Its significant growth underscores its potential but may not suit every e-commerce business.

Let’s take a look at why…

The Reality of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has proven effective, especially among younger audiences.

Statistics show that half of millennials and a third of Gen Z have been influenced in their purchasing decisions by influencer recommendations.

Collaborating with influencers can also lessen the content creation load for businesses by shifting it to the influencers, allowing for broader content dissemination across various social media platforms.

However, measuring the return on investment (ROI) from influencer marketing can be challenging.

Choosing the Right Influencer to Drive E-Commerce

When selecting an influencer, it’s essential to consider more than just their follower count.

Engagement rate is a crucial metric to assess an influencer’s effectiveness, especially for e-commerce brands.

In 2022, macro-influencers on Instagram had an average engagement rate of 1.06%, while micro-influencers saw rates around 4.84%.

This means that a more significant following doesn’t always equate to higher engagement.

Keep that in mind when selecting influencers for your campaign.

Influencer Seeding

A long-used strategy for influencer marketing is influencer seeding, where products are sent to influencers without formal agreements.

This approach can foster authenticity and lay the groundwork for a more structured relationship later.

But it’s also a strategy that’s losing traction.

Back in 2008, I used this method to enroll influencers into my campaigns all the time, but in 2023, influencers are more savvy and usually want more compensation.

Also, something to consider is what the product is that you wish to seed with them. How much is it worth?

Most influencers will likely pass if it’s an inexpensive item, like lipstick.

However, if it’s a laptop computer, you will probably still find influencers willing to work with you.

The upshot is that it’s relative.

Evaluating the Fit for Influencer Marketing and E-Commerce

Before engaging in influencer marketing to drive e-commerce, businesses should assess whether their product aligns with this marketing approach – working with influencers.

Products that are truly innovative or unique may benefit more from influencer promotion.

Businesses should also clearly understand their target audience and niche before pursuing influencer collaborations, which I have discussed at length here at The Influence Marketer.

Conclusion

To develop a successful influencer campaign, businesses should select influencers who align with their target audience, maintain good engagement rates, and are suitable for promoting the product.

By doing so, businesses will run effective campaigns with a more substantial ROI and see more success working with influencers.

Got a question? Pop it into the comments below.

The post Influencer Marketing: A Tactical Approach for E-commerce appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

And if you choose to collaborate with an influencer, your ads resonate even more powerfully with your target audience.

But either way, there are important points you should know about Instagram stories so you can create engaging content that stands out from your competitors.

Here they are…

Choose influencers who always post high-quality stories

If you plan to collaborate with an influencer, this part is important. If not, skip down to the next point.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when launching a sponsored Instagram story collaboration with an influencer is:

Are they a good fit for you?

How do you do this?

Simple…

First, make sure your influencers reach that ideal audience you want to reach.

Next, the influencer you choose to promote your products and services should have experience in posting high-quality stories regularly.

Some influencers don’t rely on Instagram story ads, so it is important to cut them off your list of possible collaboration.

They are more likely to produce lower quality work that doesn’t fit your brand or target audience because they aren’t familiar with it.

Create ads in a video format

When browsing social media, our attention span is short and we tend to not linger too long on a single post.

Incorporating videos in your stories is a great way to ensure a quick attention grab for your followers.

Also, you should know that videos hold people’s attention up to 5 times longer than still photos, according to Stacy Mathews, a seasoned marketer at Australian Help and Paper Fellows.

So, create your ad in a video format to grab their attention quickly.

Keep your message short and to the point

To create an Instagram story ad that can really persuade the public, include a short message that is easy to read and quickly captivates the reader.

With a short attention span, people will most likely swipe right past your story if they realize it is an ad – and you don’t want that.

That’s why including a punchy message ensures they will focus on your story for a few split seconds and capture their attention.

Always include your brand logo

For those whose aim is to improve awareness of their brand, including your logo in your story is essential.

