Which recommendation are you more likely to follow, one from a brand representative or one a respected thought leader?
Sorry brand reps, the answer is the thought leader.
Recommendations from a third party are inherently more reliable. Unlike brands, thought leaders, or influencers, can choose the products they endorse and pick the best ones they truly believe are the best for the job.
Not to mention, users follow influencers because they admire them or respect their opinions. It makes perfect sense that they would use influencers as a source for product reviews and recommendations.
All hope is not lost for brands, however. Influencer marketing is the practice of connecting brands with the right thought leaders and using their clout to drive campaign objectives. It’s also the topic of this week’s infographic from Influencer Marketing Hub.
A few interesting figures from the infographic include:
- There are 230 new platforms and influencer marketing-focused agencies in the last 24 months
- In 2018, there were 24.2 million brand sponsored influencer posts
- Influencers with less than 1,000 followers had the best engagement rate at 1.5%
Let us know what you think:
- Have you tried influencer marketing?
- Which social networks have the most important influencers for your company?
- In your experience, what other marketing channels are similar to influencer marketing?
