In the past decade, social media has become a fundamental activity of daily living, often shaping people’s emotions, behaviors and decisions. The social media effect combines an individuals desire to be accepted and to be liked. The positive benefits on a person’s subconscious is somewhere between relaxation and euphoria when their group or social network makes decisions, likes the same posts or news feeds, or shares positive moments. Needless to say, social media networks are very powerful. Why is this important as a business? Simple. Social media marketing incorporating social media influencers is an intellectual, creative approach to access consumers, build brand loyalty, and increase sales. So, what are social media influencers and where do you find them?
What are social media influencers?
The definition of a social media influencer is an individual who can affect decisions and purchases based on who they are and the relationship they have with their followers. They must have a combination of three key factors: reach, contextual credibility and salesmanship, (forbes.com). For the sake of this article we’ll leave out celebrities (macro influencers) and other industry specific experts who have tremendous social media followings and just focus on micro influencers (5k-100k followers) and mid-level influencers (100k-1M). These type of social media influencers are bloggers, moms, dads, kids; normal people that are respected experts in their own right. These influencers are authentic and work hard to establish their credibility by creating a relationship with their followers on multiple platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
The advantage of a social media influencer to a brand or business comes with building new relationships as well as boosting the old ones. The addition of a positive influencer to any marketing campaign is the best kind of advertising, word of mouth. “Marketing-inspired word of mouth generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising, and these customers have a 37% higher retention rate, (McKinsey Study as cited by forbes.com).
The building blocks of marketing are still there: create brand awareness, build customer loyalty, provide positive customer service, and of course increase revenue. Social media sharing has returned the power to the consumers versus the brands themselves. Social media influencers are a good place to start when reaching out to consumers.
If you are a brand or business looking to increase your marketing power, let YCS Marketing help. We specialize in connecting brands to social media influencers, improving brand management and social media presence along with offering a unique mobile loyalty and rewards platform; We are the answer to helping you grow the organic community of customers your brand deserves.
Contact YCS Marketing at 816-569-0135. By email at info@ycsmarketing.com or ycsmarketing.com
Resources:
The Explosive Growth Of Influencer Marketing And What It Means For You – Forbes
What Is Influencer Marketing And How Can Marketers Use It Effectively? – Forbes
