Let’s face it, marketing is changing. The days of huge print campaigns are waning. Don’t get me wrong, major brands will still use print ads, but they will use them as more of a placemark. Print, and even some TV ad campaigns, are mainly there to remind the buying public that the brand exists, not to really drive sales.
The newest way to drive sales is through influencer marketing with partners like influence.co. Influencers are social media presences with large numbers of followers. Influencers can be individuals or companies. Individual influencers are people like Kim Kardashian (fashion/beauty), Brian Kelly (travel), and Jen Selter (fitness). Company influencers can be just as effective. Especially when it comes to viral campaigns.
Remember when Wendy’s went viral for their social media responses? They got a little salty with some haters and the internet loved it. Millions of views and hundreds-of-thousands of shares, reposts, and comments later, Wendy’s is a viral sensation.
So how can you leverage viral influencer marketing to drive sales in your business?
Select your influencer wisely. Don’t choose an influencer based on their number of followers. Yes, a large audience is important, but it’s not the only factor to consider when choosing an influencer to represent your business. Choose based on how closely their own brand aligns with your business brand.
For example, say you’re in the automotive industry and you sell aftermarket wheels. You could get Kim Kardashian to model with and post about your wheels. With her millions of followers, you might get some sales from the campaign. Even better, you could get an industry-specific influencer like Rutledge Wood. This specific influencer has a much smaller social following, but it’s a more sincere following.
Let me explain
Yes, Kim K. has a bigger following, but there are drawbacks. Kardashian is a fashion/beauty influencer. How many of her audience care about aftermarket wheels? Wood, on the other hand, is an automotive influencer. His social feeds are full of industry-specific posts, with a lot of interaction from his followers about his passions and projects.
The point is that automotive people like and trust him. They are much more likely to buy aftermarket wheels from Wood than they are from Kim K. What’s more, you’re narrowing your marketing to your core demographic, which is key to an effective viral marketing campaign.
Influencers are the marketing wave of the foreseeable future. If you’re planning on using an influencer to promote your product, make sure to choose them based on their industry voice, not just their number of followers.
