Celebrity endorsements are nothing new. However, lately a new form of celebrity has emerged: the influencer. Influencers are here, probably to stay, and you may be wondering if you should jump on their bandwagon. There are definitely many positive aspects as to why you should consider using their influence to boost your sales.
What Is an Influencer?
Influencers have specialized knowledge, authority, or insight into a specific subject. They generally have a large online presence with thousands or even millions of people who “follow” them. These followers get notifications and videos about their experiences and opinions within their area of expertise.
Their pre-existing presence in a niche makes them a useful launching pad for brands in search of credibility. In marketing terms, an influencer is an individual who has a significant audience and influence that a brand or organization partners with to share the brand’s story. They have the power to convince buyers to act or buy products simply because they advise them to do so.
This is not to confuse influencers with brand ambassadors. Brand ambassadors are individuals with an established online network and passion for the brand that a company chooses to be at the forefront of the brand’s product or services. A brand ambassador is someone that was a user of a brand before ever being partnered with them.
There are four different kinds of influencers:
- Mega Influencers: these influencers have more than 500,000 followers on one platform. These are usually celebrities who have fame online and offline.
- Macro influencers: those who have 50,000 to 500,000 followers.
- Micro-influencers: those who have 5,000 to 50,000 followers.
- Nano-influencers: those with a smaller number of followers (1,000-5,000) but have a highly specialized amount of knowledge in a particular field.
Companies will do the work beforehand, evaluating individuals they see best fit their needs. During this time it is best to consider social media needs as a brand:
- Who your ideal customer is
- Where do your customers hang out
- What platform best fits the brand’s style
- What platform will help you achieve the goals you set
Once you have thoroughly analyzed this, it would then be time to research potential influencers that align best with your message.
Companies Who Collaborate with Celebrities
There are a handful of favored celebrities that will take a spot on an establishment’s menu due to their influence. Below are some examples of celebrity influencers and the brands they represent.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is a popular singer and native Canadian. He promotes Tim Hortons, a well-known Canadian fast-food establishment. They serve an assortment of foods, but most notably pastries and coffee. Once discovering that Beiber loved Tim Hortons’ donut holes, Timbits, a partnership was discussed between Beiber and Tim Hortons. They created customized donut holes using his favorite flavors. Timbiebs were created and became wildly successful.
This was one of Tim Hortons’ most successful initiatives. The appeal? Justin Bieber, of course. He has one of the largest fanbases out there. All the “Beliebers” were lining up to try something he likes.
Saweetie
If you are not familiar with the name, Saweetie is a popular female rap artist. Saweetie is one of the many other well-known artists like Travis Scott, BTS, and J Balvin to partner with McDonald’s. She did so last July. Her meal included a Big Mac, 4-piece chicken McNuggets, medium fries, medium sprite, tangy BBQ sauce, and the “Saweetie ‘N Sour sauce.”
Charli D’Amelio
TikTok, the short-form video sharing platform has truly exploded in popularity in the last few years. Most notably, one of the biggest names on the app, Charli D’Amelio, has 142.3 million TikTok followers.
D’Amelio had publicly said on her profile that she was an avid Dunkin’ fan. So much so that Business Insider had reported that Dunkin’ had received over 294 million free TikTok views. Naturally, Dunkin’ leaped at the chance and created “The Charli.” The drink was her favorite cold brew from the franchise.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg has been rapping in the music industry since 1992. His iconic name has been featured on all things from featured music to commercials and even movies. This makes him a great contender as an influencer with companies.
In 2020 the coronavirus pandemic created some discomfort for the beer brand Corona. Due to the name of the virus, sales began decreasing. This forced Corona to try some new advertising efforts. They came up with “La Vida Má Fina,” which translates to “The fine life.”
In the ad campaign, Snoop Dogg is spotted on a beach and he talks about choosing the finer things in life given the situation we were in with the pandemic. Corona sales went up during the lockdown and increased more than 17% after March. Snoop Dogg himself received ten million from the single commercial.
YouTube
YouTube is a great platform to find influencers. A majority of influencers have a YouTube channel which followers can subscribe to. They generally produce weekly content that they share with their followers. It might be someone who travels and promotes certain cities, hotels, or beaches. It might be a foodie who shares their experiences dining at certain restaurants. It might be a fitness guru whose opinions about diet, exercise, and lifestyle are appreciated by myriad people.
YouTube is a great platform that companies can take advantage of. Anyone can make a YouTube channel, but as far as success goes… well, some find it quicker than others! Many companies track users with large followings and will send products. If the influencer endorses their product and sales increase, then the influencer and the company may agree to work together further.
Big names on YouTube like David Dobrik, Cody Ko, and Jesser have all been sponsored by a company called Seat Geek. Seat Geek is a website where consumers can research and buy tickets for concerts. Typically you will hear a YouTuber say, “This video is sponsored by Seat Geek.” They will then offer their audience a promotion code that they can use to save money on their tickets. The number of views and uses of these promo codes will help determine how effective these influencers are on their followers. That success rate will determine to what extent the company and that influencer work together in the future.
Long-Lasting Relationships Between Influencers and Companies
Influencers are a useful addition for promotion. From what we detailed above, you can see that when you use that reputable name, your sales have a potential to increase. In 2018, Chief Marketer released a survey detailing that 75% of marketers were using influencers and that they expected to see a 27% increase in the use of influencers in the following year.
Companies value the relationships they have with these influencers and when the desired result is consistently achieved, they will continue to work with these people. What makes a long-term relationship even better, as far as relationships go, is that the influencer themselves will be able to trust your motives and products/services. They may promote a company they truly enjoy working with outside of their usual platform. It is never a bad thing to try to maintain relationships. Maybe in time, they will turn into brand ambassadors rather than an influencer for hire!
Consider Getting in Contact!
The use of influencers will likely continue to rise and AEK can help you develop a marketing strategy that taps that avenue. We’ll help you find an influencer whose style and values align with your own. We’ll analyze your situation and then suggest some names with whom you may want to work. AEK Solutions will manage the many tools that comprise your online presence, including influencer partnerships. We will handle your digital outreach so you can concentrate on running your business.
Whatever digital sales or marketing challenges you are experiencing, AEK has a solution! Whether you’re a large corporation or a small, local company, we’re here to help you achieve your business goals. AEK Solutions is dedicated to creating new sources of repeatable, online growth by utilizing creativity and technology to develop solutions to your specific marketing objectives. Our proven strategies will help your business grow.
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