10 Benefits of Influencer Marketing You Should Know

It’s worked on you: you see someone cool using and raving about a certain product online or in a social media post, and they next day you find yourself in line at the store, buying it for yourself.

Why not harness the power of this strategy, called influencer marketing, for your own company?

In fact, the benefits of influencer marketing are seen as so important that even IBM is using their supercomputer Watson to identify them online.

Here, we’re sharing a must-read list of the top 10 benefits of influencer marketing:

1. It Can Connect You With Your Local Market

Celebrities like Selena Gomez may make up to $750,000 per post, but you don’t have to go for a household name – or a celebrity price tag – to get the most out of influencer marketing.

Instead, research the most popular Instagram account or blogs in your city, and reach out to them to discuss promoting your product. Especially if you’re a brick-and-mortar store, tapping into the local market is a great way to connect with the people who need your product the most – and who are able to drive to your store as soon as they hear about it.

Especially if you’re a brick-and-mortar store, tapping into the local market is a great way to connect with the people who need your product the most – and who are able to drive to your store as soon as they hear about it.

2. It’s A More Effective Form Of Marketing Than Blind Ads

These days, everything is based on the individual. But what others might call narcissism, we call one of the top benefits of influencer marketing for brands.

Why? Because people trust people, not brands: and getting an endorsement from a person offers trust, who is seen as an authority in your industry, is far more effective than running a print ad or a television spot.

Influencer marketing connects you with your target market – people that are already interested in the kind of products/services you’re selling.

3. It’s A Great Way To Access The Younger Market

No matter what you’re selling, you’re likely always on the lookout for customers with disposable income. More often than not, that’s the millennial/youth market.

And where is this youth market? They’re on social media, all day, every day. Influencers are actually more impactful than celebrities when it comes to “pitching” to a younger audience.

Kids these days have come up with all kinds of ways to avoid being bombarded by online ads – connecting with influencers that they follow online or on social media ensures that they still see yours – in the guise of a post.

4. It’s Another Kind Of Product Review

A positive review of your company and your products from an “everyday” consumer is one thing – but people will really sit and read the whole thing if it’s written and shared by an influencer.

Reaching out to an influencer for an online review is one of the benefits of influencer marketing because it comes across as far more genuine (and nuanced) than paying for Yelp reviews or just offering discounts to customers who write reviews.

One quality, high-trafficked review is worth thousands of times more than these one-offs: and it’s a much more cost-effective form of advertising.

5. They Help With Your SEO Strategy

Influencers know how to work keywords into content without making it obvious. They also know which hashtags are the most popular, making your brand easier to find.

Because so many people will like your post because you’ve worked with an influencer, you’ll also rise in the rankings.

6. They Make You An Authority

The best only work with the best, right? Since influencers are seen as the leaders in their own market, it makes sense that working with them means that many people will see your brand as a leader, too.

Working with an influencer will elevate your brand in the eyes of your own followers.

It will also make the followers of your influencer’s social media accounts see you as a leader in your industry.

What’s not to love about that?

7. They Help You Make Relationships

One of the biggest benefits of influencer marketing is that they build a real relationship between your followers and your brand.

Because they found you through someone they trust, the relationship feels organic, not forced.

They’re also more likely to come back and see what you’re up to later.

Remember, you’re not looking for a one-off transaction, but a repeat customer.

8. They’re All About Brand Awareness

Another one of the best benefits of influencer marketing? They can help to increase brand awareness.

Thanks to their post about your company, now more people will recognize your logo, motto, company colors…the list goes on. That way, when people see your brand’s name in the future, they’ll already associate it with a company they can trust, because it’s been endorsed by someone they “know”.

9. They Know Their Market – And Yours

Working with someone in the same industry as you ensures that you both share the same goals – but it doesn’t have to be your competitor.

Instead, influencers are your collaborators. It’s like hiring an industry expert whose brain works in a totally different way than yours – it’s not that one is better than the other, it’s just that they’re masterminds at the social media aspect of your business.

10. It’s A Great Way To Get Creative Content

For people to keep reading your content, you can’t just say the same thing over and over again. Working with an influencer means that you won’t just have access to a new voice, but a totally creative mind (remember, they got where they are for a reason.)

Don’t be afraid to relinquish a little bit of your creative control to an influencer. They definitely know how to come up with fresh ideas.

You’re Ready To Take Advantage of These 10 Benefits Of Influencer Marketing

We know you’re eager to make use of the many benefits of influencer marketing you’ve read about here.

To learn how to grow your business through influencer marketing and other digital marketing strategies that we haven’t mentioned here, contact us for more details.