As a brand, you have probably heard of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing platforms like IZEA makes this concept hard to miss.
One thing stands out clearly though: you're not sold on having to work with brand advocates (users of your products/services who keep talking about how great you are to people within their sphere of influence) or influencers (popular individuals who have a say in shaping consumer behavior).
But you just might change your mind after reading this post on the 7 reasons to work with brand advocates and influencers!
They Are Conversation Starters
In a brilliant yet organic manner, advocates and influencers start healthy conversations with potential leads, with your brand as the focal point of discourse. You might have all the information handy, but it carries more weight when the information is being broken down by either someone who has gotten results from the use of your products/services (and advocate) or someone who is trusted to give a valuable opinion. Besides, they are great at communicating on digital platforms, having perfected the art of doing so.
Consumers have been profiled to trust these peoples' opinions more than that of the brand itself and keying into this smart way of communicating your brand's message is an intelligent move.
They Know Their Audience
Need to really key into your audience- to know their needs and wants? Working with advocates and influencers might be the high road you need to take!
More than you do, influencers and advocates know the hearts of their audiences.
Hence, working with them helps you realize routes to getting into the minds of your potential customers- some of these routes, you didn't even know they existed prior to being shown by the influencer or advocate!
The sweet thing about working with these people is that regardless of how impenetrable your client base is supposed to be; the right influencers/advocates know just how to engage them.
Organic Content Creation Is Their Forte
From a mile away, people are getting really good at dishing out organic content and 'sales' content. While you work hard at creating the right sort of content to help your brand soar in the marketplace, you should consider employing the unique advantage which brand influencers and advocates bring to the table.
Especially regarding influencers, these individuals are excellent at pumping out highly engaging content which resonates with your target audience. What this means then, is that they can generate content about your brand- both to be used on your platform, and to be promoted on theirs!
If you want to drive traffic to your website, working with brand influencers and advocates is such a smart thing to do!
You'd See an Increase in Lead Conversion
In marketing terms, potential customers can be seen as 'leads'. Hence, influencers and advocates are pretty important in converting them into actual clients. Plant your brand in the minds of these leads by having influencers and advocates promote them and watch how easily your leads get converted.
They Are Honest/Transparent/Authentic
The right kinds of advocates and influencers are only going to promote brands they have found to be excellent.
Influencers have been known to turn down gigs that don't line up with their values or their sphere of influence. These are the right kind of influencers to work with, as they warmly promote your brand because they believe in it, not just for the money they'd get.
This is also true for advocates, who often have first-hand experience with your brand, and since their words mean a lot to the people in their lives, you get another shot at increasing your brand's visibility by using their services.
Brand Awareness Is Increased
More than anything traditional PR strategies could have done, influencers and advocates have an excellent way of increasing your brand's awareness. It is smart to have a good line up of these individuals across different social strata- thereby increasing your market's reach and placing your brand firmly in the minds of consumers.
Sales Generation
Advocates and influencers have a proven track record of sales generation.
As soon as they open their mouths, or take other actions to promote your brand, you can be guaranteed increased visibility, which then drives your sales!
Don't be caught sleeping on this highly effective wave of using advocates and influencers to promote your brand!