Introducing Influencer Marketing 

Influencer Marketing is a mixture of new age generation and old generation marketing tools.. The mother idea is that of a celebrity endorsing a brand, it has been adapted into the modern uber landscape. The thing that sets apart influencer marketing is that the campaign of the product or website happens because of collaborations between brands and influencers. But influencer marketing does not really involve putting out a known and famous face . An influencer can be anybody who knows how to be presentable , how to market a product / website/ app / offer. That person needs to have an online presence, needs to have a basic number of followers, and that will be it . Small brands cannot really afford celebrities, so there are many people in the social media who are ready to promote their products with a much lesser charge, and this benefits both the brand and the person, who also indirectly gets promoted to the target audience of the brand. So it is a two way thing. One of the biggest mistakes that media often makes is a failure to see the difference between celebrities and online influencers. It is also important to realize that most influencers have systematically built a keen and enthusiastic audience. A person will listen to what the influencer has to say about the brand before buying any product from them. So its mostly about the influencer influencing rather than the brand itself. 

Stat Math

These are the overall statistics that had been collected and inferred in the last few years, when influencer brand marketing became a thing – 

• Influencer marketing is expected to grow to be worth $13.8 billion in 2021.
• Businesses are making $5.78 ROI for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
• There has been a 465% increase in searches for the phrase “influencer marketing” on Google alone since 2016.
• 90% of survey respondents believe influencer marketing to be an effective form of marketing.
• 67% of brands use Instagram for influencer marketing.
• 1360 Influencer marketing focused platforms and agencies entered the market in the last 5 years alone.

What Led To This Boom In Influencer Marketing? 

1. Name game – The internet has witnessed a 465% increase in searches for the phrase “influencer marketing” on Google alone since 2016. Clearly, it is trending, and so more people want  to know about this trend of influencer marketing and find influencer marketing platforms and agencies. Since 2019, there has been a 1500% increase in searches for “influencer marketing”. And obviously, “influencer marketing” is a mainstream thing now. 
2. Increase in The Usage of Social Media – One of the major reasons why influencer marketing has boosted up is the increase in the use of social media and internet in general.  With Digital India being the motto, the most easy way for brands is to reach their customers through social media, and online advertisements, and to create a proper audience base is where the influencers come in 
3. The Rise of Content Based Marketing – A big reason why Influencer marketing is what it is today is the shift of the brands and marketers to content-based marketing strategies. Brans noe do not simply want to promote their products, they want to send a message to it, or to deliver to their audience a never seen before experience, and to tell a story obviously a face is needed and thus the demand for influencers 
4. People Trust Influencers – As has been told earlier, people usually trust the face, the influencer, not the unknown brand that comes knocking in. So getting someone who has knowledge of creative presentation will of course be beneficial for the company only. The best part is that even if they do not buy the product, they have at least checked it out which increases the brand awareness. 

Redefining Digital Marketing 

1. Intense visibility-  Quite a many social influencers have followers in millions. By collaborating with an influencer with such a following and who can create a valuable, entertaining, inspiring, or informative piece of content, brands can also gain access to an influencer’s followers, start a conversation, and expand brand awareness to an outstanding extent
2. Communication is easy – Unlike banner ads, pre-roll YouTube advertisements, and Adwords campaigns, working with influencers gives companies the opportunity to authentically engage with consumers, receive valuable feedback in real-time, and facilitate conversations about a brand’s products or services to targeted consumers.
3. Lifelong trust – According to a recent survey conducted by Google,  70% of teenagers say they relate to top YouTubers more than traditional celebrities, and 60% of YouTube subscribers say they would follow the advice and/or recommendation of a YouTube star. For brands, the ability to leverage the trust social influencers have cultivated with followers is one of the most compelling reasons to develop an influencer marketing strategy.
4. No need to worry about unnecessary brands – Ad-blocking technology is definitely on the rise. According to a 2016 eMarketer study, 70 million Americans now use ad-blockers (a 34% increase from 2016), and nearly 90 million internet users are expected to use an ad-blocker in 2017. Because influencer marketing campaigns organically integrate a brand’s messaging, products, and/or services into social influencers’ content, ad-blocking is a non-issue for companies who partner with today’s top digital stars.
5. Relatable content- All these  influencers have spent years listening to their followers’ views and know exactly the type of content that attracts a large number of people.. By creating a brand sponsored campaign with a seasoned digital star, brands can forgo the focus groups and have confidence that their Snapchat Takeovers, YouTube videos, Instagram photos, or blog posts will resonate with consumers.

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