Intro
Influencer marketing has gained much attention in recent years. Is it something you should use? Can brick-and-mortar businesses benefit from it? Absolutely! Here’s how.
Studies have shown that more and more consumers are turning to visual social media platforms to look for product reviews before making purchases, even while in a physical store. In fact, 70% of consumers have reported checking online reviews on their phones while in a physical store. This typical consumer behavior demonstrates the power of influence on a business.
Influencer marketing isn’t just for big brands; it’s something that all businesses, regardless of size or type, can use. However, there are some factors to consider regarding brick-and-mortar businesses.
The popularity of influencer marketing is primarily due to the rise of social media platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, which have enabled individual content creators to gain large followings. Influencers can significantly impact their devoted followers’ decisions, from what to eat, what to buy, where to travel, and what to wear. They come in various niches, with audiences ranging from thousands to millions. Even celebrities from other fields, such as film, television, or music, have their own social media followings.
Businesses have recognized the potential of influencers’ large audiences and the influence of their recommendations, aiming to use influencer marketing to boost their sales. However, this process can be challenging, and a few challenges can be overcome.
- What is influencer marketing?
- How do you choose which influencer(s) to work with?
- Can you afford influencer marketing?
- How can I tell if an influencer genuinely has influence?
- What are the advantages of using influencer marketing for brick-and-mortar stores?
- How to Find the Right Influencers For Brick-And-Mortar Stores
- Conclusion
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is an effective and popular form of digital advertising that involves working with influential people to help promote a brand, product, or service. This type of marketing leverages the relationships between influencers – people with large followings on social media through providing valuable content – and businesses. The goal is to build trust between the influencer’s followers and the company to drive new customers and revenue through word-of-mouth promotion.
The effectiveness of this approach comes from its ability to create relationships as opposed to traditional advertisements that are seen as interruptions. Influencers already have an engaged audience interested in their content; thus, promoting a product or service associated with their niche carries greater legitimacy than if it were mentioned by other means, such as a television ad or banner ad online. Additionally, because Influencers share personal experiences with products/services instead of simply providing facts about them (as would be conventional for most ads), it feels much more authentic for those receiving the message – creating more impactful advocacy for brands utilizing this tactic versus other forms of advertising.
Furthermore, influencer marketing allows businesses access to particular micro-communities within each platform, making targeting very precise and effective. For example, suppose a business was looking to reach gamers. In that case, they could find YouTube personalities who specialize in gaming content rather than running ads against broad topics like entertainment, which targets everyone, including non-gamers, resulting in wasted impressions and investment dollars.
As you can see, there are many reasons why companies should consider investing in Influencer Marketing campaigns; whether they’re trying to find new customers or build relationships with existing ones – leveraging influential figures within their target market can help amplify brand awareness while driving sales along the way!
How do you choose which influencer(s) to work with?
Choosing the right influencer for a brand or business is essential to ensure maximum reach, visibility, and success. When selecting an influencer to collaborate with, it is important to consider key factors such as audience size and engagement rate. First, you should identify your target market – What age group are they in? Where do they live? What topics are they interested in? By understanding your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior, you will be able to discover which influencers have an affinity with those audiences.
The next step is evaluating potential partners based on their metrics. This step includes measuring their followers’ engagement rate (likes/comments per post), analyzing sentiment about their content over time (highlighting any peaks and troughs) as well as looking at the content that performs best for them so far (post type/style). Once these metrics are analyzed, you can decide on the most suitable influencers for collaboration.
It’s also essential to look past the surface level of follower count when weighing up different potential partnerships– evaluating micro-influencers who possess excellent quality content may yield better results than a macro-influencer with high-quantity posts but lower engagement rates from viewers. Additionally, consider each partner’s value proposition: what incentives make it more attractive to collaborate with this individual compared to another? Does the partner have unique skill sets or experiences that could benefit both parties?
Finally, once you’ve identified a few potential collaborations that fit your brand objectives, research further into them by having detailed conversations around the expectations of both parties – fees included – before moving forward. Following these steps carefully when selecting a suitable partner/partnership will increase chances for achieving maximum ROI through successful collaborations!
Can you afford influencer marketing?
Absolutely! Influencer marketing is an incredibly powerful and cost-effective tool any business can use to reach its target audience.
Brick and Mortar businesses can use influencer marketing to reach their target audience, even on a budget, by working with the right influencers that meet their brand’s needs.
