iN tHE Past , celebrity product endorsements were an integral part of any major company ’ s marketing budget . now , consumers are craving authenticity in the marketing messages they see . They want advice from a relatable , friendlike figure whom they can trust . as a result , we ’ ve entered the age of the influencer . in 2016 , over 150 marketers from a range of industries including media , retailers and Cpgs participated in linqia ’ s The State of Influencer Marketing Survey . The survey discovered that 94 percent of companies who utilized influencer marketing believed that their campaigns were effective , resulting in the expectation that influencer marketing budgets will double over the course of 2017 . a similar study from Tapinfluence and nielsen Catalina Solutions revealed that influencer content delivered a return on investment that was 11 times higher than traditional forms of digital marketing . finally , a study produced by Twitter states that 49 percent of users rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchase decisions .
so Who are influencers ? TapInfluence defines an influencer as “ a real , relatable person who has attracted a loyal following on their blog or social media channels ” and draws a clear distinction between traditional celebrities and influencers , who are found across social media platforms but primarily function through personal blogs , Instagram and YouTube .
Regine Berthelot , Treatment Manager at Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa in New York City , says that influencers provide the opportunity for a brand to cultivate a genuine relationship . “ If there is a connection , they will continue to support the brand organically as they continue to expand their reach ,” adds Berthelot .
Why Work with influencers ? Influencers bring several valuable factors to the table when collaborating with brands , making a partnership a great way to promote your brand without an explicit sales push . First , influencers have extremely engaged audiences . Because of the accessibility influencers provide through their blogs and social media channels , audiences connect with them on a personal level .
“ We ’ ve seen great engagement and organic growth on our social media channels as a result of our work with influencers ,” says Brad Packer , director of public relations for the Four Seasons Bora Bora . “ Their fans and followers tend to be very loyal and a third-party endorsement shown in an experiential and personal way has great value to building our exposure and the incremental business that comes from it .”
“ we ’ ve seen great engagement and organic growth on our social media channels as a result of our work with influencers . their fans and followers tend to be very loyal and a third-party endorsement shown in an experiential and personal way has great value to building our exposure .” the four seasons bora bora uses influencers to showcase the property in an organic way .
— brad PacKEr , director of Public Relations , Four Seasons bora bora
September 2017 ■ PULSE 49