The Smart Cookie Philes was built on Influencer Marketing. What do I mean by that? Well, it started as a book and music review blog, and it still is at its core because it turns out that readers and music listeners are influenced by reviews. The popularity of the online review started with the origins of online shopping. The online review showcases the best and worst parts of purchasing a particular product or service.

Now as a publicist, it’s what I build my campaigns on. Whether a book or music project is highly recommended by people with an ear or an eye for that genre. If it is more people take notice, and sales of that product continue to increase.

What exactly is influencer marketing? Marketers rely on Influencers to provide unique, engaging content that is unparalleled and targeted (Intellifluence). Basically they are a voice within that niche or targeted audience. Target markets can be broken done so much that it is the reason why marketing is so necessary and vital to any business or entrepreneur. It helps increase awareness of you and your brand. And in turn, that awareness over time turns into an increase in sales.

Many companies now hire influencers to sell their products directly. Built within influencer marketing is a more direct selling venture known as network marketing. It’s where the individual utilizes the engagement from their platform to equal out to sales or more people added to their company’s network or team.

2020 has been called the “golden age of inluencer marketing.”(Intellifluence) and that is actually due in part to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Upon the introduction of COVID-19, the average screen time has increased and consumer habits have shifted, meaning that brands need to be vigilant about hitting all digital platforms more than ever. During this unprecedented event, trusted social media influencers continue to be a reliable source of information and an effective, authentic way to communicate with target audiences (Rise of Influencer Marketing).

A platform that most people joined during this pandemic was TikTok which is now helping fuel more engagement with certain songs because of Dance videos or helping people of all demographics quickly build an audience. Another huge boom was in live video feeds because everyone was at home.

In the past two months, brands have transitioned to more video and live stream campaigns than pictures. With everyone working from home, brands should take advantage of the time people spend on their computers, TV’s and smart phones during the day with these more dynamic forms of content (Rise of Influencer Marketing).

At the same time influencer pricing is going down, their audience is growing. With much of the world forced indoors, social media usage is skyrocketing. Facebook and Instagram saw a 50% percent increases in livestreams. Twitch’s viewership shot up 31 percent in two weeks. YouTube’s U.S. viewership has increased 63%. Influencers are benefitting from this, with some reportedly seeing as much as a 76% increase in “likes” on Instagram sponsored posts

With everyone forced to shop online, influencers are driving more purchases than usual. Data from affiliate marketers showed upticks in sales via influencers. SmartCommerce reported a 30 percent increase in orders, and competitor RewardStyle has seen a similar spike(https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/349733).

While the benefits are clear, I do have a word of caution. Given today’s landscape, agencies need to tread carefully. Not all influencer marketing is the same, and the best programs are collaborations with trusted partners such as Intellifluence. Influencers are people, and some people can act irresponsibly (and very publicly) while others are using their platforms for good. Choose wisely.

In a “shelter at home” world, advertisers and agencies are scrambling to create things fast, cheap and with few promotional dollars — just the things influencers have been doing for years. More than ever, this is the time to invest in the experts (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/349733)

So whether you choose a Youtuber with 10K subscribers or an up and coming blogger with affordable rates, one thing is for sure, now is the time to get on the influencer marketing bandwagon.

Resources:

https://www.business2community.com/marketing/the-rise-of-influencer-marketing-and-what-to-expect-in-2020-02318375   June 10, 2020

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/349733   June 10, 2020

https://intellifluence.com/marketing