Influencer Marketing Series: How It Will Grow Your Brand
A few years ago celebrity endorsements and word-of-mouth recommendations were the bread and butter for introducing customers to a brand. Now it only takes a few swipes on your Instagram feed to come across an influencer posting a brand deal. We see them everywhere, but how exactly are they incorporated into digital media marketing?
One influencer program The Sampson House implemented was for our client, Screenflair. Keep reading to get the low-down on everything influencer marketing and why your brand needs to implement it.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing introduces customers to a brand through a trusted source, the influencer, in a way that feels authentic and casual. It’s Gen C’s version of a killer recommendation from a friend. What this typically looks like is a brand collaborating with an influencer to market a product/service or improve brand recognition.
How does influencer marketing work?
There are a lot of communication and psychological theories on why influencer marketing works. One key theory is parasocial interaction. Parasocial relationship interaction is the intrapersonal process of imagining the performer is your friend (Horton and Wohl, 1956). It is an experience felt by the audience that is controlled by the performer, or in this case, the influencer.
Let’s break that down. Think of your favorite TV show character and the affinity you have for them. You’ve probably thought “If I knew them in real life we would be friends.” We can connect to influencers in this same way. The more we interact with their content, the more feel like we really know them. It’s the grown-up version of an imaginary best friend.
So, what makes influencer marketing beneficial?
Parasocial relationships are important because the stronger they are, the more credible the influencer appears to the viewer. As a result, any brand that the influencer endorses is also perceived as favorable. Simply put - people believe people.
This effect gives influencers major purchasing power. An influencer isn’t just selling a product - they’re selling a lifestyle. Generally, when we like someone, human nature guides us to imitate their behavior. Within the realm of parasocial interaction, this is called persona interaction and it invites perspective-taking and mimicry (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999).
When an influencer is showing us exactly how we can be like them through the everyday products that shape their lifestyle, mimicking that behavior through purchasing those products comes naturally.
Who is an influencer?
Anyone can be an influencer but there are levels that are measured in terms of follower count:
Nano-influencers: 1,000 – 10,000 followers
Micro-influencers: 10,000 – 50,000 followers
Mid-tier influencers: 50,000 – 500,000 followers
Macro-influencers: 500,000 – 1,000,000 followers
Mega-influencers: 1,000,000+ followers
An influencer is NOT a popular celebrity. They are somebody who has curated a personal brand, reputation and audience. Some influencers solely exist on one social media platform, like Instagram, and others are on YouTube or Twitch in addition to other social platforms.
No matter the platform, each influencer markets to a specific niche/genre. Some well-known niches include beauty, fashion, fitness, and gaming. There are hundreds of niches with audiences that belong to them.
Finding the Right Influencer
Since there are so many niches and influencers to choose from, identifying the perfect influencer for your campaign is crucial. Similar to how Facebook ads can target specific demographics like age, gender, and interests - taking the time to research influencers will help pinpoint the target market for your brand.
Steps to Finding the Right Influencer:
1) Find the niche your brand fits into naturally.
2) Determine which tier of influencers you want to hire.
Pro-tip: Bigger isn’t always better with influencers. Micro and nano influencers are perceived as more trustworthy and down-to-earth. They’re cheaper too!
3) Analyze Influencers’ Content
Certain techniques an influencer uses can increase parasocial interaction.
Ex) Direct address: occurs in video format when an influencer refers to their audience with an identifying statement like “you guys” and looks directly into the camera, mimicking eye contact. This increases a feeling of intimacy between the viewer and the influencer, thus strengthening the parasocial relationship.
Look for these techniques in content and use your findings to evaluate which influencers have the most persuasive ability.
Influencer Profiles
Once you find your perfect influencer, creating an influencer profile for them outlining their unique statistics and how they’ll help the brand is helpful. Here’s a branded influencer profile we created for Screenflair.
Determining the Goal of Your Campaign
Establishing the goal of your campaign will also help you choose the right influencer. If the goal is higher engagement, then a micro-influencer with higher engagement would work best. If the goal is brand awareness, then an influencer’s reach and traffic are more important.
Generally engagement should be 2-3%; 4-6% is excellent; 10-20+% is “viral.” Fohr Card or SocialBlade can be used to calculate reach, if not included in the influencer’s media kit. You can also use affiliate links or codes to track the success of a campaign.
Your goal will also dictate the type of content you pay an influencer to create.
Here are a few examples of influencer content:
Sponsored ad: Compensate them for exposure to their audience
Influencer either runs a contest on their feed or promotes it to their followers
Branded content
Reviews
Brand Rep Program
Influencer Takeovers
Influencer Marketing Agency Near Me
After deciding on the services you want to hire an influencer for, creating a list of requirements and a schedule of services is key to keeping everyone on the same page.
A well-thought out influencer program is an investment and takes time and precision to execute successfully. Figuring out the details happens to be something we excel at.
Why Hiring Us for Influencer Marketing?
The Sampson House is an award-winning influencer marketing agency.
We have an exclusive networks with a wide variety of influencers that match your target audience
We strategize, connect, and manage the relationship with your influencers.
Send us an email at contact@thesampsonhouse.com and let us strategize your influencer program!