Meredith Grace, a business blogger at Boom Essays and State of Writing, says that including your brand logo in your story ensures reaching out to a wider audience than just your followers.

Usually, your sponsored stories are viewed by both followers and the target audience which you select when you are setting up your campaign.

For people who have never heard about your products, seeing your logo helps them get accustomed to your brand and recognize more readily in the future.

Adhere to the Instagram page aesthetic

The most successful Instagram story ads are usually the ones that stay true to a brand’s identity and aesthetic.

That means following a certain layout in your stories, or a certain color palette associated with your brand or Instagram page, even using catchy photos and illustrations that you know are directly reflecting what it is you are trying to promote.

Using the same aesthetic on your story ads makes sure to keep your audience engaged, and also helps attract attention and increase brand recognition.

Besides the images you use, you should also think about the typography: The font and colors you use for writing your message.

Why? Because some fonts are associated with certain business verticals.

For example, cursive fonts are more likely to be used for ads promoting artistic businesses.

Be sure you understand what the font conveys and that it matches your business and brand.

Add music to your Instagram ads

According to Instagram, about 60% of Instagram stories worldwide are viewed with the sound on.

Let’s face it – THAT is an important statistic to note.

Naturally, take advantage of that in order to make sure your message stands out.

Including either a voice over or a song snippet into your stories will make them more engaging to people.

So, ensure your ads perform better by following these simple guidelines.

Making sure you create engaging content will also help you reach a much wider audience, and increase your business.

Molly Crockett is a successful marketing writer for Ukwritings.com and Essayroo.com. She loves sharing her unique lifestyle tips and personal development advice with her audience. She also writes for the Academized.com writing service blog.

The post What Everybody Ought to Know About Creating Instagram Ads appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

The difference is that now there are actors, writers, bloggers, YouTubers, and yes, even social media stars, who use the label, “influencer” as a term to describe their function.

It’s quickly becoming a core marketing strategy for major players all around the globe and showing no signs of slowing down.

But with a term so widely used and broadly defined, it’s got a lot of people scratching their heads wondering, “What exactly is influencer marketing?” “How does it work?” and “Who is using it?”

We’ve got the answers to all those questions and more, but let’s start at the beginning.

What does “influential” mean?

Influence is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as, “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.”

Hmm, not quite the specific answer you were looking for is it?

To put it into a modern context, influence is the power that people and ads have and use to convince us to click on a link, subscribe to a video or email list, or make a purchase in a store or online.

Here are a few examples:

• If an ad is influential it means it’s engaging and it has great power to convince others to buy whatever is being advertised.
• When influential people speak, others listen and follow their advice.
• An influential moment has the power to alter the course of your afternoon, week, or even the rest of your life.

And one more to really drive it home:

Think back to your teenage years. Remember when your parents told you to stop hanging around with someone because they were a “bad influence?” For better or for worse, your parents recognized that person’s power to convince you to do something…which just so happened to be the kind of behavior your folks didn’t approve of.

To sum it up, “influential” is the word that we use to describe someone or something that has the power to change us. Influential people and advertising campaigns have been important tools used in business, politics, and much more for a long time, and that’s not likely to change any time soon.

When did influencer marketing start?

Influencers are not new. In fact, some of the first influencers can be traced back to the early 20th century.

In the early 1900s, brands in various markets created personas to appeal to consumers emotionally. Think Tony the Tiger, Kool-Aid Man, and Santa Claus (yes, the chubby, jolly symbol of Christmas in the form we all know and love today is, in fact, an illustration for an ad that was launched by Coca Cola, but that’s a story for another time).

Back then, no one used the term “influencer” to describe these characters, but they worked the same way. By generating the image of an illusory third party sampling a brand of product, the brand increased the likelihood that consumers would relate to and sympathize with them.

Sound familiar?

Fast forward to today and we no longer have to generate personas. The personas already exist on social media.

Now it’s just a matter of choosing the right one to represent your brand.

How does influencer marketing work?

