There are people with hundreds of thousands of followers, those who have less than ten thousand but still have a lot of influence, people who deal with fashion in general and those who specialise in hats.
They're not movie stars, they're not faces of brands, they're not marketers. But then what are they?
They're influencers, and if you're still not aware yet, you need to work with them.
The importance of loyalty
In the world of digital commerce one of the most important concepts which you can work on to reap the rewards of your efforts is loyalty. If you have decided to invest in an e-commerce business, a loyal audience is an audience with whom you build a healthy, constant and safe relationship. A pool of users who believe in your brand, in your project and who are ready to support you by buying your products and often also by involving new buyers. The role of the influencer can be seen as a real catalyst in this process.
The influencer, not as new a role as we think
When we think of the role of an influencer, we tend to think of it as a new and digital native role. In reality the figure of the influencer has existed more or less since marketing and advertising have existed. Think, for example, of the icons from the world of cinema, the famous Hollywood stars of the last century. Each one was different, just as the influencers are today, and with each one, a segment of people could identify themselves and project themselves. Take for instance Marilyn Monroe or James Dean, both of them were a reference point for different groups of people.
The comparison we are making between today's and yesterday's influencers becomes apparent thanks to a shot from 1955 that portrays Marilyn Monroe on the set of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, in which she is holding a bottle of Chanel No. 5, an iconic perfume to which she is associated with thanks to her famous quote. This photograph can be likened to an Instagram picture of a modern influencer in collaboration with a prestigious brand.
Keyword: coherence
Influencer marketing is proven to be a winning strategy in terms of gaining users, both new and loyal. However, like all highly effective marketing tools, it is important to know how to properly use it—misuse can cause disastrous consequences.
That's why you have to keep in mind a very clear concept regarding the world of communication in general: coherence. Choosing the right influencer to contact for a collaboration with your brand is a step that requires a good dose of case study, especially from a social point of view. Rely on social media professionals or communication professionals in general, who are up to date and in line with the times.
If you have a brand that produces running shoes, for example, it's up to you to look for an influencer among the most-followed by athletes and enthusiasts.
Is there a difference between an influencer and a brand's face?
Continuing along the same lines as the previous paragraph, we will easily understand the difference between these two roles. If you were to decide to contact an influencer with your brand that produces running shoes, as mentioned above, you will have to do a market research mainly on social networks and find out who is the most followed by the users that you consider your target clients. The influencer you would come across would be a running enthusiast, someone charismatic, fit, with excellent social and digital skills who has a fairly large but not incredibly high number of followers.
If what you are looking for is someone to be the face of your brand, you will probably have to try to get in touch directly with a sportsman, often also famous, with whom you can establish a more traditional collaboration, such as a TV advert or a series of offline campaigns.
Obviously, the best choice always depends on a matter of consistency with your brand and your audience.
What are micro-influencers?
One of the most interesting aspects of the internet are the incredible numbers. On the internet there is literally room for everything and everyone. This means that there are places where macro topics are discussed and others that go into more detail. There are generic blogs on technology in general and others that focus on something specific, there is one that specialises exclusively in Apple products for example.
Just as there are macro and micro blogs, there are also macro and micro influencers, or rather, micro-influencers. Professionals that specialise exclusively in a theme, a product cluster or even a single brand. It goes without saying that figures of this kind do not boast high numbers of followers, generally they have under 100 thousand, however, they are highly regarded in the sector to which they belong and to enter into partnerships with a micro-influencer specialised in the product or service you offer, could easily prove to be a winning and fruitful move.
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