In the past, brands used to rely on celebrities to gain recognition, and in fact, they do it today. However, not all brands are able to use the services of celebrities as influencers for their brand and only giant businesses can tap that resource. Today, influencer marketing takes a different face with the rise of social media channels like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. These channels are propelling increased demand in specialised content expertise. That being said, there are things you need to know about influence marketing in digital advertising including the visual focus, content creators, rules of the channels used by influencers and the cost of influencers.
There Is a Lot of Visual Focus
The reason social media channels like Instagram have created an increased need for influencer services is because of the visual focus. Having an effective Instagram content will require that you understand how the tools of the platform work and the skills needed to post content. This way, you will be able to create content that stands out. If your visuals cannot stand out, you will have difficulties in gaining traction in the channel and your brand won’t surface.
It Requires Skilled Creators
Influencer marketing requires you to have skilled creators behind your brand. Brands may try winging it, but without skilled content creators that will tell your story, it will be difficult for you to survive in those highly competitive channels. That is the reason you need to establish followings with influencers. People want to hear what the influencers are saying and the stories they are giving about brands.
There is Confusion in Finding the Right Influencers
Since influencer marketing is uncontrolled and unregulated, it makes it hard for brands to find the right individuals to choose as influencers. Influencer marketing is relatively new in digital advertising so no rules have been set yet on how to go about it. This has led to a lot of confusion and most brands cannot find the right influencers. Also, there are no reliable numbers or data points that brands can trust. And, it is difficult to know how much to pay an influencer to post something about your service or product.
Niche, Nano-Influencers Have More Appeal
A report from Klear has tried to provide some transparency about influencer marketing. Klear surveyed in excess of 2 500 types of influencers from three major social networks, namely Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Klear wanted to gain perspective on what these influencers charge for sponsored content. Nano-influencers are not only highly connected with particular online communities, but they do charge less compared to celebrities. YouTube appears to be the most expensive channel for influencer campaigns having average prices beginning at $315 in the case of nano-influencers and extending to about $3 857 for celebrity influencers, according to the Klear report.
Now that you know a thing or two about influencer marketing and what to expect, you also need to ensure that you conduct thorough research to understand the output of the influencers as well as their audience. When you cross-match the output and audience of the influencers against your brand strategic objectives, you are able to determine whether you should go for their services or not. When you find that there is a clear alignment of the influencer’s output with your objectives, you can reach out to them. Look at their presentation style and audiences so that you discover the opportunities available for you in the event that you decide to use their services. Finally, yet importantly, the cost of hiring an influencer will vary greatly depending on the kind of channel you need to use and the type of influencer.
At WSI OMS, we can help you with influencer marketing so that your brand gets noticed in social media channels. Talk to us today!