By TLC Marketing Consultants

During the Digital Age, one marketing strategy that has experienced tremendous growth is influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a brand collaborating with online content creators, preferably with large followings, to promote their product or services. You want to identify an influencer that has credibility and their following trust to lead them to a great product. Influencer marketing aims to increase brand awareness, engagement, conversion rates, and ultimately revenue for a brand.

A Growing Industry

Influencer marketing has received exponential growth alongside the rise of social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and more. Think about the last time you used any of these platforms, I’m sure it only took a few scrolls to see an ad with a content creator promoting a brand. This is no surprise as research by Jack Shepherd on the Social Shepherd found that the influencer marketing industry was worth $21.1 Billion in 2023, while in 2016 it was worth only $1.7 Billion, it has grown by more than 12 times!

Consumers today have gotten used to tuning out traditional advertising, which helps influencer marketing. Content creators are much more relatable to consumers, especially when it is their favorite creator. When the viewer has a connection with an influencer, they are likelier to believe what the influencer is promoting is a good product. When traditional ads are blasted in consumers’ faces when they don’t want them, this is annoying and the consumer will tune it out.

Authenticity Matters

Influencer marketing relies heavily on how authentic an influencer is when promoting a brand. Influencers build themselves up by consistently showing viewers their interests and values through their content. This builds trust and a more loyal connection with viewers, which will lead to them following an influencer’s recommendations.

For example, a golf company partnering with a golf influencer who genuinely uses their products such as shirts, hats, balls, clubs, etc. is more likely to see better sales and brand perception. According to a study reported by Marketing Dive, 69% of consumers trust influencers over information coming directly from a brand. This statistic goes to show just how important an authentic influencer promotion can be.

Tailoring Promotions to Influencers

Every influencer is different at their core, there might be influencers who make the same content and show the same interests, but they are all different. This makes tailoring a promotion to the influencer and their audience very important. Brands benefit from the creativity that each influencer brings to their audience, so letting the influencer tailor an ad how they best see fit to their viewers is a good strategy to make compelling and authentic campaigns.

Let’s go back to the golf influencer for example. A creative way for the influencer to promote the golf brand would be creating a video playing a round of golf with the brand’s clubs, balls, and apparel, then at the end of the video talk about how they made the round great. This approach showcases the product in a way that doesn’t feel like an ad and in content that viewers already enjoy.

Partner With TLC

Influencer marketing has experienced tremendous growth, proving that authenticity and creativity matter. By partnering with us, we at TLC will assist you in your marketing journey. Visit our website at tlcmarketingconsultants.com, or call 913.904.2125