With influencer marketing, companies market their product or service through an influencer via social media.
Influencer Marketing: Engagement as the first success strategy
Influencer marketing is word of mouth in the digital age. A person who successfully creates content via social media has a fan base that is well-disposed towards them and trusts them. If the person markets a product or service, the brand can quickly gain recognition and achieve a positive image. One possible strategy for success in influencer marketing is to focus on engagement.
- Engagement: When it comes to social media, engagement is the most important thing, meaning a high level of interaction with posts. Likes and comments are important. This way, posts are shown to other accounts and can go viral. Because good networking is also important online.
- Select target group: The largest target group is not always the best. A broad distribution does not necessarily lead to more sales. Sometimes influencers in niches are much more successful. They interact with their fan base, which trusts them.
- Authenticity is important: The advertising post must be authentic. Accordingly, the influencer should have a reasonable amount of creative freedom when recommending the product. If the person appears different than usual, they lose their credibility.
Strategy 2: Long-term cooperation
Consumers will quickly dismiss an advertising post. If companies want to stay in people's minds with their brand, long-term cooperation with influencers is worthwhile.
- Connection between brand and influencer: Ideally, people will associate the influencer with this brand at some point. This creates a positive bond with the product, even though there may not be a marketing campaign running at the moment.
- Increase purchasing interest: If the well-known person regularly points out the product, interest in buying it can be aroused. The followers think: If the person is so convinced of the brand, the product must be good.
- Optimal time intervals: If the brand appears in the feed at optimal time intervals, it is perceived as less strange. The followers get used to it. However, the posts should not be made too often. Otherwise, you will encounter reactance from the fan base.
Strategy 3: Added value instead of mere advertising
Many social media users are sensitive when a post is advertising. Therefore, caution should be exercised when marketing via social media such as Instagram, Facebook and other social media in order not to lose trust.
- Offer added value: When it comes to content marketing, influencers should offer added value. This will keep the fan base's attention and prevent them from scrolling further.
- Truth instead of fake news:Social media has advantages, but also disadvantages. The spread of fake news and disinformation is definitely a negative. Readers intuitively rate posts in the feed based on criteria such as worthwhile and less worthwhile. That's why the added value must be immediately apparent.
- Valuable content is memorable: If the content is helpful to the followers and offers more knowledge or individual benefits, people are more likely to remember the brand.
- Video-Content: Snackable content takes priority in the fast-moving internet world. The information must be well portioned and quickly available. Videos are clicked on more often than long texts are read. Video influencers on YouTube or TikTok can be beneficial.