Influence marketing works because it uses tactics such as word-of-mouth marketing and social proof, which are now fundamental aspects of any successful marketing strategy. Customers trust their peers, friends and people they admire more than they trust the companies that sell the products and services they buy and use. When I go to an influencer with my product, they will create posts that impact their followers. The definition of an influencer can be quite detailed, but the premise is that they have loyal followers on social networks.
If you've ever bought a product because an online personality you love backed it up, you've probably experienced influencer marketing. Robert Palmatier, co-author and professor of marketing at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, said that influencer marketing is currently producing a higher return on investment, or ROI, than most other types of marketing. Influencers who publish a higher proportion of original content tend to stand out more, attract more attention, and appear more authentic and informed. When it comes to adapting to the brand, the researchers found that companies should look for influencers with followers that overlap but don't exactly match.
An impressive 80% of marketers say that influencer marketing is effective, while 89% think it works just as well, if not better, than other marketing channels. New research from the University of Washington examines how factors related to social media influencers, their posts and their followers influence marketing success. People also see influencers as more authentic people because, mentally, you feel that you're actually “friends” with the people you follow on social networks, even if you've never met them, so they seem more authentic when they position the product. While traditional forms of marketing are still relevant, influencer marketing is challenging the status quo.
