Are your sales lagging? What about your ability to reach customers? Is anyone paying attention to your brand?
Publishers are realizing that they have a problem. They are not connecting with readers. This means lost revenue.
Personalization with readers is vital for success.
How can you do this?
Influencer marketing could be the answer.
What is Influencer Marketing?
The premise is simple. It is a type of social media marketing that uses influencers to promote a brand.
Why does this work?
Consumers can relate to the people they follow on the various social media platforms. If they see someone they follow using a brand, they are more likely to try it themselves.
Here are some quick facts.
A survey conducted by Mediakix in 2019 found that 89% of marketers noticed that their ROI from influencer marketing was equal to or better than other marketing platforms.
Of those surveyed, 65% planned on increasing their budgets for influencer marketing campaigns.
According to another survey, 34% of those on Instagram purchased a product solely because it was recommended by an influencer.
Want to learn more about influencer marketing strategies?
3 Ways to Use Influencer Marketing
You have options.
There is more than one way publishers can use influencer marketing to help their brand grow.
1. Connect with a Niche Audience
Think about your brand. What group of consumers is it best suited for?
Research has shown that targeting a niche audience can increase ROI.
For example, StitchFix, a styling service, created a partnership with “body-positive” influencer Sarah Tripp. They saw an increase in their customer base.
Why this worked is simple. The company’s product fit in with her followers. They now have an audience that is interested in, and purchasing, their product.
All brands are different.
You don’t have to target one audience. Some brands can appeal to more. If this applies to yours, identify the ones that you want to reach. Target publications and emails towards each.
Don’t be afraid to use multiple social media platforms.
This will allow you to reach a larger audience.
2. Personalization is Important
Influencers have the trust of their followers.
Fans might not know the influencers personally but they still feel a connection. This is important. Without that connection, the content is simply another generic ad.
Publishers can also personalize their content. Data can help with this. Both the New York Times and Hearst Newspapers use programs to help streamline their content recommendations to their readers.
They have learned their tastes and preferences. This helps the reader feel connected to the brand.
Did you know that 70% of publishers are now personalizing their content?
3. Being Authentic is Key
Readers know when something isn’t right.
Two examples are Ariana Grande, who is a well-known vegan, promoting a non-vegan product. Kendall Jenner also had backlash from followers for a 2017 commercial.
If you are not honest with your readers, it will hurt your brand.
To prevent confusion from influencers and publishers Unilever, and other companies, are working to improve transparency in influencer marketing.
Authenticity also applies to publishers using clickbait.
Clickbait might sound like a good idea, but it can drive readers away. They click on an article due to a headline or celebrity photo, only to find that it’s not what they expected.
When this happens, you’ve just lost a reader.
Instead, connect with your readers. Create a relationship with them. Give them quality content that is relevant to the reason they clicked on your site.
Further engage readers by encouraging their comments.
Publishers and Influencer Marketing
Influencers can make a difference in a business’s success.
Just make sure the right one is picked for your target audience.
Always be honest with readers. Also, encourage their feedback. It will help them feel more connected to your brand.
