Indeed, the launch of new technologies and digital platforms has increased the opportunities for advertising messages. However, a large part of these advertisements do not reach the users' consciousness, hence the use of influencer marketing, which is essential to capture attention and build trust.
By collaborating with influencers, companies can not only promote their products, but also build authentic connections with their audience. This article explores the concept of influencer marketing, the statistics that highlight its importance, the different types of influencers, the steps for setting up a successful strategy and best practices to adopt through real-life examples of successful campaigns.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer: definition
An influencer has a recognized authority in his or her field. He or she acts to spread a message to his or her audience.
What is an influencer?
This is a person who has built a community sharing an rcs database interest in a particular subject or subjects and who is recognized by this community as an expert in the subject. This person therefore has authority and influence in his field.
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that leverages the reach and influence of public figures or those recognized in their field to increase awareness of a brand, product or service. According to companies that use this strategy, influencer content is 36% more effective than their own content .
Influencers act as brand ambassadors by making recommendations that resonate with their followers, often more effectively than traditional advertising. The key to the success of influencer marketing lies in the authenticity and trust that influencers have with their community.
For example, 69% of consumers say they trust influencer recommendations. No other type of advertising achieves such goals!
Since not all influencers are created equal, it’s crucial to choose the right partners based on your target audience and campaign goals. Influencers fall into five categories, based on the size of their community:
Nano-influencers (1K to 10K followers). Small but engaged, their audience makes them perfect partners for ultra-targeted campaigns. Thanks to their authenticity and proximity to their community, they are very effective partners for companies looking to build trust. In fact, 92% of consumers believe that nano-influencers and micro-influencers are more trustworthy than traditional advertising or celebrities. In addition, nano-influencers are often open to collaborating with companies that are like them, and their services are often more affordable than those of other influencers.
Micro-influencers (10K to 100K followers). Specialized in specific niches, micro-influencers often generate high engagement rates. This type of influencer is ideal for SMEs looking to reach a specific audience without having to invest in expensive campaigns.
Macro-influencers (100K followers to 1M followers). These influencers reach a large audience and are often considered experts in their field. They are ideal for campaigns that aim to increase brand awareness on a national or international scale. By working with this type of influencer, you will likely get a lot of exposure, but perhaps not as much engagement.
Mega-influencers (1M+ followers). Celebrities and public figures, they have a reach that is ideal for large-scale campaigns aimed at quickly increasing brand awareness.
Influence of nano-influencers and micro-influencers in Quebec
Unlike celebrities, local or secondary influencers give people the impression that it is easier to connect with them. Nano-influencers and micro-influencers have a small, tight-knit community and are therefore very engaged on social networks. These influencers are both known and accessible, since they have a life similar to that of their peers ( followers ). And they talk about this life in a very personal tone on their social platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook or YouTube.
Like, share, comment, save
Transparency and authenticity are key on social media. Small communities encourage followers to interact by making them feel like they’re being heard by someone they know. What do these secondary influencers do? They respond to comments and interact with their community, creating a sense of accessibility and the illusion of friendship.
Influencer, a job in itself
Influencers regularly create content to fuel their social media and web presence. They are public figures and content creators whose influence is recognized within a community.
When you work regularly with an influencer who produces content for your brand, you kill two birds with one stone: you save on content production (texts, photos, videos) and you get talked about by an authority in their field.
And what about UGC in all this?
If your brand can get ambassadors without spending a dime, you’ve got yourself a goldmine! According to a study by IPSOS, nearly half of Internet users are greatly influenced by the opinions of other buyers. User-generated content (UGC) is when a user voluntarily posts original content to share their experience with a product or brand. According to Adweek, 85% of people say that UGC is more influential than content produced by brands .
How do you get these valuable testimonials? Ask for them clearly and explicitly! You can do this in the form of challenges, trends to surf on or contests. You can also create a hashtag for your community and encourage your users to use it when talking about your brand.
Encourage positive behavior! When a member of your community shares their experience, you can recognize their contribution or offer them a reward, such as a product.
