Influencer Marketing

• Influencer marketing is the collaboration between businesses and individuals who have large and engaged followings online.
• Instagram, TikTok and Youtube are the most popular platforms for influencer marketing.
• Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses things like endorsements and product mentions to promote a brand.
• Influencers are regarded as experts in their niche field. Followers have a high amount of trust in the influencer.
• Brands use influencers to try to reach their wider target audience, and take advantage of their large following.
• In the Caribbean region, most influencers were born out of popularity, but many of them do not have the true ability to influence outside of their very niche area.
• Influencer marketing is the modern version of word of mouth.
• The difference between influencer marketing and word of mouth is the relationship between the brand and the customer. Influencers are given an incentive (ex Emerites giving away free flights). In word of mouth marketing, there is no direct relationship and there is more trust.
• The Five types of influencers are:

  • Celebrities (1 million)
  • Mega Influencers (500K)
  • Macro Influencers (100K)
  • Micro Influencers (10K)
  • Nano influencers (1000)
• Celebrity influencers can give a brand high exposure, but the deal can be very expensive and restrictive. These are usually preferred by luxury brands or large multi-national companies. They are usually multi-year endorsement deals. Exclusivity is important.
• Macro Influencers have earned their reputation through consistent content creation and engagement over time and are now the thought leaders in their niche.
• Macro influencers have a more targeted approach as their followers usually share common interests. It is still costly. Brands usually include start-ups, non-profits, hotels and airlines that are targeting a large but specific audience.
• Micro influencers are usually platform specific, ie they have a large following on Youtube but not IG or vice versa.
• Micro influencers are very relatable and believable. They create high quality content.
• Micro influencers are more affordable and have a 60% higher engagement rate and 20% more conversions than macro influencers.
• Nano influencers have the strongest connection with their audience. They have a very niche audience who trust their opinion.
• Nano influencers have more time to dedicate to a brand. Brands targeting specific audiences or brands who have limited budget or have specialty artisan products (ex moms, diabetes, natural hair, fitness etc) should work with nano influencers.
• Influencer marketing ROI can be worth it if the influencer is selected correctly.
• Reasons to choose influencer marketing:

  • Improve brand engagement
  • Increase sales
  • Leverage better ads
  • Boost your brands authenticity
• Influencers have better engagement than a brand page.
• Influencer marketing is a form of social proof. Seeing that other people use and enjoy the product will cause people to trust the brand and increase sales.
• Brand authenticity is how genuine and authentic the brand is. The content an influencer creates can boost brand authenticity. Customers will feel closer to the brand and remain loyal to an authentic brand.
• Types of influencer campaigns include:

  • Sponsored content (#ad #gifted) which is usually paid.
  • Affiliate links (interactions are tracked and influencers are paid if there is a conversion).
  • Reposting Instagram influencer content (brands will repost content including their products to their feed).
• Why invest in influencer marketing?

  • traditional ads are declining in effectiveness
  • People but from people, not faceless brands
  • Effort and responsibility are one-sided
  • Younger generations trust influencers
  • Good way to reach new audiences