Influencer Marketing | You are being Influenced

Welcome to the era of influencer marketing. We are sure all of you must have experienced it — it is just that the term has become more prominent.

Remember the last time you stalked your favourite actor on Instagram and found him using a product and him asking you to try it.

What is that? It is influencer marketing.

Influencer Marketing is an enhanced version of celebrity endorsement where people are biased towards their social media celebrities.

It focuses on key individuals who have the advantage of influencing target segment of the company, this is where WOMM (Word of mouth Marketing) really makes a difference.

Brands first identify influencers by evaluating their potential to serve their objective. Then they market the product to the influencer post which they finalise the set of activities that involve the use of these influencers to advocate the products to the target segment.

Let us know why this form of marketing has become a buzz word nowadays?

The 2 key reasons are as follows:

• Trust
• Relationship

Let us look at an example:

KFC tried their hand at influencer marketing for the launch of their burger called Double down a burger, it collaborated with a few of the leading food bloggers in India such as the @delhifoodguide, @thehugrydungree, and @mumbaifoodie.

As part of the teaser campaign, the bloggers uploaded a normal post called ‘The secret burger’ asking their fans to take a guess on the name of the burger. After the reveal, the bloggers were invited to taste and review the taste of the new double down burger.

Followers already trust the celebrities whom they like and when they promote any product, customers get highly influenced and ultimately end up using that product.

And another important aspect is “People buy from people”. Through WOMM, people get inspired from other people to use a certain product. So, it’s quite clear now, why brands choose influencer marketing as a weapon to overcome marketing challenges. Influencer marketing helps marketers stay ahead of their competitors and authenticates their brands with the target audience, along with delivering higher returns on investment. With most marketers drawing exceptional results with influencer marketing, can anyone think of ignoring it? Definitely not. Influencer marketing is always going to be there — and continue to stay for a long time!

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Author: Kanika Madan
Editorial Team, NjM
Class of 2022, NMIMS Mumbai