Influencer marketing uses the popularity and trust that certain people enjoy in public to promote products or services. These people, known as influencers, often have a large number of followers on social networks and can have significant influence on their fans' buying behavior through their recommendations.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is basically a modern form of word of mouth. Influencers — i.e. people who have significant reach and influence on social media or blogs — present products in their posts, often on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube or Snapchat. Their recommendations should encourage their followers to be interested in the advertised products or to buy them.
Why do companies use influencer marketing?
The trust that an influencer enjoys with their community is a decisive factor. When an influencer you admire and trust uses a product, it automatically appears more attractive to you. Companies use this connection to increase their credibility and visibility.
How do you find the right influencer?
It is not always the number of followers that is important, but how engaged these followers are. An influencer with a smaller but very active follower base can often be more effective than one with millions of followers but little interaction. It's about finding influencers whose follower base is a good fit for the company's target group.
Influencer types
There are different types of influencers:
- Macro influencers: Celebrities or well-known personalities with a huge number of followers.
- Micro-influencers: People with a smaller number of followers, but often higher engagement and a more specific target group.
- Niche influencers: Experts in specific areas such as fitness, beauty, technology, etc.
Legal and Ethics
When using influencer marketing, it is important to maintain transparency. Influencers must disclose when posts are sponsored in order to maintain trust and credibility with both followers and regulatory authorities.
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool in digital marketing that, used correctly, can not only increase a brand's visibility but also significantly increase its sales figures. The selection of the right influencers and an authentic presentation are decisive for success.
