Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is all the rage nowadays. What’s the concept? Basically it is to gain exposure and awareness through the promotion of an influencer on social media. You find someone who has a rabid following in a category that makes sense for you or your business. You approach that individual and see if they will promote something for you. They can be asked to promote a website, a Facebook page, an Instagram account, a product, a service, or anything you deem to be important.
Influencer marketing is basically the modern day term for endorsement. Nike sold a few shoes by getting athletes like Michael Jordan to lend their support to the Nike products (Check out this article). Under Armour signed Steph Curry to a shoe deal and it launched Under Armour successfully into the shoe market. Actors and actresses lend their face and support to all kinds of products and causes. Influencer marketing is basically the same thing. The difference is that the influencers are typically big fish in little ponds, as opposed to big fish in big ponds. They can also be big fish, but they have a real defined sphere of influence. For example, someone may be really popular on YouTube, but non-existent on Twitter or Instagram. Are you following?
How do you find the right influencers?
Influencers are easy to find. They are the popular people, or popular accounts, on the social networks that people frequent (See list below). Look for the people with the most followers, subcribers, engagement, etc. They are the people who have the ability to move groups. That is where you want to focus.
Where do you find the influencers?
- Snapchat
- YouTube
- Google+
How much does it cost?
That depends on the request and the popularity of the influencer. The price can be anything from a reciprocal post on your account, to $5, to thousands of dollars. I suggest you match your request with the right influencer and the right ability to produce.
Can you give us an example of influencer marketing in the wild?
I have recently started listening to The Tim Ferriss Show. This is a podcast that is produced by Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Workweek. In the pre-roll section (basically the opening commercial) of one of his recent podcasts, Tim mentions the company Four Sigmatic. Four Sigmatic makes mushroom coffee. Now that Tim Ferriss has mentioned Four Sigmatic and has endorsed Four Sigmatic, they have the opportunity to make a lot more of that coffee. Their sales have significantly increased and they are having trouble keeping up with demand. Heck, I bought some and mentioned it in a couple of posts over the last week (“Prolonged Focus” and “My Life Today, June 6th, 2017“). Do you see the power of a good influencer?
Who are some influencers in their markets?
- Casey Neistat
- Tim Ferriss
- Kayla Itsines – @kayla_itsines on Instagram
- Glennon Doyle Melton – @glennondoylemelton on Instagram
Wrapping Up
This should give you a start on influencer marketing. Hopefully you have a better idea of what it is, what it is capable of accomplishing, where to find influencers, and have a few influencers to look at as examples. You have a couple of different roads to travel from here. You can utilize the influencer group that is in place, or you can become an influencer yourself. Which ever you choose, you know more about the game and how it is played.
