The Undeniable Allure of Influencers

Influencers continue to be a big part of the brand and social media strategy conversation year after year.

Why is that? What do they bring to the table that owned content doesn’t?

There’s a lot you should know and we’d love to tell you every nitty-gritty detail. But first, you should understand that the foundational appeal of influencers comes down to three things. Check it out.

1. Authenticity

The beauty of using influencers as a part of your campaign is that they are real people, sharing real experiences around what they know and love. An authentic voice is one of the main reasons their followers and fans keep up with them. When they weave your brand into their story your brand receives a halo-effect that can’t be found elsewhere. You might say, “Yeah, but this is still brand content! How is that authentic.” You’re right, but a key best practice of influencer strategy is to allow them the freedom to create content in their own way, not the way you prescribe. If you dictate what they post you’re doing it wrong.

2. Affinity

Most influencers get to where they are because they have a gregarious and affable online persona that permeates through everything they do — from content to communication. That’s what draws people to them. The people that read, follow, click, and comment on the influencer’s content are the people that have an affinity for this person and they see themselves as part of an exclusive club or community. Tapping into that community gives your brand a halo effect that can’t be found anywhere else.

3. Authority

This is the part that seems a little “marketing-y” but that’s ok, we’re marketers. The fact is, when influencers talk, people listen. Just mentioning your brand is an endorsement. They have authority. They’ve created loads of authentic content. They’ve built audiences brimming with affinity. So, if they tell their community to do or try something, the community will do it. If they say that something is great, the community will believe it. We probably don’t need to explain why this is important but we will anyway: the influencer becomes your advocate much in the same way a celebrity spokesperson would. The people that know them love them and they’re willing to take them at their word. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

There’s a lot more to learn about influencers and we’ll post more about it in the future.

In the meantime, send us an email or give us a ring to see how we can put a plan in place for you and your brand.

And as always, hit us up on your social media platform of choice. You know how to find us.