The Power of Influencer Marketing in the Digital Age

Influencer marketing is the fastest growing marketing strategy of today.

Influencers are also known as “information brokers”, who have a wealth of knowledge and know how to share it. Influence is about authenticity, access to information and the drive to empower others. With a growing distrust for brand-led messaging, savvy consumers are increasingly turning to these influencers for advice when making decisions.

This makes you wonder, how powerful are these influencers anyway? And why should brands engage them. Let’s take a look at some numbers:

• More than half the world now uses a smartphone; More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile phones; and more than one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days.
• By 2019 mobile advertising will represent 72 percent of all U.S. digital ad spending, and 74 percent of consumers already use social media to make purchasing decisions.
• You can see the trend of consumers turning away from brand-led messaging with the recent growth in ad blocking. It is currently estimated that publishers lost out $22 billion in 2015 due to ad blockers.
• 92 percent of people trust recommendations from individuals, even if they do not know them, over brands.
• 81 percent of marketers view influencer marketing as effective.
• 51 percent of marketers say they get better customers from influencer marketing since the relationship began with the trust of the influencer.
• One study found that social media influencers now have as much influence as a neighbor or friend. 40 percent of respondents said they have purchased an item online after seeing it used by an influencer, and 20 percent said they have shared something they saw from an influencer.
• A new study by TapInfluence found that social media influence marketing is 11 times more effective than banner ads, meaning that social media accounts with wide followings, so-called “influencers,” are coveted by companies looking to reach plugged-in consumers.

The concept of influencer marketing isn’t new. Advertisers have been using celebrities to influence consumers since the dawn of marketing. However, the emergence of social media has leveled the playing field. Companies no longer need to pay millions to get a celebrity to endorse their products.

Now, anyone with internet access can have a voice, and become an influencer. Instead of marketing directly to customers, brands can hire or inspire influencers to reach them for them.

In Pakistan too, the sphere of influencer marketing is expanding with more people relying on social media celebrities to make purchasing decisions. If you are an influencer or work with an influencer to promote your brand, you can be a part of digi connect, Pakistan’s first influencer marketing conference.

Conceptualized and organized by APR CONNECT, the digital arm of Asiatic Public Relations, digi connect is powered by Coca-Cola in partnership with CEJ-IBA and PAS on December 09, 2017.