Influencers

What are Influencers

Influencers are well-known personalities on the internet, such as bloggers and internet celebrities, who have gained popularity and a loyal audience through social media. Unlike opinion leaders, who may be known for their activities in other fields, influencers primarily became famous due to their online presence. In the Russian-speaking space, the terms "influencers" and "opinion leaders" are often used synonymously; however, in English terminology, they have different meanings.

The main asset of influencers is their followers, who trust their opinions and follow their recommendations. The trusting relationship with the audience allows bloggers to earn money by promoting both themselves and other brands. Many companies collaborate with influencers to advertise their products and services on social media, a practice known as influencer marketing.

Influencers can be not only real individuals but also virtual characters, such as Colonel Sanders from KFC or the robot blogger Imma. These unique forms of representation also attract audience attention and generate interest in products.

Why Brands Need Influencers

In recent years, traditional advertising has become less effective as users are increasingly skeptical of it or simply ignore it. Additional challenges are posed by VPNs and ad blockers, which complicate targeting and assessing the effectiveness of standard internet advertising. Influencer marketing has its advantages, as followers often trust bloggers' opinions, which helps address several key tasks for brands.

• Increasing Brand Loyalty: A loyal audience easily adopts the influencer's attitude towards a product. For example, if a sports blogger recommends Nike sneakers, their followers are likely to want to buy them as well.
• Interest in New Products: Demonstrating a product in action attracts more attention than just a photo or advertisement.
• Addressing Objections: Bloggers can discuss all the benefits of a product and help potential buyers overcome doubts.
• Increasing Sales: Followers respond to purchase calls from influencers with more enthusiasm compared to targeted advertising.
• Enhancing Brand Recognition: Even if a product is already known, collaboration with influencers can expand its audience.

Since 2016, the popularity of influencer marketing has been steadily growing, although in some industries, such as B2B, its effectiveness may be limited due to the specifics of purchasing decision-making.

Types of Influencers

Influencers can vary by audience size and content theme:

By Audience Size

• Nano-Influencers: 1 to 5 thousand followers. High engagement and audience trust.
• Micro-Influencers: Up to 100 thousand followers. Experts in narrow fields whose recommendations are perceived as specialist advice.
• Macro-Influencers: 100 thousand to 1 million followers. Developed personal brand and large audience.
• Mega-Influencers: Over 1 million followers. Expensive advertising aimed at large brands.

By Blog Theme

Popular niches among influencers include:

• Beauty (beauty bloggers)
• Lifestyle (lifestyle)
• Food and healthy eating
• Fashion (stylists, fashion bloggers)
• Travel (travel bloggers)
• Health and fitness (fitness bloggers)
• Gaming (gamers and streamers)
• Finance and coaching
• Film (reviewers)
• Technology (tech bloggers)

Advertising Formats with Influencers

There are several popular advertising formats that can be used with influencers:

• Direct Advertising: An effective way to address situational purchases.
• Review: The influencer shares their opinion on the product, highlighting its pros and cons.
• Native Integration: Advertising naturally integrated into the influencer's main content.
• Collaboration: Joint creation of a new product, helping to increase brand awareness.
• Storytelling: Promoting a product through stories.
• Giveaways and Contests: Ways to engage with the audience.

It is important to remember that since 2022, influencers are required to disclose the advertising nature of their content, which increases the transparency of collaborations.

How to Choose an Influencer

To choose an influencer, both manual search and specialized services can be used. When preparing a list of suitable candidates, it is necessary to evaluate:

• Target Audience: How closely the blog's audience relates to the problem solved by your product.
• Size: Not only the size but also the dynamics of followers.
• Engagement: High level of interaction with the audience.
• Reputation: The blogger should align with your brand's philosophy.
• Platform: The effectiveness of advertising depends on the choice of social network.
• Content Quality: Analyzing posts will help assess the level of content.

It is also important to use specialized services to check for follower inflations. To start working with influencers, one can familiarize themselves with detailed guides on advertising on their platforms.