For centuries, traditional media has been the de facto source for getting the word out about newsworthy events. They are also instrumental in promoting businesses, products and services. Traditional media, or “old media,” can be defined as any form of mass communication before the emergence of digital media, or new media. This includes billboards, television, radio, magazines, newspapers and any other non-interactive media.
With the advent of “new media” and its subsequent explosion into marketing campaigns, companies have had to change their approach to marketing as these social platforms have grown. This can take the form of emails, blogs, websites, streaming services and social media networks.
Some of the more popular social media platforms that have emerged over the last two decades include:
- Facebook — 2004
- YouTube — 2005
- Instagram — 2010
- TikTok — 2016
The below infographic can provide understanding of global social media usage.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is actually quite easy to understand. The concept isn’t new. Long before the digital age, marketers frequently used celebrities to market their products. One of the more prominent examples of this was Nike’s introduction of Air Jordans in the mid-1980s. Banking on the popularity of NBA star Michael Jordan, the brand continues to be popular thirty years after his retirement from the Chicago Bulls.
And while the definition of influencer hasn’t changed over the centuries, the scope of influencers’ reach has tremendously. Digital access has allowed these modern influencers to utilize their social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to influence their followers. Today, social media influencers are changing the face of marketing, and in 2022, it was valued at $16.4 billion
According to HubSpot, here are a few stats to know for 2023 regarding influencer marketing:
- 1 in 4 marketers currently leverage influencer marketing.
- 72% of Gen Z and Millennials follow influencers on social media.
- 89% of marketers who currently engage with influencer marketing will increase or maintain their investment in 2023.
- 17% of marketers plan to invest in influencer marketing for the first time in 2023.
Getting Started Using Influencers As Part of Your Marketing Plan
Determine Your Market
If you manufacture fishing gear, then perhaps your target audience is men and women between 18 and 70 years old. In addition to determining your target audience, it’s also important in determining how this audience makes their buying decisions. Whether your primary audience is on Facebook, Instagram or another platform, it’s important to determine which one is right for your efforts.
Here are two good resources for finding the right influencer:
Budget
Defining your budget is equally important. Factors to take into consideration go beyond just paying the influencer. Other considerations need to include cost of product sent to influencers as well as shipping costs for those products to your chosen partners.
Finding The Right Influencers
The goal here is to find influencers that not only have a large following but also ones that have a strong engagement with their followers. It’s easy to accumulate a large following, but the goal for your brand is seeking out those that have an authentic audience. Look at their posts and check out the engagements. More likes and comments are a good indicator of the engagement they have with their audience.
There are 4-5 influencer categories, and the number of followers for each varies according to which resource you are reading. However, the numbers for the top 3 tend to remain consistent across the board. The 4 main categories are below:
- Micro: 10,000 – 100,000 followers
- Mid-Tier: 100,000 – 500,000 followers
- Macro: 500,000 – 1 million followers
- Mega: 1+ million followers
Another category lies below Micro Influencers, and it is called Nano Influencers. These “influencers” have a following between 1,000 and 10,000. This category might be ideal for a niche market or highly specialized field.
It’s important to determine what category or categories likely speak to your potential customers and then establish what budget you have to work with over the course of your marketing campaign.
Reach Out To Those Influencers
When you have narrowed down your list of possible influencers that you would like to work with, reach out to them and inquire as to how they might be able to market your product or brand. Ask about other brands that they work with and what kind of results they saw with that particular campaign. This is all about finding the perfect synergy between brand and influencer, and communication between both is paramount.
Build A Relationship With The Influencer
The one and done approach won’t likely reap the long-term results that perhaps your company is looking for in your marketing plan. Followers are more likely to show an interest in a product or brand if they see it over the course of several posts. These relationships are mutually beneficial to both parties when expectations are managed from the onset.
Does your brand use social media influencers as part of your marketing plan? As a fully integrated marketing firm, TBA Outdoors can cover these bases — and lots more — for your brand. Reach out to our team of marketing professionals today to see how we can help your outdoor brand with its influencer marketing, content creation, public relations and more.
