Utilizing The Epic Growth Of Influencer Marketing

The influencer market is currently worth $1 billion, and it’s expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2019. An increase in today’s social media “influencer” marketing has spurred conversations around a new form of content marketing for brands and businesses. What does this rise in “the influencer” mean for marketing and video content?

What is Influencer Marketing?

An influencer is an online persona with a large and active following. They tend to specialize in a specific area, like comedy, beauty, or business consultation. Influencers find their “claim to fame” through social channels, often by vlogging on YouTube.

In fact, YouTube and online video stars have become so commonplace that they now have their own award show called the Streamy Awards. Categories include everything from “first person” bloggers or influencers to “non-fiction series.”

The vlogger and blogger are today’s celebrities. From PewDiePie with 54.1 million subscribers to Jenna Marbles with 16.9 million, the list of high performing influencers is long. And they’re not to be underestimated. The Smosh duo had a valued 2016 salary of $7 million, according to Business Insider, and James Harden had a $200 million deal with Adidas. Influencers are making money with large followings and even larger advertising deals.

Why are Influencers so Popular?

What has made the “influencer” such an iconic revolution in today’s marketing?

Firstly, influencers are individuals who caught on to the power of social media early on. They’ve learnt how to use today’s platforms and technologies to their advantage. The social media campaigns and promotions that your business is trying to break into today, these influencers have dominated for the past ten years.

This is why it’s so common for brands to run “influencer campaigns.” They don’t know how to build the following they want, so they optimize on the followers of related influencers. In fact, in an eMarketer survey, 84% of marketers said they will launch at least one influencer campaign in the next 12 months.

Secondly, influencers are approachable and accessible. They understand their audience’s desire to have a face with which they can interact.

Celebrity endorsements of products is not a novel idea. But influencers connect to their audience in a new way. They’re not the unattainable Monroes or Kardashians of the world. They are real people who connect to their audience on a personal level. In the eyes of today’s skeptical viewer, influencers are seen as more trustworthy than celebrities or businesses. Though viewers know influencers are being paid for their advertisements, they feel as though these influencers are providing real, personalized advice rather than a forced and branded promotion.

Today’s consumers are looking for authenticity with their brands. They want approachable faces plastered on the brands with which they associate. Influencers rely on the trust of their audience. Without that viewer engagement, they wouldn’t have success as an influencer.

Influencers have figured out how to dominate the viewer-speaker connection that many marketers are still trying to understand.

What does Influencer Marketing mean for you?

Why Brands Care about Influencer Marketing?

1. Influencer campaigns

If your business needs a boost, try an influencer campaign. An eMarketer survey found that 80% of marketers who used influencers in a marketing campaign deemed them effective at driving engagement and awareness. Influencers are the fastest-growing online customer acquisition method, with 28% of all customer acquisition. Moreover, there is an approximate $7.65 return on investment per $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Influencers already have traction on the platforms you want. They have YouTube subscribers, Facebook followers, and Snapchat friends. When you hire them, you serve as an extension of that influencer. This allows you to tap into their following and gain that audience’s trust. Influencers know how to use their personality, their personal brand, and their “influence” to soft-sell your brand to their viewers.

2. Living proof

Most importantly, influencers and vloggers are the proof that video content works. You don’t need to hire an influencer to see similar results with a video campaign.

The rise of influencers is the proof that consumers want a face on their brands. They want a person with whom they can connect and interact, rather than an anonymous brand preaching a mission.

The best way to build this interaction is with personal, entertainment-driven videos. These influencers create a relationship with their followers on an individual basis to drive their own brand.

And you can do the same.

If you’re looking to incorporate vlogs into your content strategy, now is the time. As influencer marketing only continues to rise, your brand can create its own persona to become a leader in your industry.

Are you ready to start optimizing on the trend? Are you ready to put a face and story on your brand? Are you ready for a boost in your online marketing?

Request a quote with True Film Production now to make your brand a video influencer.