Influencer marketing works by implementing business tactics that are key ingredients in any successful marketing campaign.

The first of these tactics is word-of-mouth marketing.

Word-of-mouth Marketing

You see word-of-mouth marketing all over the place.

Every time you’re encouraged to rate an app or rideshare driver, or review your hotel or homestay experience, you are being invited to participate in a company’s word-of-mouth marketing strategy.

Brands know that people trust the opinions of those close to them and so they encourage us to provide our opinions.

Now imagine if you were a business that could earn a five-star review from someone with hundreds of thousands of loyal fans and voila, you’re imagining an influencer.

Another strategy influencer marketing leverages is something called social proof, which is a form of word-of-mouth marketing that engages many people instead of just a few.

Social Proof

These are the success stories and testimonials you read at the bottom of a brand’s webpage that talk about how their product contributed to the happiness and wellbeing of themselves and others.

While some forms of social proof like Facebook reviews, for example, rely on the power of many reviews (crowd proof) to sway public opinion, influencer marketing instead shifts the power focus to one very prominent review.

Especially if the influencer is a respected figure in that brand’s industry, it can mean huge rewards for the company.

Word-of-mouth marketing and social proof are critical aspects of any successful marketing strategy. The reason they are so prominent in influencer marketing is that the value of these tactics is maximized through the brand’s use of an illusory third-party.

Customers trust their peers, friends, and idols more than a big company, so they’re much more likely to purchase a product or service promoted by someone they respect and look up to rather than the company directly.

What is an Instagram influencer?

Influencer marketing has taken many shapes over the years and one form of it that many people are talking about today is the Instagram influencer.

Instagram influencers are users with established credibility and audience who can successfully persuade others to purchase products or services using their personal authenticity and fan loyalty.

Instagram influencers may have unique backgrounds and business strategies, but they all essentially do the same thing: use their influence to sell products or services on Instagram.

We can break Instagram influencers down into two main groups.

Group 1: These influencers earned their fame using the platform, gaining followers over time by producing attractive and engaging content. Now they use the loyalty of their hard-earned fans and followers to promote products and services on their feed. These influencers tend to stick to their loyal fanbase on Instagram, rarely appearing in television or print ads.

Group 2: These influencers were already famous and they bring their preexisting celebrity as well as all of their fans with them to Instagram. They also persuade their audience to purchase goods and services, but they have a bit more agency. You’ll likely see ads from these influencers on television and in magazines as well as other online platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Is influencer marketing effective?

According to the results from this 2019 Influencer Marketing Survey, 80% of marketers responded that they found influencer marketing effective in 2018 while 89% of those polled said their return on investment (ROI) from influencer marketing was comparable to or better than other marketing channels.

Nearly two-thirds of marketers increased their influencer marketing budgets in 2019 and 17% of companies planned to spend over half their marketing budget on influencer marketing alone.

And that’s not all. According to this 2019 Influencer Marketing Report, Influencer marketing is practiced by over 93% of marketers and is predicted to be a $10 billion industry by the end of 2020.

When to use influencer marketing

If you’ve been watching the numbers and are considering joining the ever-growing percentage of marketing agencies and departments around the world by leveraging influencer marketing, you already know that timing is everything.

So when is the best time to incorporate influencer marketing in your business strategy?

The short answer: now. As you’ve seen in the stats listed above, more and more people are jumping on the influencer bandwagon now. As is the case with anything new, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes difficult to stand out.

Companies are becoming increasingly outspoken about social justice issues and supporting various causes in their communities and around the world.

Standing with a cause and responding to this generation’s growing list of concerns is one way to attract and maintain a loyal audience.

Authenticity is everything with today’s consumers and you can show them you care about their concerns by paying attention to what’s going on around the world and responding accordingly.

These communities are already full of influential figures and speakers, so it’s a great way to find an influencer while supporting a cause that you care about.

