What is influencer marketing and how does it work as a digital marketing strategy?

What is influencer marketing or marketing of influencers?

Influencer marketing is a novel marketing strategy that consists of achieving a series of collaborative links between brands and those people with great visibility and prominence on the Internet, who are known as ‘influencers’.

Thanks to the advantages it provides, companies are investing up to 20% of their budget in this type of campaign, according to the study ‘Augure Report on the status of influencer marketing’, prepared by the firm Launch Metrics.

What is an influencer?

Channels such as the Internet and social networks have generated the emergence of a series of people, who in traditional media would be more or less the equivalent of famous people or celebrities, who have become references for a large number of users.

Benefits of implementing influencer marketing strategies

• Amplify the positive messages of the brand or company
• Generate conversation in digital channels of products or services
• Increase traffic to the website or landing page of the campaign
• In addition to the fact that influencers are, in general, followed by a target with a great purchasing power, especially the Millennial generation, according to the firm InboundCycle.

If a solid campaign with the presence of influencers is designed, it is not necessary to invest a large budget, it can achieve a satisfactory and profitable return on investment (ROI), in addition to generating a favorable reputation and prestige for the brand.

How to campaign with influencers, recommendations

• The first thing to keep in mind is to identify the most relevant influencers, especially those who best fit the brand’s products and values.
• Once the influencer (or influencers) has been identified, a favorable attitude towards the product or service must be achieved, in addition to generating positive reviews towards the brand or product.
• Another option is the insertion of an advertisement, more or less covert, during the appearances (content) of these influencers.
• It is good to invite these personalities to product launches in order to promote them.

Success stories of influencer marketing 

These are some examples of companies that have used the figure of influencers in their marketing campaigns:

• Nissan

For the launch of the new Nissan March, Nissan Mexico created a Twitter campaign focused on generating user participation, through tours led by five influencers, according to information from the social network.

• Old Navy

The clothing chain recruited a social media influencer,  Meghan Rienks , to star in a series of promotional posts on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, according to HubSpot.

• Estée Lauder

When the 71-year-old cosmetics company wanted to connect with a younger audience to launch its latest spin-off brand, it hired Kendall Jenner, the second-youngest member of the Kardashian clan, according to HubSpot.