Influencer or advocacy marketing?

Have you ever wondered if the decisions you make are your own, personal choice or maybe you’ve been influenced by someone or something? We all live in the world full of information that comes to us from different sources and they stay in subconsciousness, which later has an impact on what we think or do. Marketers know it perfectly and that is why influencer marketing has a great popularity in the social media world.

What influencer marketing actually is?

For a better explanation of the term, it’s good to know the original meaning of the verb “to influence”:

1. the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others:
2. the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others
3. a person or thing that exerts influence

Therefore, in marketing reality “influencer marketing” is nothing else, but using popularity, reliability, and outreach of people to promote your brand/product.Obviously, the easiest way for promotion is using the popularity of someone who is already well known. That is why celebrities, showbusiness stars or sports idols are a perfect example.However, nowadays bloggers or so-called “Instagrammers” may also have a big impact on people – especially those who spend a lot of time in social media.

Who employs influencer marketers?

According to the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association, brands are mentioned 3.3 billion times every day in America. People talk about everything from snack foods to industrial machinery. Any business, regardless of the industry they are in, can benefit from creating a conversation around their products. source: http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/influencer-marketing.html#link1This kind of brand promotion might be beneficial both for big and small companies.If you have a small business, it’s better to cooperate with a local influencer. Not only the costs are lower but also probably the niche that you want to get to is more related to local people.Big companies should rather think of the whole strategy of collaboration with an influencer. In this case, it’s recommended to think of each action that is made by the influencer. The form of promotion may be very different – usual recommendation post or a “give away” of the product.

What is influencer marketing not?

It’s very important to emphasize that influencer marketing is not just finding a celebrity and paying him/her money to promote your product. Good influencers are usually people who spent time building their own brand and gaining people’s trust by doing something. That is why it’s important to choose adequate influencer for a specific niche.

Is influencer marketing useful for developing your brand?

Usual promotion of a brand on social media is OK, but sometimes not enough. Internet users are sick and tired of usual advert that attacks them basically everywhere. Instead, they need the real contact and authority of someone they aspire to be like. That is why influencer marketing is such a powerful tool in marketing.If you want to learn more about influencer marketing, we recommend to watch this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=171&v=yiJX4LIQFo8Additionally, if you are thinking about starting cooperation with some influencers, before you do so, check out this website: https://www.veloceinternational.com/category/influencer-marketing/Here you will find an answer to questions like:Why Your Brand Needs to Consider Instagram Influencer MarketingHow to use Influencer Marketing to Market Your WebsiteWhy Influencer Marketing Is the New King of Content (Infographic)And many others in these topics.

Case Study

Let's have a look at the real example.Tailopez describes himself in his "bio" like this: ????I give away cash, cars, & laptops. 475 winners so far: 10 cars, 465 cash & electronics. Investor/Philanthropist/Mensa Read 1 book/day 8M TedX Click????tailopez.com/investmoneyWhat does he do?He works with over 20 multi-million dollar businesses as an investor, partner, consultant, and advisor trying to motivate people towards financial success.Tai Lopez created a Business Mentorship program to act as an alternative form of self-learning for those wanting to discover what is taught in business courses without going through a university degree.With 2,8 million followers he might be a beneficial influencer for companies that are trying to reach businessman/entrepreneur group. Well...he did his job to promote himself as a brand, so now he can easly draw the blinds.

What is the difference between advocacy and influencer marketing?

Maybe some of you have already heard a term ADVOCACY MARKETING. At first it seems similar to influencer marketing, but in reality is not.Advocate marketing (or advocacy marketing) is the process of harnessing the voices and experiences of your company’s customers to power your marketing and engagement strategies.Here’s the less jargon-y version: advocate marketing is a system for making customers happy, and then capitalizing on that happiness to achieve your business’ goals. It’s more authentic than traditional marketing because it’s powered by real human connections.Source: https://influitive.com/blog/what-is-advocate-marketing-plus-7-advocacy-faqs/In other words, no matter what kind of services you offer, consumers are usually forming their opinion about the brand observing others. If you put an effort to satisfy them, later you will see the results. That is what ADVOCACY MARKETING actually is.Summarizing, to convince your clients to buy/use your product, first, you need to have a reliable source to present it in a good light. That is when Influencer marketing plays the main role. What comes next is to retain your customer and this you may achieve through reliable ADVOCACY MARKETING.

Good luck!