THE POWER OF INFLUENCE: A DIVE INTO INFLUENCER MARKETING

WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING 

 Most people always ask the question "What is influencer marketing ?" well influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing where people with many followers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, partner up with brands to promote their products or services. These influencers can manipulate their follower's purchasing decisions because they are viewed as trusted sources of information, making them important assets for brands that are looking to reach a specific target audience.  

ADVANTAGES OF INFLUENCER MARKETING

1-REACHING A LARGER AUDIENCE- Influencers are followed by a lot of people on social media platforms so influencer marketing allows brands to target a certain group of customers that may be difficult to reach through traditional advertising methods, Influencers have loyal followers that trust their opinions or recommendations, making it easier for many brands to connect to their target audience   

2-IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A LOT OF MONEY-  Influencer marketing can be one of the cheapest ways for brands to reach a large audience, in most cases working with influencers is more affordable than using traditional ways or methods of advertising such as radio, television, and printing adverts 

3-AUTHENTICITY- influencers are seen as genuine, trustworthy, and authentic by their followers and this makes their opinions and recommendations more trustworthy than our traditional adverts. This can help build brand credibility and trust with customers.

DISADVANTAGES OF INFLUENCER MARKETING 

1-FAKE ENGAGEMENT AND FOLLOWERS- Some influencers may have fake engagement with fake followers which can sabotage the success of a certain campaign, brands must be very careful when choosing influencers to represent their brand, ensure that they are genuine and they have an engaged following.

2-NO CONTROL- When brands work with influencers they give up control over the messaging and the content that is produced, this can be very risky because influencers may not always adhere to the guidelines of the brand and they might even post content that does not go with the brand's values and mission.

3-ITS DIFFICULT TO MEASURE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENTS-When it comes to influencer marketing, measuring the return on investment can be challenging or very difficult as it is not easy to keep track of the success of influencer marketing and determine if the influencers are actually driving sales or not.

Influencer Marketing can be a great strategy for brands that are looking to reach a large audience and build trust with their customers but it is important for brands to be careful of which influencer they choose to represent their brand.

HOW CAN INFLUENCER MARKETING HELP PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS 

Influencer marketing can help public relations practitioners in many ways, firstly, influencers have many loyal followers and this can help public relations practitioners to amplify their brand messages, by partnering with influencers, public relations practitioners can connect with their audience and they can reach a larger audience or population that was impossible or difficult to reach through traditional public relations tactics. Moreover, influencers can offer third-party validation for services, products, or certain brands. when an influence talks positively about the brand, service, or product, their followers are more likely to trust their opinion or recommendation because influencers are seen as trustworthy and reliable figures in the society. This can help public relations practitioners to build trust for their brand and actually strengthen their reputation 

Influencer Marketing can be a very important tool for public relations practitioners to advance their communication strategies, reach a larger audience, build trust for their brand, achieve their communication goals, and actually drive success for their brands.