The Role of Influencer Marketing in Your Digital Marketing
If digital marketing is the new PR, where does influencer marketing come in? It’s important to first explain what influencer marketing is. In its basic form, influencer marketing is “spreading information with the goal of persuading around a point of view.” In other words it is the true definition of public relations. In effect, influencer marketing is equivalent to public relations!
An influencer should embody three essential elements:
- Connections:
In order for someone to influence, they need to have opinions that can be influenced. This doesn’t specify which type of market or demographic, but rather, whether or not there is one. Therefore, an influencer must have connections. Being well-connected allows an influencer to spread their opinion to a larger audience. With a larger audience comes greater impact of persuasion.
- Credibility:
An influencer can have a myriad of connections, but of their connection don’t find the influencer credible, it’s going to be hard to sway their opinions or impact what they buy or sell. Perceived knowledge and a unique point of view are essential in establishing credibility, because people appreciate original thought. They appreciate different viewpoints. Credibility is established once an influencer reaches their connections on this level.
- Capability:
If digital marketing is the new PR, where does influencer marketing come in?
In regards to capability, we are speaking to whether or not the influencer is capable of selling their opinion and actually persuading others. An influencer may have connections and be credible, but if they lack the salesman ship to influence, nurture and guide those connections, then they cannot be a true influencer. After all, it’s not marketing if you are not reaching and persuading others!
When tapping into influencer marketing, it’s important to find these qualities in an influencer, and then allow them to be your brand loyalists or your brand advocates. Advocacy is the key to true influencer marketing. When working with influencers, it’s important to do it from a personal approach that is focused on helping influencers do their job, satisfy their curiosity or grant them the recognition they desire.
By: ParadigmNext http://paradigmnext.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+ParadigmNextChicago
ParadigmNEXT, Inc. is a digital agency headquartered in Chicagoland. We provide branding, identity, integrated marketing, social media strategy, art direction, web-design & development, startup incubation, commercial video production, product development, and commercial storefront development services to a wide array of clients ranging from bootstrapped startups to successful longstanding companies.