With today's social media platforms, the voices of consumers are louder than ever. This effectively shifted the balance of power between brands and consumers. In fact, with the growing popularity of online shopping, customer reviews and peer recommendations have greater influence in purchasing decisions than ever before.

So how can you leverage social media platforms to build your brand? The short answer - Influencer Marketing. Influencer identifies and targets individuals with a strong voice amongst certain target demographics. The CEO of GuruPeeps Inc., Natasha Nicole stated, “In a way, digital influencers are the new celebrity endorsement, but perhaps with even more pull among their followers. In building strong, authentic relationships with influencers, your brand earns their stamp of approval and this translates to their large following.”

In depth: What is a Social Media Influencer?

An influencer is any user on a social media platform who has a substantial number of followers and a clear position as an expert in a given field. “Influencers not only hold a lot of authority amongst their followers through their trusted opinions and advice; but they also embody the lifestyle itself that resonates with them,” Camila Kostco, COO of GuruPeeps explained.

Which Social Media Influencer is right for Your Brand?

Not every influencer is the right fit for your brand. You will need to identify influencers that have a clear position in your niche market while possessing the right voice for your brand image. Furthermore, with influencers across multiple social media, you will need to identify the right social media platforms that will effectively maximize your digital marketing initiative.

These new social media platforms, like Instagram and Snapchat, are able to generate huge followings with more direct niche subjects. While Facebook remains popular for some demographics if your key market includes millennials, it’s imperative you utilize mobile apps.

Why Influencer Marketing?

With influencer marketing, you are able to create a cost-effective campaign that is highly flexible to your needs. Through the influencers, you can target your demographic more efficiently compared to traditional advertising. Furthermore, if you’re a small business, you can significantly leverage influencer marketing to quickly build your brand loyalty through the influencers.

Where to Begin?

Trying to strategize a new digital media marketing campaign can be daunting and time-consuming. You may be wondering what steps to take in finding the right influencers and how to approach them. Don't worry; there is a lot of great content to help you on the web.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Use social media searches and #hashtags to find the influencers in your industry.

2. Identify if the influencers have the right voice for the brand.

3. Don't just call up the influencers and ask them to promote your product. Build a genuine relationship.

4. With a wide array of metrics available to your business, track your ROI and the success of your campaign.

Whether you are a start-up or a well-established brand, influencer marketing is effective in building brands and customer loyalty. If you haven’t thought about utilizing it in your next marketing initiative, we can promise it is worth your while to look into. Have some more questions? Reach out to us at HYDENSIQ Digital and we'd be happy to chat more about it!