At its core, influencer marketing is the process of leveraging influential people or brands to promote your product or service. In many ways, it’s similar to traditional forms of advertising – but with a much higher potential return on investment (ROI).
The costs associated with working with individual influencers vary widely depending on factors such as follower count, scale & scope of work required, etc.; however, it’s important not to look at costs alone when considering if something will prove worthwhile – content quality delivered by influential creators is typically far more valuable than what regular advertisements offer and should never be underestimated even when a budget might appear limited at first glance!
How can I tell if an influencer genuinely has influence?
When assessing an influencer’s influence, several metrics can be used to measure the size and impact of their reach in terms of brand awareness, total followers, engagement levels, and content performance. The best approach is to analyze a combination of these metrics when evaluating whether an influencer has genuine influence.
One way to gauge whether an influencer genuinely has influence is by looking at how many followers they have on different platforms. A higher number indicates that they likely have reached a large audience and achieved some degree of success in their field. It’s also essential to consider how active those followers are so you can get an idea about just how engaged people are with the influencer’s content. The influence can be measured by tracking things such as Likes, Comments, and Shares or viewing figures across various platforms like Facebook or Instagram Stories.
In addition, consider looking into other factors such as the quality and consistency of their posts over time and what type of topics they tend to cover (i.e., do they focus mainly on one specific niche?). Paying attention to who else follows them (such as celebrities or industry professionals) could be another sign that someone has real influence considering this kind of social proof speaks volumes about their credibility within their field or community. You might even look at what awards they’ve been nominated/won if applicable – then again, this depends somewhat on which industry we’re talking about, given certain industries may not even award individuals in terms of recognition for their work/influence, etc.
Overall it takes research from numerous sources, including analyzing more than just follower count numbers, before deciding whether someone indeed does have real influence, so bear all this in mind when making your assessment!
What are the advantages of using influencer marketing for brick-and-mortar stores?
Influencer marketing is a powerful way for brick-and-mortar businesses to reach an engaged, local audience. Influencers can leverage their networks not just for awareness but also for increased foot traffic in a store. With a careful selection of relevant influencers to your brand and your target demographic, you can reach thousands (or even millions) more eyes than with traditional advertising methods.
One way to maximize the impact of influencer marketing is through collaborations with local celebrities or famous figures in your area. This collaboration boosts brand recognition by leveraging well-known figures with an engaged following. These collaborations also increase the likelihood that people will visit the brick-and-mortar business due to celebrity presence or promotions related to events at the store.
Another benefit of influencer marketing for brick-and-mortar stores is its measurability. Compared with alternative forms of advertising such as television, radio spots, or print ads, it’s much easier to track how successful each influencer campaign was by monitoring website visits, physical foot traffic at locations, online sales conversion rates from specific campaigns or promotions, etc. Digital tools like social media analytics platforms provide detailed insights into user engagement levels both during and after campaigns so you can assess which success strategies are working best!
How to Find the Right Influencers For Brick-And-Mortar Stores
When considering an influencer for brick-and-mortar stores, you should look at certain key factors that may differentiate them from those suitable for e-commerce.
First, it is vital to find an influencer who has a large local following in the particular area of your store(s). This local reach can give you access to potential customers who may not even know about your brand otherwise. Influencers with a regional focus tend to have stronger relationships between themselves and their followers, making it easier for your message to connect more authentically with the audience.
Second, look for authenticity in the influencer’s content. Do they genuinely like products from physical stores? When someone goes into a store, often they come out feeling inspired or having experienced something that made them smile or laugh – look for an influencer who reflects this experience through their posts on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. They should also be familiar with popular trends in physical stores, so their posts stay up-to-date with what consumers want right now.
Finally, consider if the influencer is visible enough online that people actually seek out his/her advice when making purchase decisions related to brick-and-mortar stores. Does he/she inspire confidence when recommending items? If so, these are some qualities you should definitely look out for when selecting an appropriate fit!
Conclusion
In conclusion, influencer marketing is an effective and cost-effective tool that any business can use to reach its target audience. For brick-and-mortar businesses, there are several unique advantages to using influencer marketing, including building relationships and creating brand loyalty in the local community, gaining access to a particular target market, and leveraging word-of-mouth referrals to reach more potential customers. When selecting an influencer to collaborate with, it is essential to consider critical factors such as audience size and engagement rate and evaluate potential partners based on their metrics and value proposition. Ultimately, influencer marketing offers an excellent way for brick-and-mortar businesses to increase brand awareness and boost sales. It is definitely worth considering for businesses of all sizes.