Online video advertising is becoming an increasingly popular marketing strategy. In fact, 87% of online marketers have turned to video advertising to get their message out. Unfortunately, with this boom has come a frustrating trend for digital marketers: internet users are relying on pop-up blockers with an increased frequency. On the one hand, this is great for the user, as they’re able to more easily control their online experience. On the other hand, the success of online businesses depends on their ability to reach new audiences—audiences that are, in spite of the latest technologies in online video advertising, hard to reach.
So, what’s an online marketer to do?
What Is an Influencer?
There’s a new type of celebrity in town. Most of them will never star in a television show or a movie, most of them will never grace a runway, and most will never release a single song. Nevertheless, their voices are heard by millions.
As the name suggests, influencers are those who hold influence over the opinions, buying habits, and lifestyle choices of an audience. They come in a variety of different forms, from the social activists and the agitators who stir up healthy debates to makeup and hair gurus and even families that have gained a following by allowing the internet a peek into their lives.
Bottom line: an influencer already has an audience, and if you can connect with one, you can connect with their entire following.
What Is Sponsored Influencer Content?
Sponsored influencer content does just that; it is content that is generated by these influencers in partnership with brands. Your brand may partner with an influencer to promote your product, service, message, or to simply raise brand awareness.
Brands partner with influencers to create content that will be shared on YouTube, through Facebook Live streams, podcasts, or any of the other myriad of social media platforms. For example, a stroller company may partner with a popular mommy blogger to endorse a new product, a toy company might partner with a popular toy and game reviewer to advertise a new toy line, or a cosmetics company may partner with a beauty blogger to raise brand awareness.
Why Do You Need an Influencer?
The premise is fairly simple: rather than relying on your current audience to promote your brand, you gain access to another audience through people who are already recognized and trusted by their following. Influencers have already spent time and energy building up credibility with their audience, making sponsored influencer content a powerful form of word-of-mouth marketing.
Choosing Your Influencer Wisely
The temptation may be to seek out the influencers with the biggest following, but rarely is that the most effective strategy. Just as you wouldn’t advertise for cosmetics in a hunting magazine, you need to make sure that their audience is ready for your message. Regardless of how popular an influencer is, if they don’t have credibility and expertise with your target market, your efforts will be wasted. Sure, they might be able to raise brand awareness, but how many of their followers are you going to convert?
Find an influencer who speaks the language of and has credibility with your target market.
Video marketing is more popular than ever with internet users, and by partnering with influencers, you can ensure that your message gets to the right ears.
