Poll: One third of marketers say ‘influencer’ marketing is essential

Working with social media rock stars is a trend that continues to grow.

Bloglovin’ surveyed 100 marketers about their attitudes toward “influencer” marketing and found that nearly a third (32 percent) consider it an essential part of their marketing strategies.

More than 40 percent of marketers found more success by working with influential social media users than through traditional ad campaigns, and this year 63 percent are increasing the amount they spend on campaigns featuring online users with large followings.

You don’t have to break the bank to take advantage of this marketing tactic, either. The survey revealed that 36 percent of marketers spend less than $5,000 on a campaign using influential social media users, and 24 percent spend $5,000 to $10,000 on an “influencer” campaign.

[RELATED: Boost buzz and build brand recognition on the hottest social media platforms at Disney World.]

Marketers are paying for content beyond a one-time campaign as well.

Eighty-three percent of marketers repurpose content from “influencer” efforts after they’re over, with 74 percent using that content on social media and 36 percent using it for social media ads. Roughly 74 percent of marketers use the content on their organizations’ websites.

That’s not surprising, considering another recent study has revealed that who shares your content has more of an effect on whether the reader trusts it than the source it comes from.

Though 76 percent of marketers look to increase awareness about their brands with “influencer” campaigns, many (71 percent) want to reach new audiences—and 67 percent believe that working with social media heavyweights helps them reach more targeted audiences.

Instagram is marketers’ top platform choice when partnering with influential social media users, but 56 percent use two or three social platforms. This is probably because using more than one digital channel can help further reach audiences and spread content.

As you turn to social media—and the users who reign supreme online—to boost your organization’s bottom line and capture consumers’ attention, just be careful not to fall into the trap of only looking at “vanity” metrics.

These include the number of likes your brand’s online profile has, or the number of impressions a post receives, and can often lead marketers to a sense of false engagement and success.

Marketo’s global chief executive, Steve Lucas, recently told CMO that much of today’s marketing includes “either tired metrics, expired metrics or no metrics at all.”

From the article:

There is a need to fundamentally change the mission of the marketer, Lucas said. “Who, as a consumer, wants to be marketed to?” he asked.

“Stop living the lie—the reality that impressions drive revenue is a lie. Engagement drives revenue, advocacy drives revenue, rants from your existing base drive revenue.”

Looking at the right metrics and understanding what motivates consumers to interact—and more importantly, spend money—is important on social media, including on platforms such as Facebook.

A study from Tulane University revealed that “likes” on an organization’s business page don’t necessarily translate into an engaged following.

Consumer Affairs reported:

"When we think of Facebook, we think of it as a very social platform. Most companies think that those social interactions will lead to more customer loyalty and more profitable customers," said lead author Daniel Mochon. "That's not necessarily the case. Customers rarely post on a brand's page on their own and typically only see a fraction of a brand's Facebook content unless they are targeted with paid advertising."

What do you think of these studies, PR Daily readers? What are you doing to work with “influencers” and measure your efforts in meaningful ways?

(Image via)

from PR Daily News Feed http://ift.tt/2mVMrlw