It’s a good time to be in the influencer marketing business in 2018.

Marketing is fluid and trends come and go rapidly, so it’s easy to see why marketers are investing in influential figures as opposed to throwing money at traditional advertisement.

As social media platforms rise and evolve, how brands and companies keep up and stay relevant is more important than ever, especially given our multi facet, digital environment.  The number of influencer marketers has sustained growth over the last while, with approximately 3.5 billion global internet users currently using social networks. Today, people of all ages across all demographics use social media channels and never has it been so apparent than in today’s global society. Everywhere you look, be it on the street, on public transport, in schools, even the office, people are consumed and absorbed by social media. Who would have thought it would be acceptable to go for dinner with a loved one while each of you scroll aimlessly on your mobile devices, without barely uttering a single word to each other? Why? Well perhaps one of the main reasons is the rise of influencer marketing and the effect social media influencers have on people’s behaviour and mindset. 

​What is an Influencer?
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, an influencer is “an individual who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of his/her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his/her audience. It is important to point out that these people are not simply marketing tools, rather social relationship assets with which brands and companies can partner and collaborate with to achieve their objectives.  In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell discusses archetypes of people: mavens, connectors and salespeople. Influencers can be one or all three. They connect ideas and messages with a lot of people. This makes them attractive to brands to work with. It is a win/ win situation as brands and companies love influencers because they can create “noise” and encourage people to buy products they endorse. Of course, it is essential to have the right fit with influencer marketing and that its complimentary.
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How have Influencers come to be?
Due to the increase in power and influence of social media, and in the rise of blogging, it is now possible for literally anyone with a bit of enthusiasm and determination to gain online recognition, and for those at the top of their game, ‘recognition’ is a severe understatement. Most of the world’s top influencers are talking to audiences that many magazines, TV channels and companies could only dream of.  The fact that marketing influencers operate largely alone or as a single partnership, is the root of their charm. In the oversaturated advertising market, we, the public, crave a more authentic voice, a more trustworthy voice, one they feel they know on a personal level and can interact with.

When we think of a Social Media Influencer, what comes to mind?  Someone promoting a cosmetic brand?  A travel blogger?  A gym aficionado wearing your #latest Spring/Summer 2018 clothing range?  A cool 20+ year old eating in your restaurant, tweeting videos and vlogs?   A seasoned 40+year old, with a dedicated team of followers…giving a detailed description and critique of whatever they are trying out! 

The answer is yes to all of the above!  The common link to all varieties of Influencers, be it Irish Digital Influencers or international  bloggers, is that they have an established and dedicated following, they post what they do organically, across all social media platforms, with their own opinions and/ or act as ambassadors for a brand for which they are being paid.

The reason that followers will listen to them, is they respect their opinions.  A Social Media Influencer is a person who already has an established audience, whose opinions are considered and true.  For this reason, it is important to have a correct match for your brand. For centuries, the most valued method of marketing anything is word-of-mouth.  

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If someone told you that they could fast track your Brand to being successful overnight and take the hard work out of it for you to really win big, you would say fantastic... great, tell me more, I want to know everything about it and how? 

Let me introduce you to Digital Influencer Marketing the online modern-day version of traditional offline marketing. The real key to remember throughout this blog is that your Digital Brand is worth every ounce of investment, "DO NOT" get left behind and become complacent as a Brand.  Win big now and get your authentic and genuine story out there on a Social Influencer Marketing platform for instant global reach through specific Digital Influencer Marketing brand advocates that are the right fit for you.  Allow your Brand to gain increased trusted audiences online and establish digital online global long-term relationships with your consumers of your product and above all else stay true to your brand. 

​This blog will be divided into four areas that are most commonly questioned when Brands first approach our Agency DigiInfluencer for a consultation:
1.  Who are Influencers. 
2. How does Influencer Marketing work.
3. Finding the right Influencer fit for your brand.
4. Success stories on the back of Influencer Marketing.