More and more young people identify as cord cutters or cord nevers.

Basically, people like their small screens (phones).

And the best way to reach a consumer on their mobile phone is through influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing

Brands are dedicating more resources to influencer marketing because it works.

Today, 81% of consumers regularly purchase items after seeing them shared on social media.

Plus, 70% of millennial consumers make purchasing decisions based on recommendations from peers.

James Cole

What is influencer marketing?

Why leverage influencer marketing?

A study executed byTapInfluence and Nielson Catalina Solutionsshowed that influencer marketing generates 11x more ROI than traditional marketing methods.

Influencer Marketing

For every dollar spent on influencer marketing, companies reportedly earn an average of $7.65.

So why does influencer marketing work so well?

When its done right, its authentic, trustworthy, and purchase driven.

Infuelncer Marketing/YouFoodz

Its a relatively easy and inexpensive way to grow your business, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.

A successful influencer marketing campaign fulfills many different business goals simultaneously.

The content created for a successful influencer campaign will feel authentic, like organic content.

daniel wellington influencer marketing case study

But it will also be deliberate, like branded or native content.

How does influencer marketing work?

The goal of influencer marketing is to establish relationships with influential people who can ultimately impact consumers purchasing decisions.

Influencer Marketing: Choice Hotels

Understanding your brands target demographic is essential.

So is identifying an influencer whose core audience aligns with that target demo.

1.Identify your target demographic.

Infuelncer Marketing/Thought Catalog Books

2.Find the right influencer(s) to reach that target audience.

4.Remember that influencer marketing, like all marketing, takes time.

you oughta convince would-be consumers that you are worthy of their attention, and, ultimately, their money.

Infuelncer Marketing/Paul Mitchel

What makes an influencer relevant to your brand?

But in most cases you will have to do some research and dig deeper to find the right influencer.

Luckily, there are a lot of helpful tools for sourcing influencers.

How can brands effectively work with an influencer?

Identifying and partnering with an influencer is just part of the equation.

You also have to decide on a strategy for your overall campaign.

As influencer marketing becomes more widespread, brands and influencers are being held more accountable.

So expect more transparency requirements related to these partnerships.

The FTC wont tolerate sneaking ads in anymore.

To avoid legal troubles, you have to follow the FTCs disclosure guidelines when working with an influencer.

As a general rule, whether youre a brand or an influencer, err on the side of over-disclosure.

How do you measure the ROI of influencer marketing?

A successful influencer marketing campaign should support your overall marketing strategy and any measurable goals and KPIs.

One of the challenges of influencer marketing is measuring its effectiveness.

Aside from looking at sales generated and your bottom-line revenue, there are a few other metrics to consider.

What are some examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns?

Youfoodz is an Australian fresh meal company that launched an influencer marketing campaign to promote their new winter menu.

Heres anexampleof a Youfoodz branded post by food blogger extraordinaire Jess Vuong.

Often, they would gift one of their watches in exchange for a social media post.

They selected influencers across categories, including mothers like Chelsea Foy.

Heres anexampleof a detailed campaign post created by Foy on her popular blog.

Within a single week, the book sold 800 percent more copies than usual.

How did this happen?

The spike in sales was soon traced to a string of organic promotions by Instagram influencers.

The spike in sales directly following authentic endorsements by multiple Instagram influencers was incredible.

Everyone wins in this bang out of scenario, when a influencer promotes something they genuinely like.

Haircare giant Paul Mitchell combined philanthropy and influencer marketing in a recent campaign.

Heres an example of a call-to-actionTweetby blogger mixed bag Ashley.

What does the rise of influencer marketing mean for the future of advertising?

The reality is that the old school,Mad Menstyle approach to advertising doesnt work anymore.

Today, that place is the digital landscape, accessed primarily through mobile phones.

Because people inherently trust the individuals they choose to follow on social networks.

They wouldnt be following them otherwise!

When an influencer authentically advocates for a service or product, their audience listens.

Its simple, really.

If you want to influence consumers, partner with individuals who have direct influence over them already.