Have you ever bought something because it was recommended by someone else? Was it someone online who had written a glowing review? Perhaps it was a respected figure whose article shed a positive light on the product or service in question. The scenario we have just outlined is what happens on millions of occasions every day online, and such is its impact that it has been given a name, influencer marketing.
Before we go any further, we must clarify that influencer marketing is not the same as movie stars or sports heroes promoting products on TV. That is advertising. Instead, influencer marketing is mostly content-driven. In other words, the content written by influencers is what persuades people to act in a certain way, including purchasing products, but that content is not an out and out advert screaming “Buy This!”.
The question this raises is “Why would a business use influencer marketing instead of simply have a celebrity endorse or advertise their product?” The simple answer is the return on investment from influencer marketing is over 10 times that of traditional advertising. Also, there is fly in the ointment of the modern consumer having barriers up to persuasion when most adverts appear on TV.
So, if a business wants to take advantage of influencer marketing, it first needs to find the influencers creating the content. That is where influencer software becomes a business’s best friend. It is often called an influencer marketplace or influencer network but more commonly it is referred to as an influencer marketing platform. It is what allows a business to research, find, and connect with influencers, and subsequently set up influencer campaigns. Here are our Top 5.
Upfluence
Upfluence is two marketing tools in one. The first component is Reachr which allows companies and brands to find the influencers that will be creating the content. Their database covers over 200 business sectors, and you can search using 50 filters to ensure you find the match most suitable.