Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular and effective way for businesses to reach new audiences and build brand awareness. By partnering with influential individuals within their industry or niche, businesses can tap into their followers and potentially reach a wider audience. 

Many influencers have a large amount of followers, and their engagement rates are much higher than that of a typical business. If a business is able to find an influencer with the right audience demographic and niche, it can leverage their following for brand building, revenue generation, and marketing reach.

The term “influencer marketing” was coined by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA issued a guideline on April 3, 2016, which helps to define influencer marketing as “when a business pays for endorsements of their product or service made by people who have influence with a target audience.” It defines an influencer as someone who has “a large and active following on social media platforms with the ability to drive volume based impact.”

Here are five ways that businesses can use influencer marketing to boost their brand awareness:

1. Collaborate with influencers on sponsored content

One of the most common ways to work with influencers is by sponsoring their content. This can be in the form of a sponsored post on social media, a sponsored blog post, or a sponsored YouTube video. By collaborating with influencers, businesses can leverage their reach and credibility to promote their brand, products, and services.

Another common way for brands to work with influencers is by hiring them as paid brand ambassadors, which typically entails sharing a brand’s story and working directly with their audiences. This can be in the form of social media posts, blog posts, or YouTube videos. For example, a company might hire an influencer who has more than 10 million followers on Instagram to share content on their behalf.

As with any relationship, sometimes these partnerships don’t work out. Brands need to be mindful of their influence and the power they have over their audiences. This is why it is important to have contracts in place before working with an influencer.

2. Host influencer events or product launches

Inviting influencers to exclusive events or product launches can not only help to generate buzz and interest, but it can also provide valuable content for the influencer to share with their followers. This can be a great way to introduce your brand to a new audience and build relationships with influencers that you can use repeatedly in the future.

Analytics tools can also help to track the effectiveness of your influencer marketing efforts. For example, Google Analytics will allow you to see how much traffic or shares a particular blog post received. Use Instagram’s built-in analytical tools to see how many impressions your Instagram posts received. This is an effective way for you to understand if the influencer campaign worked and what didn’t. These analytical tools take the guesswork out of your campaigns, giving you more time for other aspects of your marketing strategy.

3. Offer influencers discounts or free products

Another way to work with influencers is by offering them discounts or free products in exchange for promoting your brand. This can be a win-win for both parties, as the influencer gets to try out new products and the business gets exposure to the influencer’s followers.

You can also work with influencers to create content for your brand. Remember, influencers have a large social following and can make it look like this is something that’s “coming soon.” For example, you might create a website and ask an influencer to share the link on their Instagram page.

There are also many people looking to have their voice heard on the platform. If you launch an app, website, product, or service, you can open a dialogue by asking questions and providing insights into your project.

Finally, you can use influencers that work in your niche as resources to help with customer service. Take advantage of the expertise of these followers who might be willing to help with customer support by setting up a Q&A thread on Instagram or sending them an email with specific questions about their app, website, product, or service.

4. Utilize influencer takeovers

An influencer takeover is when an influencer takes over a business’s social media account for a day or a week and shares content related to the brand. This can be a great way to showcase your brand through the eyes of someone else and reach a new audience.

How to Take Over an Account on Social Media

To take over a business’s social media account, first you’ll need to find out who owns it. This information is oftentimes found on their website or in a press release. Once you find out who owns the account, reach out to them and ask if they would like for you to take it over for a day or week. Some influencers may start their own company and choose to take over other brands’ social media accounts as part of their marketing strategy.

5. Include influencers in your marketing campaigns

Including influencers in your marketing campaigns can help to add credibility and authenticity to your message. For example, you could feature an influencer in a video ad or have them create content specifically for your campaign. This can help to build trust with your audience and make your brand more relatable. This is a great way to make your brand more human, which can provide added value to your audience and make them feel connected to you.

Influencers are usually more likely to share content they create with their followers, and they have a large audience that is likely interested in your brand and your campaign. When influencers share content, it can help to spread the word about a new campaign or product. This helps to increase the reach of your campaign and can increase engagement overall.

Conclusion 

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for boosting brand awareness and reaching new audiences. By collaborating with influential individuals, businesses can leverage their reach and credibility to promote their brand. Whether through sponsored content, events, product giveaways, social media takeovers, or marketing campaigns, there are many ways to utilize influencer marketing to effectively promote your brand.