In an era where traditional advertising struggles to capture consumer attention, influencer marketing emerges as a game-changer for brands looking to resonate with their audience. By using the trust and reach of social media personalities, companies can effectively amplify their message, increase visibility and sales. Explore why collaborating with influencers could be the key to unlocking your brand's potential in the competitive digital landscape.

What is influencer marketing and where does it come from?

McKinsey defines it as a strategy where brands collaborate with popular social media users to promote their products or services. This partnership is noted for its authentic and engaging nature, often yielding high returns on investment compared to traditional marketing strategies.

The first "influencers" were Roman gladiators who endorsed products such as olive oil, wine, and various food products. In the 20th century, gladiators were replaced with TV and movie stars, and musicians.

In the early 2000s, with the launch of MySpace and Facebook, everyone got the chance to spread their voice not only to a bubble of close friends and relatives. Some people learned how to do it and be heard better than others. Like Justin Kan who in 2007 launched his own website where he streamed his life 24/7. He is considered one of the first major influencers to become popular solely through an online presence. Fun fact: later, in 2011, he expanded his project by launching Twitch.

Why do those brands use social media influencers?

Social media is becoming more and more integrated into our lives. Anyone can be an influencer today, and almost everyone, or 62% to be specific, spends around two and a half hours a day on social media.As with any other new media, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Twitch become good places for brands to showcase their products. A big part of monetization for them is related to paid ads, but over time, users can develop "blindness" to direct ads. For example, if the average view-time of video ads was around 3-5 seconds 7 years ago, now it’s 1 second and up to 3 seconds for top-performing ads. That's where influencers become a powerful force in making promotions softer and more organically placed into the feed.

As with any other new media, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Twitch become good places for brands to showcase their products. A big part of monetization for them is related to paid ads, but over time, users can develop "blindness" to direct ads. For example, if the average view-time of video ads was around 3-5 seconds 7 years ago, now it’s 1 second and up to 3 seconds for top-performing ads. That's where influencers become a powerful force in making promotions softer and more organically placed into the feed.

It also opens a way for brands to be less strict with the rules of brand image. Consider it similar to product placement in movies or series — we all see our favourite characters using objects from everyday life, and their preference for choosing a specific brand can make us want to own that brand too. Influencer marketing follows the same principles but in a faster and more dynamic way.

Approximately 35% of consumers aged 18 to 29 say influencer posts are the number one way to get them to try new products. That's why influencer marketing is turning into one of the main acquisition channels for many brands due to the efficient ROI and growth that this channel can provide.

How do brands use influencers in their marketing mix?

One of the first significant influencer marketing cases was the Fyre Festival. They used only influencers to promote the event, mixing top-tier names like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber with smaller Instagram bloggers. They were able to sell 5,000 tickets at a $4,000 price. As we know, the festival turned out to be a scam; however, marketers discussed this case a lot: evaluating the power of this promotion channel and the importance of keeping campaigns ethical and legal.

Beauty and fashion brands were probably the first to notice the popularity of bloggers and began sending them their products for review. However, over time, competitiveness between brands for influencer attention increased. Initially, brands started to focus on more creative ways to present their products, but with the rise of Instagram, it became easier to get a guaranteed post by paying for it. From around 2010, this became standard practice.

Usually, brands utilise influencers in one of two ways: making consistent placements as part of a long-term marketing strategy or conducting campaign-based placements with a higher level of influencer engagement and integration in the promotion.

The first approach means that a dedicated influencer manager or influencer marketing agency selects relevant influencers and sends them generic briefs to promote products' unique selling points (USPs). It can range from ten to a hundred influencers monthly, depending on marketing budgets.

The second option requires more creativity and focuses on matching influencers' personalities with the brand. For example, to rebrand and modernize Hugo Boss, their team collaborated with Khaby Lame in 2022. Khaby, known for his silent, comedic reaction videos, gained the number one spot on TikTok by the number of followers and views. The use of a digital-native influencer like Khaby Lame marked a strategic shift for Hugo Boss towards a more contemporary and online-focused brand.

Dunkin' Donuts also chose top TikToker Charli D’Amelio for a collaboration and released a special drink named after the influencer. It’s reported that Dunkin' Donuts' app installs increased by 57% because of the promo, and on the day of The Charli drink launch, the app broke its DAU record. There was also a 20% overall sales boost the day the drink was released.

How to start with influencer marketing?

Before implementing an influencer marketing strategy to promote your game, you need to take a step back and define your overall marketing strategy, along with your long-term and short-term goals.

Plan your budget and the key performance indicators (KPIs). If you don’t have a large budget but are also not strict in time, consider to mix of mid-size and micro-influencers. This approach can optimize resource allocation while maximizing results.

Choose social media platforms that align with your target audience and goals. For instance, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are suited for quick wins, while YouTube can yield long-term results as videos may keep getting views and drive conversions over extended periods.

Determining the type of influencers that fit you. Select influencers who not only have a substantial following but also have content in a niche that aligns with your audience. It helps in crafting more authentic and effective messages.

If you’re new to influencer marketing or need assistance, partner with an influencer marketing agency. Fill out this form to connect with the TrapPlan and get access to the best-performing influencers.

Influencers can enhance brand credibility and ensure a deeper connection with your audience. For many brands nowadays, it is the main channel to achieve marketing goals and sustainable business growth.

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