The answer to that is a resounding, “Yes!.”

In 2020, a study by Forbes concluded that the average time spent online each day is around 6 hours and 59 minutes a day. Online marketing has always been a major part of businesses but it has become an even more intregal aspect in the last few years. From major corporations to small startup’s, business who hope to succede must become a part of the online community or risk being overshadowed by those with a digital presence especially those who leverage the pwoer of influcencers. Today, Influencers, (famous social personalities who promote products) are a huge factor in increasing brand recognition. Aside from their impact on information and entertainment, they also wield their power by directing purchasing decisions through their content as well as promoting brands that would otherwise be unknown with their social media presence. 

Influencer – A person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media

Influencer Marketing over Advertising

A recent report made by Influencer Marketing Hub reveals that influencer marketing has a higher return of investment with minimal expense when compared to traditional marketing methods like hiring a full time employee. Traditional advertisements on TV and radio are no longer trusted by consumers. Instead, people place more trust in Influencers who feel more authentic because they are gable to see, engage, and relate with them every day. Ask yourself, Would you buy a product because you’ve seen it on television or are you more likely to buy a product because you found out that a friend is also using it?

Micro-influencers are the key

As a small business, it’s best to kick off your marketing strategy by working with micro-influencers. These social media influencers usually have a following of around 10-100k. Although they have limited reach compared to macro-influencers, whose audience is more than 100 thousand, it doesn’t mean that they’re not effective. In fact, most micro-influencers are more flexible and less expensive when negotiating terms with a brand. By leveraging their modesty, you can easily determine which will fit into your budget.

When looking for a micro-influencer, consider the following aspects:

• Will the influencer fit well with your brand?
• Is there any engagement or interaction between the influencer and its audience?
• Does the influencer produce quality content?

What do Micro-Influencers Provide?

To effectively market your business’ product or service, Social Media Influencers offer the ability to enhance your online presence and increase your reach online.

• Brand Awareness – Is created when an influencer posts your product or service on their page with a caption that promotes its information and benefits. Regardless of whether followers engages with it or not, the out come is the same – increased brand recognition.

• Traffic to your business’ page – After an influencer shares content featuring your product or business, ideally, potential customers from their followers will visit your business’ page. While it’s not a guaranteed sale, micro-influencers can dramatically increase the probability that your business will be able to achieve a higher volume of conversions.

• Increase credibility and proof of authenticity – The reputation and judgment of your online presence is highly important. Potential consumers rely on your online personality when discovering products or services. When influencers vouch for your business, credibility, and authenticity automatically increases.

There are several small businesses out there that have reached immense success because social media influencers boosted their viewership. A good example is the Daniel Wellington watch brand who partnered with a mix of macro and micro-influencers. What started out as a small business in 2011 is now a million-dollar company. With the help of influencer marketing, your small business might become the next overnight success story.

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