Companies that use influencer marketing

As we’ve outlined above, nearly everyone is using influencer marketing to some degree but some are doing it better than others. As we prepare to take on the rest of 2020, here are some of our favorite examples from 2019.

Gillette

The popular razor brand has a knack for putting out ads that tug at heartstrings and their Christmas gift-giving campaign of December 2019 was no exception. 

Gillette launched a personalized razor to bring attention to their subscription-style razor service that was launched to compete with other successful shave subscription companies like Henry’s and Dollar Shave Club.

They partnered with major players like the NFL and NASCAR to allow their customers to upload images or text online to be included on the razor’s handle when they order.

To get people excited about the new feature, Gillette tapped influencers to target men and women alike, featuring photos and videos of women wrapping up gifts and dads shaving with their sons. Gillette targeted a wide range of influencers in its campaign, with gift-giving as the primary theme.

Warby Parker

The popular online glasses store is valued at over $2 billion dollars and the company openly attributes much of its success to its social media influencers on Instagram and Youtube. 

“Wearing Warby” is Warby Parker’s page dedicated to its influencer customers displaying them in their native environments to advertise everyday essential eyewear.

The influencer team has grown from only seven in 2018 to sixteen unique and interesting personalities, ranging from food bloggers to stand up comedians.

The #WearingWarby series is designed to highlight special individuals who use their eyewear to accomplish amazing feats.

Dyson

The vacuum brand has targeted dog owners in the past and they’re no stranger to the thriving canine community on Instagram.

Viral cat videos are a natural fit for a brand that markets its products as capable of tackling heavy-duty jobs, including pet fur removal as well as other, less lovable animal-induced messes that are an inevitable part of pet parenthood.

Many companies are beginning to target pet and pet owner accounts as a part of their influencer marketing campaigns. Sponsored posts using the tags #dysonpets and #dysonv10 targeted almost 1.3 million Instagram users and scored a combined total of 115,176 likes, 1,935 comments and an average engagement rate of nearly 11%.

TikTok

We rarely talk about the platforms that are used to launch influencers to fame because we often see them as a promotional means to an end, but TikTok is a hard platform to ignore. Interpreted by many to be the replacement of Millenials’ and Gen Z’s lost-but-never-forgotten video app, Vine, TikTok is making waves as an influencer marketing tool.

TikTok’s #SavorTheFlavor Hashtag Challenge was a collaboration with Instagram to encourage users on the up and coming app to become viral food creators! TikTok encouraged its users to upload “food adventures” transforming ordinary foods into oh-so-satisfying video experiences. Videos with the hashtag have racked up nearly 250 million views and the whole thing was started by influencer campaigns.

What are influencer campaigns?

An influencer campaign is essentially an agreement between an influencer and the brand that they’re promoting.

The brand and promoter discuss details such as pay, type of promotion, and the beginning and end date for the campaign.

Most influencers are paid before the start of a marketing campaign, and others are paid on a percentage-based commission basis after it ends.

The compensation varies according to the influencer’s reach, the type of endorsement, and the success of the campaign (how many people buy, click, subscribe, etc.).

Top-tier influencers and celebrities have received a six or seven-figure fee for a single post while micro-influencers (influencers with 500 to 10,000 followers) may accept payment in the form of free goods or services.

Influencers vs Affiliates

Influencers help brands connect to their audience by joining their marketing team as an industry leader.

As an important figure in their industry, a consumer is more likely to buy a product or sign up for a service because your brand is recommended by a trusted name in that community.

Affiliate marketing has been around as long as e-commerce itself, but it offers something different than influencer marketing.

Affiliates are essentially entrepreneurs who take the opportunity to invest in a product that a larger, more established business has already created in return for a percentage of the profits.

Why influencer marketing works

Influencer marketing works because people trust influencers. In the world of business and sales, everything is a negotiation and consumers refuse to negotiate with a person or a deal they can’t trust.

Those with experience selling products and services know that pricing plays a large role in this. Set the price too high and you miss out on sales to those who can’t afford what they deem to be a luxury item.

