Influencer Marketing: Leveraging Industry Experts for Brand Promotion

Since the early 2010s, the increase in influencer marketing has become second nature to most active social media users. #Ad and #Sponsored are hashtags that come across feed posts and videos combined, especially with over 64 million influencers on Instagram alone in 2023. With additional influencers across Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and additional sites such as Amazon, all people working part-time or full-time in 2023 are estimated to be a part of a $21.1 billion Influencer Marketing industry.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer Marketing has become a highly profitable way to market to new and different audiences your brand already reaches. The Return on Investment (ROI) of Influencer Marketing is higher because of one key element- trust. The audience that follows an influencer typically already trusts the influencer or creator. Utilizing smaller influencers, such as nano-influencers (1K-10K followers) and micro-influencers (10K-100K), is an additional benefit as their audiences tend to be more specified. 

With smaller influencers, their audiences are more specific and can end up slightly out of targeting that may already be used for paid social media-based marketing. By partnering with a face they already know and trust, your brand can move into a new target market and expand your client base. Additionally, influencers can be anyone who influences the buying choices of people. This means that they can be industry experts who have gained the trust of other individual bloggers and content creators who have gained respect within their industry of choice through hours of content created.

Influencer marketing has joined the forefront of the marketing field when it comes specifically to promoting businesses that focus on products in the fashion industry, home decor, and personal expression. The utilization of influencers is a strength because not only are items such as clothing, books, and decor shown on screen, but when the products are used in content, that shows how a product can be used. Their viewers can be turned into a client for the business as they now have a better idea of how the product can bring added value into their own lives.

Compensation for Influencers

Gone are the days when brands could ask influencers to talk about the brand without compensation. Working with brands, while considered an honor to newer influencers, bigger-sized influencers know that their time and platforms are worth much more than just listing working with a company on their resume. 

Payment can be determined by the influencer’s brand kit, based on content creation, number of posts, and other factors within the marketing deal with the influencer, but budgeting within your brand’s budget on what forms of compensation will be utilized. Overall, payment breaks into 1 of 4 categories for Influencer Marketing.

While some brands will choose multiple categories, the split of what brands will offer the talent who works with them can split from being offered free products to monetary compensation and can even include influencer trips, such as when companies like Shein, a discounted fast-fashion website, flew influencers out to see their factories and working conditions with all expenses were covered by the company. But not all marketing needs to be to this level of extravagance to get your marketing across from a trusted internet persona.

Implementing influencer marketing into your business’s marketing plan can feel overwhelming. There can be so many questions running through your head, such as:

  • What level of influencer makes the most sense to pair up with?
  • How many influencers should I be partnering with?
  • How much of my marketing budget should go to programmatic ads, paid social, and influencer marketing?
  • Do I need all the different forms of marketing? Or will a couple work better over all of them?
  • What is the best way to compensate any influencers I partner with?

If all of these questions and more are running around in your mind, it’s time to partner with The AD Leaf Marketing Firm. Our specialists cover all the different forms of marketing and can help explain which options fit your business the best. From marketing successfully for small businesses to mastering your PPC ads, there is a knowledgeable specialist who can assist with all your business needs at The AD Leaf. If you’re ready to put roots in that will grow your business to the next level, The AD Leaf Marketing Firm is ready to nurture your business with you. 

About The Author

Lizzy Seitz Lizzy Seitz