It started in the 20th century when journalists hounded athletes, actors and musicians for their go-to products.

Now, influencer marketing exists on almost every social media platform, and anyone can be an influencer.

With social media trends constantly changing, and countless influencers to choose from, how can marketers hope to master influencer marketing in 2022? Let’s find out.

What is an influencer?

Simply put, an ‘influencer’ is a person who can influence others. For digital marketing agencies, influencers are a great tool to help persuade consumers to purchase specific products or services.

Whilst the term influencer typically brings celebrities to mind, influencers can be regular people, too. In fact, it is imperative that influencers appear as relatable as possible to their audience so that they can work with brands to promote products or services to their followers.

What is influencer marketing?  

If an influencer can master the balance between appearing relatable and being influential, then they can help brands grow by providing them with a brand face and building credibility with their target audience. This process is called “influencer marketing”.

To get the most out of these promotions, choosing the right influencer for your brand is essential. After all, not every influencer’s audience will be interested in your brand.

For marketers who find the sweet spot – where an influencer’s audience aligns neatly with their own target audience – influencer marketing can be a huge asset.

What are the best influencer marketing platforms?

While there are successful influencers on social media platforms that are not typically thought of as ‘visual’, such as Twitter, the largest groups of successful influencers tend to be found on platforms that are, such as Instagram.

In fact, according to a global 2021 poll of over 1,000 marketers, 73% of marketers favour Instagram when it comes to their influencer marketing campaigns.

Meanwhile, the platforms that are the most optimised for video (TikTok and YouTube) are generally considered to be the best at creating communities. And community is at the heart of influencer marketing.

How to develop an influencer marketing strategy:

Every brand and influencer is unique. Therefore, every brand-influencer relationship and the campaign will be unique, too.

But no matter the brand, influencer, partnership, campaign or niche, there are some important factors that each influencer marketing strategy must consider.

1.     The number of followers doesn’t (always) matter

Of course, accounts with under fifty followers probably wouldn’t be considered influencers. On the other hand, the bigger influencers with hundreds of thousands, or even millions of followers, may not be the best fit for your brand.

In fact, smaller influencers (with several thousand followers or more) can be hugely beneficial for certain brands. These smaller, niche influencers will typically have a more dedicated fanbase that is more likely to purchase products or services recommended by the influencer.

2.     Engagement isn’t everything

The true purpose of influencer marketing can sometimes get lost along the way. But the truth is, that engagement really isn’t everything.

Sure, brand awareness is important for any business. But in the realm of influencer marketing, the influencer is pitching your product to their followers.

In this case, the most important metric is how many of their followers followed the influencer’s call to action.

By keeping your focus on outcome and not engagement, it is much easier to determine which aspects of your campaign are and aren’t working and to adapt.

If you would like to take your influencer marketing game to the next level or are looking to leverage this essential digital marketing tool for the first time, get in touch with an expert.

At One Day Agency, we’re a pro influencer marketing agency with experience in helping clients master social media and Instagram influencer marketing.

To learn more about Influencer Marketing, get in contact today.