Five Ways Businesses Are Using Influencer Marketing in 2022

“Influencer marketing at its core is about developing real relationships to ultimately champion your influencers to market with you.” - Amanda Maksymiw.

As a business owner, you should know that marketing is paramount.

It is pivotal for the growth of a business, whether big or small. That said, a well-defined and planned marketing strategy should be executed. However, marketing is not about having just one concrete plan and putting it into action. Keep in mind that marketing trends change over time, and if you want your business to stay afloat and relevant, you need to adapt to these changes in order to grow.

Today, influencer marketing has become a buzz phrase for many businesses. Brands and companies, whether big or small, have leveraged the established trust they have built and developed with their audiences. As a result, companies all over the world have capitalized on this relatively new marketing trend. Unfortunately, the fact remains that small and medium-scale businesses tend to overlook the effectiveness of influencer marketing services. Many of them have developed the misconception that influencers are only effective for big companies while totally dismissing the idea of how useful they can be for their marketing campaigns.

INFLUENCER MARKETING TODAY

Today, it seems almost impossible to scroll through social media feeds without realizing the prevalence of influencer marketing. Regardless of where you look, influencers are almost always promoting something—whether that be clothes, makeup brands, snacks, candles, or basically anything under the sun, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Social media platforms have given influencers various avenues to showcase brands and company products. From the traditional posts to the ubiquitous Instagram stories, TikTok, and long videos, influencers are always finding crafty new ways to be sponsored on their favorite social media platforms.

INFLUENCER DEFINED

Simply said, an influencer is a person or a thing that influences another. In marketing, however, the term is taken to mean a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the same on social media.

While the term “influencer” has been around for a while, it did not create a buzz until recently. To define an influencer, one needs to understand that there is no group of selected people who are preordained for this line of work. That said, anyone can be an influencer—even you. However, to be an effective one, you need to love people before you try to lead them.

If you have even just one follower, you have influence, and if you get likes on your posts, you are effectively generating engagement.

INFLUENCER MARKETING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

To many businesses, it may feel like influencer marketing is a relatively new trend that has started to pick up recently. However, influencer marketing began fifteen years ago, but audiences were not as trusting with the content influencers posted as they are today. Back in the day, blogs were primarily seen as online diaries leading experts to speculate on the content published. As a result, many were skeptical of the authenticity of advertising and sponsorship posts and content.

Today that remains a challenge for influencers to overcome. However, it is also worth noting that those who can promote products or services in a real and authentic manner can reap plenty of rewards. After all, people tend to have this inclination to buy from someone they trust. As a result, they are likely to trust the recommendations of someone they already like and trust.

WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?

In a nutshell, influencer marketing is a way for brands to promote their products through recommendations or endorsements made by influencers on the internet. It goes without saying that social media and blogs are primary platforms for influencer content. However, many content creators have branched out and have hosted podcasts as well.

More often than not, influencer marketing plays a vital role in brand awareness campaigns and, when executed well, it can also result in conversions and sales.

Today, there are countless social media platforms available online, which gives content creators wide leverage in creating the content that they want. In this way, they can diversify their content and rein in a wider audience. Those who favor video platforms tend to post content on YouTube or TikTok, while those who wish to share long-form written posts can utilize traditional blogging or Facebook. Influencers who wish to dip their toes in a bit of everything can take advantage of Instagram.

Indeed, there are a myriad of ways for influencers to promote your brand or company; all you need to do is to find them.

WAYS BUSINESSES ARE USING INFLUENCER MARKETING IN 2022

Now that you have read what influencer marketing is about, you are probably wondering how brands and businesses are utilizing it to promote their products and services. Sure, influencer marketing may seem like a popular marketing trend now, but it is not likely to go away. In fact, it is only growing bigger by the day.

It is projected to continue growing and even become more popular in the coming years. That said, it is best to learn about it and know how to appropriately incorporate it into your own marketing strategies.

Below are some of the ways brands and businesses are using influencer marketing:

1.) Store promotion

One of the most common and apparent ways brands are using influencer marketing is to promote their store. This is especially true for brands with online stores. Influencers who are talking about or promoting your brand and products can easily include a link to your online store if you have one.

Influencer marketing is particularly effective for eCommerce store promotion as it is far easier to provide a link to an online store than to tell audiences where they need to go. In this way, potential customers are less likely to get lost along the way. More importantly, if you created a specific link to your online page, you will be able to easily track and see the ROI of your influencer campaigns.

2.) Share user-generated content

People tend to trust other people more than they do brands. This is because most people believe that brands are persistently and actively trying to sell them something. That said, user-generated content that you can share is another layer to the many benefits of influencer marketing. For brands that do not work with influencers, finding relevant images and content from people outside of your team can be challenging. Working with an influencer, however, addresses that as you can simply request the use of their content on your page.

From there, you will be able to repost their content which will show audiences the partnership you have with this influencer.

3.) Use testimonials from influencers

Brands live by positive testimonials on their website. After all, this is what prospective customers tend to look at when they are deciding to buy from you or not. Unfortunately, most customers rarely leave a review or share their experience on your website. Working with an influencer, however, allows you to capture their testimonials and story. You can then put that same information on your website, which would serve as social proof to your potential customers. In this way, they will feel more confident purchasing from you.

4.) Offer a promotion with an influencer

One of the excellent ways to increase your sales and ROI on the campaign is to offer a discount when you are working with an influencer. To do this, generate a discount code specifically for that influencer which will allow you to easily track their conversions. Apart from that, people will feel more compelled to make a purchase if they feel like they can save a bit of money while doing it. More often than not, a discount is just the tipping point that can inspire someone to click through your shop and make the purchase.

5.) Work with micro-influencers

Micro-influencers are influencers with a small following which is an excellent way for brands to start. Do not be quick to dismiss them because of their small follower count. As long as their engagement rate is significant, you can expect results. Brands often feel that they need to choose an influencer with a massive following, particularly on Instagram. With the influencer’s following, they feel like they can take advantage of the swipe-up feature. However, this feature is not a prerequisite for a successful campaign.

Instead, they can take advantage of a direct messaging strategy that allows them to rely on the connections they have built with their small following. In this way, the connections created feel more personal, and they can encourage their audiences to learn more or buy.

BOTTOMLINE

Regardless of how you feel about it, influencer marketing is undoubtedly here to say, and it is only growing bigger by the day. For your business and brand to stay relevant and profitable, you need to adapt and incorporate the trend into your marketing campaigns and strategies. Businesses can truly benefit from working with their influencers regardless of what their goal may be.

Influencers are useful in helping you grow your own following, make sales, or make the world aware that your business exists. So, make today the day you jump into the trend. After all, there is no better day to start creating your influencer marketing strategy than today.