The rise of social media has greatly improved the field of digital marketing. Today, digital marketing is not limited to increasing your online presence on your brand’s own platform. The current digital marketing trend is engaging with digital influencers. But, who are these so-called social media influencers and how influential are they?

Who Are These Social Media Influencers?

By definition, a social media influencer is someone who has gained credibility in a particular industry. They are considered an influencer because of their thousands and even millions of followers on their various social media accounts. They really do have the power to “influence.” With just one post on Facebook, one tweet on Twitter or even one photo on Instagram, they could already reach a large audience. They can easily persuade their loyal followers to purchase a product or seek out a specific service.

Thus, it is very important to build relationships with social media influencers who can, in return, build relationships for you through their influence and social media channels. Read on as we explore influencer marketing facts as we further justify why social media influencers are next-generation brand ambassadors.

Influencer Marketing Facts

Here are a couple of influencer marketing facts that you need to know about:

Teens trust influencers more than celebrities

According to Digital Institute,  70% of surveyed teens said that they feel like influencers understand them more than traditional celebrities. Thus, they trust what their favorite influencers are promoting. It is a fact the brands find it hard to create a relationship with their target audience. They find it more effective to hire social media influencers to come in and create that relationship in their behalf.

People turn to social media before making a purchase

With different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more, people find it easier to voice their opinions online, whether positive or negative. You can expect to find a lot of user reviews online that are painfully honest. This is why, according to Digital Institute, three out of every four customers trust the opinions on social media, including friends, family, and influencers, to help them make the right decision about a product or service.

This where influencers come in. They can persuade nearly half of potential customers to patronize a specific brand. Influencers build trust by creating a memorable brand and creating useful and relevant content. When consumers feel safe with influencer recommendations, they follow them and purchase those products.

Fashion and beauty brands prioritize influencer marketing

It is very obvious that fashion and beauty brands prioritize tapping into social media influencers and rely on them for organic growth. According to Upfluence, more than 50% of fashion and beauty brands worldwide are jumping into the influencer marketing train and others plan on implementing it next year.

Goodbye traditional marketing

If you didn’t notice this yet, there are fewer ads on newspapers and magazines. While these traditional advertisements are still effective, more brand opts to spend more on influencers. Why spend money on expensive ads when you can use that money on an influencer who will reap more benefits for your brand? The return on investment in influencer marketing is far outpacing any traditional medium.

Maximize Facebook and Youtube

Last but definitely not the least, brands choose to maximize the marketing potentials of Facebook and Youtube. No one would disagree that these two social media channels are the biggest of all social media platforms right now.

According to Tech Crunch, Facebook has over two billion monthly users from around the world and has 19% of purchasing decisions being influenced by the platform. Even though other social media networks are catching up, Facebook remains on top. It’s important to stay active on Facebook and engage with influencers for marketing purposes. Since influencers are on Facebook 24/7, they are the perfect brand ambassadors.

On the other hand, YouTube is right behind Facebook with 18% of the marketing influence. The platform has made celebrities and influencers of regular people, and fame is open to all age groups and demographics. There’s something for everybody on YouTube, and marketers are taking notice by putting more money into influencer marketing on the platform.

Influencer Marketing Strategy

There is no doubt that influencer marketing is a vital key to a brand’s marketing success. Thus, here are different ways to create an influencer marketing strategy that works in your favor.

Know your target audience

Choosing a social media influencer to partner with is not just all about the number of followers that he or she has. Primarily, you have to know and define your brand’s target audience. Different influencers have a varying target audience in different industries. Moreover, with hundreds of social media influencers out there, it would be easier to narrow down your options if you can identify the target market.

Create the perfect combination

After you have defined your target market, choosing your influencer should comes easy. It may take a while for you to make a decision, so just go with someone who is the most appropriate one for you. It helps to do your research on the person’s background, issues, and social media personality. What the audience says about a specific influencer should weigh more. At the end of the day, you should be able to make most of what you spent.

Discuss Objectives and Create a Content Plan

These social media influencers curate their platforms. As much as possible, give them the freedom to present your brand in a way that they are known for. Their personality is the number one reason why their followers love them, and you can’t take that away. Once again, you must go for an influencer that is appropriate for you on all levels.

Discuss your objectives one by one and collaborate. Then, take that collaboration further into a content plan that will advance all your goals.

Content Plan Designs

As part of a creative industry, it is vital for you to create presentations that are visually-pleasing and effective in presenting your content. You can use pre-made mockups such as a branding and identity mockup or this graphics and branding mockup.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! Digital marketing works best if you can create a deeper connection with your audience. Make sure to get your brand’s message across through the right influencer, and you will definitely have loyal followers too in no time.