As I scroll through my social media feed, I notice that 40-percent of posts are typical social media posts (Engagement announcements, baby milestones, dogs pictures, and food pics), and the other 60-percent of posts are product advertisements, but they’re not exactly ads. They’re influencer posts. These posts tend to come from social media users whose opinions are well-respected and have a follower-base similar to the product’s target audience, such as celebrities and high profile social media users.
I will admit that when I see these posts, I almost automatically have to see what product they are talking about. Because if a celebrity is talking about it, it must be pretty amazing, right?
This, my friend, is influencer outreach.
What is influencer outreach?
According to Upfluence, one of the leading influencer marketing platforms, “Influencer marketing is the act of identifying trusted individuals with an engaged audience and directing marketing activities towards these influencers to receive publicly visible endorsements of a brand, service, or product.” It’s not a traditional celebrity endorsement. Instead of Michael Jackson singing about Pepsi, it’s a YouTube star using the product in their video and sharing why they love it.
You can’t ignore it.
One of the tricky things about influencer outreach is that it’s not technically an advertisement. It’s simply social media users posting about their “favorite” products (that they’ve most likely been paid to talk about). If you have ad blockers set on your devices, you will still see influencer outreach posts, hence their power. Even if you don’t follow the influencer on your social media pages, the latest Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter algorithms will notify you about posts others are watching… i.e. influencer outreach posts.
The numbers don’t lie.
Influencer outreach is successful, and there’s data to prove it. Influencer marketing platform MuseFind shows that 92-percent of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or a traditional celebrity endorsement. A study by BurstMedia found that for every dollar spent on influencer marketing, marketing teams receive $6.85 return on investment. It’s estimated that $255 million is spent on influencer marketing every month, which equates to a large chunk of ROI.
It shows brand authenticity.
One of the main reasons why influencer marketing is so successful is because it provides products with credibility, relatability, and brand awareness, which in turn, boosts sales. Products seem more credible because it’s being talked about by people they already trust. This also adds relatability to products.
Try it out.
Wanna utilize the power of influencer outreach? Do some research, find the people your audience trusts, or high profile names in other markets you want to break into. If any of these names have a significant following, it is worth reaching out, making that connection and seeing if they are willing to share your name, your product, or services.
For more information on influencer outreach campaigns, hit up our PR Associate, Emma Thibault, via Twitter.
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