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I'm sure that by now you are all familiar with the term 'influencer'. We see them all over social media (especially Instagram). For those of you who may not be familiar with this social phenomenon, influencers are people who have developed their credibility through building an engaged and authentic digital following of varying degrees in terms of size. This gives them greater powers of persuasion, in particular, the potential to influence the purchasing decisions of their audiences.
Personally speaking, I've always been a huge fan of independent, unbiased opinion. If we look at fashion, for example, there was a time when it was the realm of industry insiders only. Then along came the likes of Susie Bubble, Liberty London Girl, Disney Roller Girl and Bryan Boy. The result was that fashion commentary became more democratic with the introduction of the opinions of real people. It was these early adopters who blazed a trail for all of the people that we see on our feeds today. I followed their blogs religiously and even interviewed some of them for my own blog many moons ago. I can still remember how excited I was when Navaz Baltiwalla agreed to answer a few questions despite being crazy busy.
Fast forward to 2017 and being an influencer is now a full-time job. People have made successful careers out of building audiences via their social channels. Chiara Farragni (The Blonde Salad) has built an empire, which consists of her own accessory line alongside appearing on the covers of various fashion publications. For me, the fact that these digital stars are also appearing in printed titles is indicative of the position of power that they now hold, but that's a conversation for another article.
Having thousands/millions of followers now brings with it financial benefits as well as other perks. What I find most interesting is that 'influencing others', is something that human beings have been doing for many years. The difference is that now, it has been amplified by social networking platforms. Many assume that the business of influencing is a purely a numbers game. The more followers you have, the more people you can potentially bring round to your way of thinking. However, while the above argument has merit, I believe that we all have the power to influence and convert our followers into advocates and consumers.
Let's take my Instagram account/activity as an example. My following is under 2,000 so I would be classed as a micro-influencer (someone with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers). However, there have been several occasions where my followers have made purchases based on what I have posted (H&M dresses in particular which I have an unhealthy obsession with). I believe that the power to persuade others is not just about numbers but the authenticity of your message. Now don't get me wrong, having a big following is a great asset but it is not the only factor to take into consideration. My followers know that I love dresses so when I post about my latest purchase, they know that it is genuine which makes the recommendation authentic.
There is now a growing trend whereby brands are working with micro-influencers who often have positive results in terms of engagement and conversion. I think that this is a very smart move and one that will hopefully continue. Approaching your influencer marketing in this way should make you realize that everybody has the potential to be an influencer. If you have a customer who loves your brand and always talks about it on their social channels but only has 500 followers, don't disregard them. They are already an advocate so that's the hard part done. What you should do (provided that they are the right fit for your brand) is monitor their activity, make contact and start to build a relationship with them. They may only have 500 followers today but they could grow to five million or more in the future.
When thinking about your influencer marketing strategy, visualize it as layers, with each one catering to your various objectives. Don't assume it's a one size fits all scenario. Different influencers will add different types of value to what you are trying to achieve. If it's pure amplification that you are looking for, then it may make sense to work with a big influencer or a group of medium-sized influencers. For engagement/conversion, it might be an idea to enlist the services of micro-influencers. That's not to say that the different groups of influencers won't work across all objectives but it is important to work smart and not put all of your eggs and budget in one basket. It's about achieving the dissemination of your message at the right time across the right/relevant channels. Take the time to do your research and ascertain which influencers will work best for what you are trying to achieve. There are also agencies that now represent these digital tastemakers and can guide you through this process.
My advice to brands is to approach your influencer marketing strategy with an open mind and explore all appropriate possibilities. Remember that social media was embraced by everyday people long before businesses decided to come to the table. Regardless of the size of their audience, influencers are socially savvy and their voices carries weight both individually and as a collective. Coupled with the fact that the world is currently living through very disruptive times which are also being played out on the social media stage, brands are having to radically rethink their approach when it comes to the art of communication. The balance of power has well and truly shifted. The reality is that ignoring this will prove detrimental in the long run, leading to the demise of brands who fail to be relevant in the eyes and minds of their audiences.
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Lisa Maynard-Atem is a social media manager at Harrods and founder of Founder and Owner of STYLISA, a fashion and branding consultancy.
