I hate to ask this question, but do you ever wonder why influencer marketing has such a high level of -- influence? To understand why, means to understand that every marketing plan needs to include an influencer partner at some point in their journey or else you will experience a lot of wasted energy. Many people think being an influencer is just a "glamorous" thing to be similar to the assumption of public relations work. But it is a very demanding job and when the work is put in right the results are highly effective in many ways.
Lola Clark, better known as Blasian Baby Lola, is one of Gen-Z's favorite teen celebs and influencers. While stealing hearts and being invited to exclusive events, it's still important to know that Lola is an influencer by nature but that is not her main title or purpose. She is an entrepreneur, r&b/soul musical artist, creative, women empowerment spokesperson, and model. Her audience-response type and status is what qualifies her as an influencer.
What is your current niche market?
"A lot of my audience consists of Millennials and Gen-Zers. Both males and females love to interact with me through Instagram, TikTok, and most of all, fun events. They love to physically be a part of what I am doing, for example, hundreds of my loves came to meet me at the IG vs TikTok (Influencer edition) event that I just hosted a few days ago in ATL at the American Skate Center. They like to be entertained, they are very upbeat, positive, fun, and fashion oriented."
How does the power of your position make you feel?
"Let me start by saying, It took me by surprise when I realized over the years how much my opinions and words mean to those who watch my social media movement. People actually believe in me and for that I use the power that I have to put power right back into them."
What is one thing you'd like for brands or inquirers to know?
"I will only work with brands that I can respect and trust. My audience means a lot to me so I won't try to sell them dreams. I want them to be able to bet on what I am saying to them and to know and understand that I always got them. I will keep best interest at heart."
Proven by Lola and referring to my own public relations experience, an influencer has:
Amazing amounts of earned and shared media because of authentic-audience relationships
Power over purchasing impulses
Natural engagement
Hold's long-term interest within people
High level of credibility
Have the ability to "easily" create trends (So much for keeping up with them!)
A trusting audience
Influencers obtain this type of influence on different levels according to their follower amount:
Mega = 1M+
Macro = 500k - 1M
Mid-Tier = 50k - 500k
Micro = 10k - 50k
Nano = 1k -10k
There's different benefits with each tier for example: the mega influencer would obtain more reach, while one might find the nano influencer more approachable.
Most of the time, influencer content wins over a brand's personal content. An influencer's audience is so mentally tied to them that influence is sometimes an understatement. Lola, who is currently a mid-tier influencer, gets brand deal offers daily. So the best way to reach someone of her status would be through social media or through her official PR or management team. Her DM's and emails are constantly flooded.
This can help your brand raise credibility for whatever it is that you are sharing with the public; this could be a service, a tangible product, or VIP access to an event you are hosting. Maybe you want a micro influencer to promote your product for a month, that ranges anywhere from 4 to 10 social media posts. Think about your own social media profiles; thats a lot! So the message definitely matters.
Just as Lola stated, influencers genuinely care about their audience and don't want to lose their trust or interest. Potential buyers will definitely pick up on that. Love, inspiration, general care, or even envy (in bad cases) —which is still a form of admiration, are all emotions that followers have but are many times unaware of. These feelings are just as real as the love we feel for our friends in our own personal lives. Businesses lack the human aspect to obtain that type of connection, so this is where the influencer comes in. If the influencer trusts the item or event, then the people who have that connection with the influencer will instantly feel comfortable and think "maybe I should give it a try;" which provides you (the business) with added credibility.
Start the influencer marketing process by first doing your research. Figure out who has a reach that you need, what they require for you to partner with them, and who has an audience that compliments your own niche. Influencer marketing is a major key factor in this day and age, especially with everything going virtual, because that is where most of their business takes place — online.
The next part, is to go out and execute! If you ever need help, there are publicists, PR firms, and influencer relations departments to assist with things like this.