We've spoken about how influencer marketing is becoming a really big deal. Here are all the stats to prove that. But that only gets us so far - to make us understand that we really should be doing influencer marketing. Knowing that you need to do something is different than actually doing it.
In our fast-moving, overcommunicated world, implementation is key.
That got me thinking about the essence of influencer marketing and what it is about - basically, it's about engaging well-known influencers in your space of business to talk positively about you, your products or your services.
Now, this is where we can start a debate because isn't this exactly what PR people do? They influence the influencers? They engage and build relationships with the media and with bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers and everyday peeps who have a serious online following so that they spread positive words about our business. This type of activity is far more effective than paid and push messages because, according to McKinsey, 20 to 50% of purchase decisions are influenced by word-of-mouth, influencer opinions are twice as effective as ads and customers acquired through such initiatives are 37% more likely to stick around.
And that totally makes sense. We are savvy consumers. We'd rather trust the opinion of someone else who's been there, done that, who's similar to us or has been in our shoes, or simply has a different voice than the direct corporate rubbish we are bombarded with.
Anyway, let's not fight over whether to call it influencer marketing or PR, let's just learn how to implement strategic actions to make the most of engaging with influencers.
Here's where an awesome infographic from Simplilearn is going to help us. It's a monster guide to influencer marketing and teaches us:
- what influencer marketing is and why you need it for your business
- the different types of influencers and influencer marketing campaigns
- how to identify good-fit influencers for your own campaigns
- the 6 steps to building an effective influencer marketing campaign
- dos and don'ts of influencer marketing
The infographic is below. Read it, learn from it, implement it. Enjoy!
How to Do Influencer Marketing [Infographic]
Is influencer marketing different than PR?
