Are influencers really influencing?

An influencer is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g. fashion, travel or technology.

Influencers often have a large following of people who pay close attention to their views. They have the power to persuade people to buy things, and influencers are now seen by many companies as a direct way to customers’ hearts. Brands are now asking powerful influencers to market their products. With some influencers charging up to $25,000 for one social media post, it is no surprise that more and more people are keen to become influencers too. If you are one of them, then here are five tips on how to do it.

Are influencers really influencing?

“Influencer marketing is very powerful if done right and that’s true for any channel of media marketing. Done right is a complicated answer and based on the permutation and combination, who is the audience, what’s the creative, thought and hook and how well it is executed.”
Brands may see them as an attractive marketing channel, but the question is clear – do these influencers have fans that listen to their recommendation? The question involves ‘trust’. Do fans trust what influencers are selling them?
Influencers drive a lot of the engagement on social media platforms, as their content is shared, liked, commented upon and re-tweeted
Here are some interesting data points regarding how online influencers affect U.S. consumer behavior:
- Four in five surveyed U.S. consumers (81%) have made a purchase through clicking a link or image an influencer shared.
- 66% trust a product recommendation so long as the influencer discloses their relationship with a brand.
- 38% would stop following an influencer if they post content that does not align with their core values, personal opinions and ethics.
- 83% of men are inspired to make a purchase based on an influencer recommendation, compared to 89% of women.
- Men are more likely to recommend an influencer overall, and will spend more money on products recommended by women with a higher price point per item (starting at over $100).
It’s becoming more important than ever to build relationships with influencers who resonate with your brand and to create campaigns that are aligned with the values of an influencer’s followers. In addition, 51% of marketers say influencer marketing helps them acquire better customers.