Set the price too low and people will think you’re selling a cheap or irresponsibly-produced product

The role of the influencer in this negotiation is to be the one who says to the uncertain consumer, “I’m an expert when it comes to this stuff and I am happy with my purchase.”

As the use of social media only continues to grow, we’re seeing more and more of these trusted third parties we call influencers, ranging from industry experts and academics to pro skaters and drag queens.

The post 10 FAQs about Influencer Marketing appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

In today’s fast-paced society, social media is an influential marketing tool.

But many businesses, including your competitors, already have well-established social media business accounts working for them. So, how do you cut through the echo chamber of an overcrowded cyberspace and select the best social media for business?

Choosing the right platform for your brand

If your business is already present on social media, chances are you can improve your engagement.

Just having an account is not enough to make any noticeable difference. A social media presence is not a cure-all to your financial woes either. Just like any other lucrative marketing plan, social media for business requires time and a well-thought-out strategy if you want results.

Different platforms require different plans of attack, however, so a good place to start is to determine how you plan on using social media for business.

To do this, we recommend you ask yourself these questions about your company:

What does my company do?

Does your company specialize in business-to-business sales?

Do you sell direct to customers. Do you have products products for sale or do you offer services? These are some important questions to consider early on because the answers will help you determine which platform is best suited to your needs.

B2B companies should look into LinkedIn as an avenue for their digital marketing strategy.

LinkedIn’s primary purpose is to serve as a platform for networking and expanding business contacts after all, so there are likely many potential clients searching LinkedIn pages for a business service like yours. It’s also a great way to stay up to date on news about what’s happening within your industry.

Follow industry leaders, join relevant groups, and even add to the conversation with your own content. If you’re struggling to get your message across on limiting platforms like Twitter and Instagram, LinkedIn is a great place for long-form content.

B2C businesses benefit from social media platforms that grant you and your business direct access to customers and Facebook is a prime example.

Countless consumers rely on Facebook’s business pages for information like opening hours, promotions and sales, and recent product updates. This is because Facebook is so much easier (and cheaper) to keep up to date than most company websites, especially if your website is managed by someone else.

Facebook stories and Facebook live features allow you access to your entire following at once and it puts your content right at the top of their news feed. If you can get the Facebook community talking positively about your products in the reviews section, the sky’s the limit.

Companies offering products focusing on outward appearance or products that would pair well with engaging photography and video such as food (groceries, kitchen tools and utensils, appliances) or beauty products (skincare, makeup, fashion and apparel), Instagram should be at the top of your list with YouTube and Facebook close behind.

Who am I talking to?

What is your target audience?

If you implement a shotgun-effect social media strategy, you’re doing it wrong. If your posts aren’t resonating with your audience, they’re not doing you any good and can even hurt your social media marketing campaign.

Some platforms like Facebook and Instagram even have algorithms that “punish” you for publishing sponsored content their users flag as irrelevant or repetitive.

The beauty of social media for business is that many platforms have target audiences of their own, so the first step in narrowing your search is simply choosing the right platform.

For example, Snapchat attracts users primarily aged 13 to 29 with a whopping 53% of mobile phone users downloading and using the app. YouTube and Instagram are the two most popular photo and video sharing networks among U.S. teens.

The most common mistake that businesses make on social media is posting content for themselves.

Let’s face it: nobody likes being on the outside of an inside joke.

If you want your audience to pick up the phone or convert on an online purchase, you have to make them feel included. That means posting content for your audience, not for you.

What are your audience’s interests? What do they need? How much do they earn? Where do they live? These are just a few of the questions you and your marketing team should consider before launching a social media marketing strategy or campaign.

Especially if your next social media campaign is going to include paid content, you want to make sure your content is connecting you to the right people.

What do I want social media to do for my business?

Lastly, if you’re choosing to implement social media to achieve your marketing goals, you should reexamine what those goals are and how you envision it helping you to achieve them.

