It has finally been acknowledged that no matter what tips and tricks a marketer might have up his sleeve, there are no strategies that can compete with the efficiency of word-of-mouth. Unsurprisingly, 92% of consumers believe that word-of-mouth recommendations are by far the most trustworthy form of advertising. And, with ad blocking now being a common practice, this traditional method is more relevant than ever before. So, for you and your business, this is where influencers may come in handy.
But wait, what exactly is an influencer? To you, we say, don’t fret. We will explain not only the fundamentals of what it is to be an influencer but, more importantly, all the benefits that come along with having one on board!
1. Influencer Marketing Defined
Now that we have your attention, influencer marketing, which happens to be the fastest-growing customer acquisition method, entails a relationship between your brand and an influencer. Put simply, an influencer is a brand’s advocate hired to promote your products and services, in the most natural way possible, to a much larger audience. In other words, rather than directly advertising to a vast group of consumers, you collaborate with an influencer instead, so that they can promote these beauty products/services for you.
More often than not, influencers have a great number of followers. These followers often keep up to date with the influencer’s content. Namely, due to their authority/credibility as opinion leaders in a specific category, influencers have the capacity to influence consumer decisions. These influencers tend to work independently, creating their own content as they normally would, and then they simply incorporate your salon’s specifications into this fresh content. This way, it will appear natural, authentic, and far from promotional (which is exactly what you want). This is precisely why promoting your brand through influencer-generated content is essential if you want to grow your business quickly.
2. The Importance of Influencers
With the inevitable downfall of scheduled television as well as the abundance of current social media platforms (and overall consumer skepticism), it has become increasingly difficult for brands to reach out and grab the attention of potential customers (because of their uninhibited freedom of choice over which content to consider and which to ignore). Realizing this, companies have now begun targeting influencers as a means of promotion. In doing so, these business owners can pinpoint and directly advertise to their target audience.
It is all about high levels of trust. Rather than being skeptical of a social media ad or commercial, consumers put their faith in their influencer of choice, believing that if this person enjoys a certain product/service, then they undoubtedly will too.
PRO TIP: You ought to align yourself with those who adopt a natural approach to influencer marketing. Meaning, partner with influencers who don’t simply spam their fan base with all types of irrelevant commodities, that they themselves wouldn't even use, just to make a quick buck (with this method, there is zero trust). Instead, they should promote your beauty products/services organically.
3. The Widespread Benefits of Acquiring Influencers
Considering everyone and their grandmas are now on social media, it makes perfect sense for business owners to reach out through social media’s most influential people to sway consumer opinions regarding their products/services. In other words, if an influential social media personality were to endorse your brand, it would be practically effortless to make significant earnings.
In addition (you’ll love this one), these influencers will even improve both your website’s SEO and brand authority. How so? By promoting your products/services, your influencers will provide countless mentions of your business, and, better yet, these mentions will regularly include a direct link back to your website. Talk about convenience!
Moreover, their online reviews will be critical to the sales of your products and services. Specifically, influencer-driven feedback and/or product reviews have a wide reach, and because of this, thousands of followers will be inspired to give your products/services a shot, elevating your possibility of finally going viral! Realistically, who wouldn’t want that?
PRO TIP: This may be self-explanatory, but to help sustain your salon/gym’s reputation, your influencer must be relevant to your brand. So, you need to make sure that your influencer’s audience matches that of your brand. Otherwise, your influencer’s audience will simply not respond to what you have to offer. And, considering that you provide your consumers with beauty/fitness products/services, it wouldn't make sense to hire an automobile specialist to vouch for you, would it?
4. The Three Breeds of Influencers
Now that you understand the advantages of having an influencer on board, let’s discover the class of influencers best suited for your business. And we know what you are thinking, but yes, there is a difference. First up, we have the Mavens, also known as industry experts/knowledgeable influencers. These individuals are accountable for providing helpful insights that will influence consumer buying decisions. Examples of Mavens include health/fitness experts such as Montreal’s very own Mickey Langston and Daniela Suarez, as well as beauty experts such as Emily Weiss of Glossier and Negin Mirsalehi of Gisou.
Next up is the Salesman/Brand Advocate. As you would assume, these influencers have tremendous persuasive power and charisma. More often than not, they are the best people to promote your business. Common examples of Salesmen/Brand Advocates are specialty and digital marketing industry influencers. And, finally, we have the Connectors. These influencers, such as celebrities, will aid you in establishing networks because of their remarkable reach and word-of-mouth marketing.
PRO TIP: Typically, to a certain degree, influencers merge all three characteristics. However, depending on your salon/gym’s vision and campaign goals, you ought to consider which influencer types and content you require. For example, you may very well need a combination of two or even all three attributes.
Conclusion
Time and time again, it has been demonstrated that having an influencer on board is the superior approach to developing brand awareness. The reasons are that they accumulate trust in your potential customers by way of reliable feedback, help establish brand authority by expanding your social media reach, and improve your SEO by including direct links to your website. And, once again, who wouldn’t want that?
