Influencer Marketing:

I would love to start this essay with an affirmation that new places bring new information to you. Likewise, new responsibilities also expose you to new dimensions of learning. I accept that the new chapter in my life (working for a digital promotion company) has added many new layers to the depth of my little knowledge. Influencer marketing is the latest addition to the list. It’s not the case that I did not know this term before. However, I was not aware of the broad canvas that influencer marketing has become in the present world. It has given a two-fold platform and offers to both – the influencers on various social platforms and the brand. In this post, I will try to analyse this dimension of internet marketing.

What is it?

In the simplest terms I can define, influencer marketing is a practice in which brands use the influencers (people popular on facebook, twitter, bloggers’ network etc) as a ploy to popularize their brand, persuade the consumers towards their brand/products or to deliver any marketing message. The end-user does not know that people talking about a particular brand (appearing to be the genuine user) are actually getting paid for that! Thus, they believe someone telling on twitter a particular pen is awesome, a watch is just mind-blowing and that car is the next big hit. To sum the introduction up, men-facing-men for the brand is the concept of this new form of marketing!

Advantages of Influencer Marketing for the Brand

What could be better than people promoting the brand rather than an appearance on the TC commercial or a front page newspaper advertise? Influencer marketing has made the marketing field more emotional, touching and sensitive. Understand it with a simple example. A company launches a toothpaste and it wishes the product to reach the consumers in a short period. However, as there are many other players in this business, it becomes difficult even after running tv and newspaper campaigns. What could be the best way? Here comes the answer: suppose 1000 people post an average of 3-4 posts daily about this particular toothpaste on their facebook timeline for 10 days, what now? The followers or friends of these 1000 people will certainly look into the matter and inquire about the brand and the product. If they find it interesting, they will share it further and further and the chain keeps moving ahead. There is absolutely no problem associated with this method of promotion! As the people participating in this campaign come from a normal background, the consumers have faith in what is told. Did you get the heck of that?

The Advantage for Influencers:

What better do you look for if I say you can get paid for your tweets or facebook posts? Not only that, if you make a video for brand X, they will pay you 10000! Just write a blog on your site for a car company and they are ready with 5000 plus a test drive! Gone are the days when you just kept writing and did not get any recognition or monetary reward. Here come the rising tornado and the fifth dimension of digital promotion where you can utilize your social media influence to the maximum and start making money from your passion. Money, parties, merchandise, gadgets, software and what not! Companies and brands are showering their love on the social media influencers.

The silly side:

Suppose you saw your friend or a known person on twitter whom you follow tweeting about a fashion brand on Monday, and on Wednesday, you see the same person shouting loud about a different brand, what will be your reaction? Eventually, you will come to realize that this particular person is using the platform of twitter for making money.

At last:

Whatever be the case, the concept of influencer marketing has shown new direction of branding and promotion over the internet. People need emotional reviews and a sentimental touch before they make up their mind to buy something expensive. Brands have started exploiting this trait of consumers to the most. Let us wait and see what comes next in this field…