What is an influencer

The influencer is a person who, indeed, influences public opinion.

They represent an important target for directing advertising messages, in order to accelerate their acceptance among a wider audience and are capable of significantly influencing the opinions and attitudes of others.

Possessing also a high degree of knowledge about certain products, so much so that their opinions can influence those of other consumers, guiding their choices.

With the rise of the internet, the figure of the influencer began to grow as well, thus creating the conditions to spread messages through word-of-mouth.

They are classified into:

• micro-influencers (up to 25,000 followers);
• macro-influencers (up to 100,000);
• mega-influencers (up to 500,000);
• celebrity (over 500,000). 

The strategy related to influencer marketing is divided into four main activities:

• Identification of influencers and their classification in order of importance.
• Marketing actions targeted at influencers to increase the company's awareness within the influencer community.
• Marketing actions through influencers to enhance the company's market knowledge
• Influencer marketing by making influencers ambassadors of the company.

But why should a company focus on influencer marketing?

Let's start by saying that an influencer serves the same role as a testimonial and achieves very important objectives:

• Trust: Breaks down the trust barrier of their followers thus facilitating the relationship between company and customers;
• Media: Amplifies the reach of social media by directing the message straight to its fans, allowing us to reach a portion of the audience that is already profiled and interested in the product;
• The company will have an authentic image, its communication will not be focused solely on the product but also on values and messages to be spread through influencer marketing.
• Content is created directly by influencers and generates conversations around the brand. The company thus has the opportunity to obtain quality material and content which are not perceived by users as fiction or advertising.

How does one become an influencer?

 Anyone can become an influencer but like all respectable occupations, certain requirements must be met:

• First and foremost, one must be very convincing and well-known to the public and especially to the web;
• Be able to give great visibility to news, videos, products, and services, be experts on a specific topic and have experience in a particular sector of the web;
• Start a personal blog and social profiles to increase the visibility of published posts;
• Share and create successful content;
• Participate in meetings and events;
• Select your niche and target audience.
• For anyone wanting to learn or simply specialize, there are many influencer training courses available with the goal of preparing an individual to perform this job professionally. 

Case studies:

There is a revealing case study concerning Amazon, a major online shopping site:

AMAZON AND INFLUENCER MARKETING: THE WINNING TEAM FOR LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT LINE:

The BRAND OKBABY® is a company specialized in the production and marketing of products for early childhood. The main sales channel is represented by distributors and specialized stores in the sector, combined with direct sales through influencers.

The objectives of the campaign are:

1. To give visibility to the product and start educating the target audience on its differentiating factor;
2. To initiate sales on Amazon to test the product in the market.

At the beginning of the campaign, 40 influencers were chosen to sponsor these products. Each of the 40 selected received an operational brief with instructions that regulated the collaboration.

The publication consisted of posts and Instagram stories, with the obligation to include a specific call to action: purchasing the product on Amazon, taking advantage of an offer created specifically for the influencer.