Mar 18, 2021
There’s a buzzword in business today, and it’s “Influencer Marketing,” in which companies sponsor influencers’ online content to increase brand awareness and sales within a specific audience.
According to surveys, 80% of marketers use this powerful method, and they show that brands will likely spend $15 billion by 2022 on the trending promotion medium.
It’s not surprising, then, that today, production companies are investing in influencer marketing.
Here’s why.
It’s both time-consuming and expensive to develop the content needed for a project. You have to account for camera gear, audio equipment, and more.
Saving money is one of the reasons video production houses are turning to influencers.
These are individuals who have a loyal audience who love and follow their online posts.
Since influencers are essentially freelancers, outsourcing work to them costs less than employing full-time staff to do the same job. Besides saving on salaries, you’ll also reduce operating expenses. You can rent a smaller space and save on other employee benefits.
It’s an inexpensive way to build an archive of information and media that you can repurpose for future campaigns and different audiences. Having this library will save you effort, time, and money in the long run.
User-generated content often increases engagement and shares. Why? People relate well to other individuals' material. The market usually perceives corporate advertising as an attempt to sell them something.
Influencers have a close rapport with their followers, enabling them to know what the market wants. It’s why these social media “celebrities” have massive persuasion power.
For you, the client, you’ll get high-quality material while saving money researching what to say to your target audience.
One of the advantages of hiring influencers is that they’ll take care of the creative process and the related logistics. There’s very little you need to do to help them.
For instance, you don’t have to teach these individuals the benefits of using a great app to edit & retouch Instagram videos. It’s their favorite social media platform. The ability to produce quality images and visual clips through applications is their forte.
Being hands-off when dealing with persuaders is an essential factor as your production company can free up resources you usually use to generate content for other tasks.
Influencers gain the trust of their followers through the content they regularly create and share. They understand the needs and focus on providing valuable information that benefits the people in their circle.
Being trustworthy is a critical factor in any form of marketing. When you use the services of someone who has that trait to share your message, it's more effective.
Results of a YouTube study show that 70% of teenagers trust influencers’ opinions more than celebrities. People relate to others with similar interests who display an appreciation of what they’re experiencing.
It’s common knowledge that stars receive large amounts of money to promote a brand. So, there’s little authenticity in what they say on camera, and consumers know it.
Potential customers are more inclined to try out a product or service when another individual uses or promotes them than if they see a company promo. It’s known that people tune out ads when they see them on TV, and it’s so easy to click away from an online sales message.
Besides being willing to act on the lead of someone they trust, users are also likely to share branded content within their social circles. Influencers’ posts get more reach and engagement than those communicating about the same product or service through a business account.
A significant advantage to your company is the ability to gain a previously unattainable audience.
You’ll also get content that’s tried, tested, and has a vast potential of going viral that you can repurpose. Your company bears minimal risk and cost if the results are lower than expected.
Instead of spending money on paid ads to get leads, businesses are now using social media to get organic traffic. One of the most popular platforms is Instagram because of its visual content.
As we’ve discussed, people trust influencers, so getting them to use or talk about a product on a popular channel has numerous advantages. For one, it offers a higher possibility of bringing lots of traffic to a brand’s website than an expensive marketing campaign.
Social media posts are an inexpensive way of getting leads, and it’s easier than implementing an SEO strategy to rank high on Google’s search result page.
Studies show that 89% of marketers say that the influencer marketing ROI is often higher than that from other promotional efforts.
You’ll save time and money researching the kind of content that’s suitable for a campaign. There’s also no need to test the market. The person you choose to hire has already done the work for you through their earlier posts. All you have to do is to adapt the message to your needs.
Other findings show that within three months, the return on investment doubles. This result occurs without any additional spending on the influencer campaign.
Another finding to consider is that a single piece of user-generated content increased sales by 11 times in a year.
One key trait of influencers is their fantastic ability to tell a compelling story. While some are natural storytellers, many have developed the skill through practice and experience.
People innately love stories, which is the reason this method of marketing is hugely successful. If you partner with an individual who has a loyal following, they can get your message across more effectively.
For instance, you could get an influencer to post content that shows your product solving a problem they had. Audiences will relate to the solution because the individual who shared it is a regular person like them, with similar issues.
Although the information is valuable, it’s critical how you convey it to others. That’s where these online storytellers play a massive role in marketing campaigns.
Another reason people trust influencers is that these individuals aren’t part of the brand and, as such, don’t have a vested interest in the product or service they highlight.
As these persuasion experts always share information that benefits their followers, viewers see them as very authentic when they bring up a sponsored item. Viewers don’t see it as an attempt to sell them something.
It can’t be said often enough that user-generated content is more persuasive than branded ones.
It’s easier to engage the services of an individual than getting a celebrity to endorse a brand. It also costs a fraction of the celeb’s fee.
As mentioned earlier, there’s no additional expenditure as the persuader takes care of all the costs they incur in producing the content.
Unless your target market is an exclusive group, it makes more sense to hire an influencer. Furthermore, there are studies that say people trust a regular person more than celebrities.
To recap, influencers help those with a need to connect with an audience and effectively communicate their content.
When you consider all the benefits this marketing method offers, you’ll understand why even production companies are getting into the game.
About the Author:
Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking.
She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.
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