels. From personal experience, YouTube videos are a great way to promote. I personally watch YouTube every night. It’s addicting, and it’s fun to watch videos of influencers using products.
Cost
Hiring an influencer is going to be more cost effective than spending thousands of dollars on billboards or paper ads that may or may not reach your target audience. With influencers, you can hire the right one based on what audience you want targeted. If you are targeting teens, for example, but you put your ad on a billboard or paper ad, and teenagers rarely see them, you won’t get the exposure you need to make your brand successful.
The trick is finding the right pr company to represent you. You want one that knows what they are doing. If it’s a newer agency, that’s alright, too, as long as they know how to run their business and take care of clients.
Majenica
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." ~ Sigmund Freud