Each business has unique marketing goals. Maybe you just want to increase your following on a certain platform to compete with other businesses in your industry. Other companies might be interested in using social media to build brand authenticity and connect with their audience.

Can you achieve more than one goal with social media? Yes, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Try running different campaigns, each with unique goals on various platforms and see what takes off.

With a majority of platforms providing both users and businesses with insights regarding who interacted with their content and when, it’s never been easier to monitor your engagement.

You never know who will be drawn to your photos, videos, or posts so be sure to test the water before jumping in!

Which are the best Social Media Platforms For Business?

Facebook and Facebook Messenger

Facebook is at the top of the list because it has nearly 1.2 billion users. It’s free to set up an account and paid posts are much cheaper than other traditional avenues of advertising such as print, TV, and even radio ads. Not to mention, it’s way easier to target your audience with all kinds of helpful location and demographics information.

It’s also one of the few platforms that is used across all devices, so you’re not limited to just desktop or mobile users.

Facebook Messenger is a useful tool for building a community around your business. In addition to a business page, you can use Messenger to create group chats where you can get out information immediately, reward loyal customers, announce promotions or new products, etc.

Instagram

Right behind Facebook is Instagram with 500 million active daily users. Instagram is a great platform for businesses of all sizes, especially small businesses. It allows users the opportunity to be more creative than other platforms, giving you the opportunity to really strengthen your brand.

People retain 80 percent of what they see and only 20 percent of what they read, which means an attractive and on-brand post on your company’s business page could mean some serious business for you.

Don’t have time to put together a branded post every day? No worries. You can stay relevant by posting low-pressure daily updates to your story, which also allows you crosspost to your Facebook page if you choose.

Pinterest

Every day, nearly 2 million people save product-related pins to their personal boards. This means no matter what your business is, chances are your target audience is searching for it on Pinterest.

For many consumers, Pinterest is one of the stops on their way to making a purchase, with 87% of Pinterest users admitting they’ve purchased something they’ve seen on Pinterest.

Like Instagram and other visually-engaging platforms, this is a great platform for rolling out your branding online.

YouTube

Youtube is the second most popular search engine in the world with a staggering 2 billion users and 5 billion videos watched every single day.

Video has the power to cater to the viewer’s emotions in a way that words and even images can’t even come close to. Not to mention, approximately 72 percent of customers report that they would rather learn about a product or service by way of video compared to text or infographics.

With the added option for your audience to subscribe to your channel, you can quickly grow an eager audience that will be notified each time you upload a new video.

LinkedIn

The reason LinkedIn is an important network for your business is that it attracts an audience that is serious about making meaningful connections.

Businesses on LinkedIn are less concerned with their following and focused on communicating, collaborating, and making business happen.

As mentioned above, especially if you run a business-to-business operation, a LinkedIn business page should be at the top of your to-do list. With the option to create and publish original content relevant to your area of expertise, you can become a thought leader in your industry and influence not only customers but other businesses as well.

So if you’re looking to edge out the competition in sales this quarter, or simply increase awareness for your brand, consider developing or redeveloping your social media for business strategy.

More people are joining popular social media networks every day and chances are your next investor, customer, or client is out there looking for your page.

The post How to choose the best social media for your business appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

Working with influencers can give your brand a more trusted and credible image. People with a desire to look and feel good will often seek out top brands and personalities for inspiration.

In the social media sphere, a number of health and fitness influencers have amassed massive followings. Since health is such a diverse genre, these influencers cover a huge range of topics. These include mindfulness and meditation, Paleo and Ketogenic diets, plus a growing interest in foods that promote wellness.

Boiling down the top 10 health influencers of 2019 was no easy task. We started with a list of over 100 health influencers (make sure you check out our top list of influencer tools) with a presence on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

We also looked at the number of times each influencer was mentioned on Google news. In addition, we factored in their brand partnerships, their own branded products, and the overall quality of their health and fitness ethos.

