Welcome to the world of Influencer Marketing — a form of marketing born from social media that has exploded across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. So many brands and business owners think influencer marketing is the ticket to increased growth and reach. In many cases, it IS! But, it’s important to make sure you’re making your ad dollars work for you. And, to be blunt, in some cases, influencer marketing isn’t the answer. So, we’re decoding it here:

What is influencer marketing?

In the simplest terms, an “influencer” is someone who has the power to impact consumer purchase decisions. Before social media, influencers were often known as “trendsetters.” These were (and still are today) people with celebrity status and fandom loyal enough to copy hairstyles, beauty fads, and fashion trends. While trendsetting is certainly still a thing, 21st-century influencers are doing something more. They’re actually able to monetize their following. In turn, brands can partner with influencers and reach an audience on a whole new level. And so influencer marketing was born: a form of marketing where a social media influencer promotes your brand, product, or service to his or her following in exchange for payment. 

How do I know what influencer would be a good match for my brand?

When you work with an influencer agency like JB Social, we’ll match your style, values, and product with a like-minded influencer. Remember, ultimately, our goal is to put your brand in front of an end-user who will convert to an instant (or eventual) consumer. Thanks to specialized software, we can gather specific details about influencer audiences, and make sure the influencer we match you is bringing your brand to the right targeted market.

When should I consider using influencer marketing as part of my overall marketing strategy? 

Using influencer marketing can often double as a great awareness strategy when it comes to the following industries: fashion, fitness, health/wellness, and beauty. At JB Social, when a brand approaches us about influencer marketing, we review the brand’s industry, budget, and overall goals, alongside associated consumer behavior trends. Consider adding influencer marketing to your strategy list if you’re ready to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Drive a subscription service
• Boost sign-ups to a newsletter or blog
• Promote e-commerce

Notice a trend with the above list? The consumer can do everything online. You can certainly still find success in promoting brick and mortar locations via influencer marketing. But, you’ll want to make sure the influencer has a good understanding of his or her audience. If the audience isn’t local too, then your marketing efforts may fall flat.

What should I expect when I use influencer marketing? 

Influencer marketing is called “marketing” (and not influencer sales) for a reason. It’s just that — a marketing strategy. Don’t expect to see a direct lift in sales right away, although that certainly can be the case in some campaigns. Marketing at its core is a means to increase awareness and fill the consumer journey funnel. In order for someone to purchase your product or service, they first need to understand it and come to see it as a solution. We have found booking an influencer for multiple activations to be particularly effective in driving sales (for example, a new post or story every few weeks over the course of 3 months). Regardless of frequency, your influencer marketing campaign success should be measured based on impressions, clicks, and swipes. From there, your product or service website needs to do the heavy lifting. *NOTE: This means we recommend waiting to spend on influencer marketing until your brand has a user-friendly website and e-mail marketing capture in place.

What should I expect to spend if I engage in influencer marketing? Where does the money go?

This is a loaded question and, of course, the answer varies based on the size of the influencer account. Influencer marketing is a nearly $8 billion industry, and influencers (depending on size) can expect anywhere from $500-$50,000 per post. Have a limited budget? Consider engaging micro-influencers — social media personalities who generally have a smaller following (1-50k).