Instagram and the Power of Social Media Influencers

In the current digital landscape, social media is as important as having a website. In fact, in 2018 the number of people using the internet has surpassed the four billion mark, which means that over half the world’s population regularly involve themselves in the online conversation in one way or another.

Only two months ago, Instagram alone hit one billion monthly active users – showing how big of a powerhouse it is in regards to other social media applications out there.

Over 80% of users follow a business on Instagram according to the company themselves, and as of March last year, over 120 million Instagram users visited a website, got directions or contacted a business via their Instagram page. With such a large following, it’s no surprise that Instagram is the number one preferred social platform for influencers across a range of sectors. According to Hootsuite, a whopping 78% of influencers identify Instagram as being their top platform for collaborating with brands.

How Social Media Influencers and Instagram Work so Well

Marketers are using Instagram more and more due to it’s visual storytelling, mobile ease of access and community-focused nature.

By teaming up with influencers, marketers can also place content right at a consumers fingertips. What’s more, having ambassadors for your brand can be viewed as a more authentic and approachable way to share content.

As an example, ASOS assembled a team of ambassadors that showed off their goods in their own way, in their own time and on their own pages that were transparently linked back to ASOS.

This allows a consumer to connect with the influencer or ambassador and the content they’re making, whilst also connecting with your brand indirectly. There’s no obvious sales message which could cause followers to switch off, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Users are exposed to authentic content which is often engaging, topical and fresh.

It’s certainly worthwhile searching across both branded hashtags and related hashtags – you may find a fan of the industry you provide products or services in, or even a fan of your specific product with a relatively large online following. Ensuring their content appeals to you is also important.

What does the future hold for influencer marketing on Instagram?

Influencer marketing has grown at a rapid pace in recent years, not just on Instagram but also on other platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and within the blogging community. Whilst some believe it to be a passing trend, it seems the opposite is actually true. Instagram influencers in particular can benefit from big financial rewards by developing relationships with brands and this alone has resulted in more people striving to take part in the business venture.

For brands and businesses that team up with influencers, the benefits are also very juicy. Not only is it a quick and efficient route for reaching target audiences, but it also helps with brand awareness and can strengthen your brands positioning strategy within a given market. Offering highly targeted exposure and the opportunity to even go viral, influencer marketing can bring with it a positive ROI.

One thing to note is that influencers can come from far and wide. For example, some of the key influencers of 2018 range from the reality queens the Kardashian’s, to National Geographic Travel. The key thing to note is that you don’t have to be a huge brand or business to engage with influencers, even smaller businesses can reap the benefits, it just takes some time to research and connect with the right people and on the right platforms to ensure that you add value to your marketing efforts. You never know, there could be someone in your local area who is just waiting to be discovered!

Struggling with Social Media? We can help.

At Netbiz Group, we have a passion for all things social media related and we understand that sometimes businesses are so busy that they struggle to share regular updates or follow up with interactions online, never mind researching and working with influencers.

If you’d like help with your social media management, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!