This list excludes spiritual figures and healthcare executives. Even though they are just as influential, this list focuses on influencers who spread their messages primarily through social media.

Michelle Lewin

Michelle Lewin did not have the easiest life growing up with her mother and siblings in Venezuela.

However, instead of letting their situation bring her down, she used it to push her boundaries and thrive in the world of fitness, bodybuilding, and overall physical health care.

She first found her love for working out and taking care of her body as a teenager when her mother brought her to their local exercise center. This was further strengthened when she met Swedish bodybuilder Jimmy Lewin who she eventually married in 2010.

At an early age, she was already traveling the world to pursue a modeling career for various agencies, brands, and platforms, and even to participate in amateur bodybuilding competitions.

When she moved with her husband to the US in 2012, she also began joining several National Physique Competitions and International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness competitions which she won multiple times within a few year’s time.

As she was thriving in the bodybuilding and fitness scene, she was also actively documenting her journey on her social media accounts which made more people notice her. Her growing following of more than 13 million on Instagram, almost 9 million likes on Facebook, over 461,000 followers on Twitter, and over 382,000 subscribers on YouTube just shows how much people look up to her.

On top of her rapid success, it is her modest and never-give-up attitude that really endeared her to her fans and allowed her to snag a spot on our list.
“The most important thing is to keep a constant, be disciplined, find the way to reach the better version of yourself,” she said in this video. “You need to set the excuses aside and find some time for yourself.”

Product endorsements:

Fitplan and Mealplan: She has worked with several brands throughout her career, but according to an interview with Forbes, her main focus at the moment are her own brands, specifically Fitplan, which is a personal training app, and Mealplan, which is a meal plan and recipes app

Joe Wicks

Technology has given people more effective ways to get healthy and fit—Joe Wicks was one of the few who delivers without cutting any corners.

He started out his social media journey on Twitter where he showed his followers how they can get a healthy body on his posts called “Lean in 15”. On his posts, he shares easy-to-do recipes you can recreate in 15 minutes, helping you achieve a healthier lifestyle. His posts also include short high-intensity interval training sets you can do anywhere with minimal equipment involved.

He eventually gained a large following across his social media platforms with over 2.7 million followers on Instagram, 3.1 million likes on Facebook, 309,000 followers on Twitter, and 729,000 subscribers on YouTube. He is now widely known as The Body Coach.

In 2015, his “Lean in 15” social media videos became a fully published cookbook entitled “Lean in 15: 15-minute meals”, which sold over 900,000 copies. The following year, he became a TV presenter with his very own show “The Body Coach” on British outlet Channel 4, where he helps people achieve their best self through his programs.

What made him stand out the most, though, is how inclusive his recipes and workouts are and how he practices what he preaches. He shows his followers how effective his recipes are by doing it himself and joining them in their journey towards a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

He designed his program so that even the busiest people can incorporate it into their lives without sacrificing its quality. And, this is why he is part of our list.

Product endorsements:

Joe Wicks’ 90 Day Plan: Although he has worked with several brands throughout his career, Joe has decided to focus more on his own brand. He manages the 90 Day Plan, which includes over 90 brand new easy-to-follow recipes and workouts as well as his very own kitchenware line that includes cookware, ovenware, and even storage materials.

Kayla Itsines

Any list of health influencers would not be complete without Kayla Itsines, the founder of the SWEAT app and the acclaimed Bikini Body Guide (BBG).
Before she reached her current level of success, she has already dedicated her life to health and fitness.

At 18 years old, she was already a qualified personal trainer in Adelaide, Australia. She would train women of all ages and post their before-and-after transformation photos on her social media accounts, which eventually gained popularity and earned her more clients.

As her following grew, her partner and fellow personal trainer Tobias Pearce helped her devise a workout plan that can easily be done by her clients with minimal equipment wherever they may be in the world. In 2014, that easy-to-recreate program became the foundation of her best-selling Bikini Body Guide.

With more than 11 million followers on Instagram, 26 million likes on Facebook, 416,000 followers on Twitter, and 311,000 subscribers on YouTube, she has earned a spot as one of the most influential personalities when it comes to health and fitness, but she still remains to be humble and focused.

In an interview with Hello, she credited her followers and the women she trains as her source of inspiration. “The fact that I’m showcasing the success of other women. Rather than showcasing what I do, it’s more like, look at this girl, look at what she’s done” she said.

Product endorsements:

SWEAT and Bikini Body Guide (BBG): Itsines has been constantly improving her own brand ever since she started to gain a significant following on social media, and this can be seen in the success of her SWEAT app, a fitness guide with 28-minute workouts, Bikini Body Guide, a 12-week workout program, as well as her very own meal plan.

Massy Arias

Massy Arias did not live the healthiest lifestyle growing up in the Dominican Republic. In fact, she just found her love for exercising and living a healthier lifestyle after going through a bout of depression.

“I fell into a deep depression when my brothers both developed cancer. I was basically living in the hospital and in an awful relationship where I lost sight of my worth,” she said in an interview with Elle.

Her situation got worse after her brothers fell ill. She was rapidly losing weight, hair, and self-confidence during those trying moments of her life. So, one day, she decided to take things into her own hands and turned to workouts to find herself again.

She documented her journey on her social media accounts, and eventually, it garnered her more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram, 318,000 likes on Facebook, 80,000 followers on Twitter, and 58,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Through her fitness journey, she was able to rediscover herself and claim back her life. As people started seeing her progress, they asked her to train them herself.

Today, Arias continues to help people all over the world by training them and posting about effective workout routines, supplements, and meal plans. At 29 years old, she has shown the world that you can definitely bounce back with the help of the right lifestyle and determination.

Product endorsements:

Massy Arias, MankoFit, Tru Supplements: Massy Arias has been crafting her brand since she began in the health and fitness scene. She has seen great success in the workout plans, meal plans, and vegan and organic supplements that she has been endorsing.

She is also an active endorser of Covergirl and Fabletics.

Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson

He started out as a college football player and then became a star in the World Wrestling Federation as ‘The Rock’. After retiring from the ring, Dwayne Johnson became a blockbuster movie star in such films as Jumanji, The Scorpion King, and the Fast and the Furious 6.

He has over 100 million Instagram followers, but a lot of those follows are because of his film or wrestling work. He also uses his Instagram channel to showcase his hardcore workout routines. However, what really gets him on this list is a single post made while on the set of his HBO show Ballers. In the post, he opened up a dialogue on mental health by recounting a story of his mother’s attempted suicide.

The post got over 1.5 million likes and 100,000 comments. More importantly, it helped to remove the stigma about mental health discussions. “Struggle and pain are real,” he wrote in the post. “We’ve all been there on some level or another.”

Although a large portion of his social media content is devoted to promoting his movies, his workouts are a key ingredient as well.

Thus, he makes our list. Not for his entertainment fame, but rather for using his platform to encourage mental health dialogue and awareness. Given that fitness requires passion and motivation, his influence adds depth to the discussion, and also inspiration in the results.

Product endorsements:

Under Armour: This is one of the best celebrity-brand partnerships in the retail sector. Johnson’s own Project Rock product line features shoes, shorts, tights, and t-shirts. Recent additions include headphones, earbuds, and workout bags.

 

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Though my alma mater, University of Miami played their assess off, but lost this weekend to University of Florida. It was a cool honor to lend my VO for this special @espn intro that kicked off Saturday Night College Football. And although I failed at achieving my @NFL dreams – the relentless hard work, discipline and hunger to outwork my competition I learned at THE U, became my defining anchors for life. To my Miami players – there’s football and then there’s life after football. Grab both by the throat and never let it go. Have a great season and beyond. #miami #theU #4life

Публикация от therock (@therock) 25 Авг 2019 в 6:38 PDT

Adriene Mishler

Adriene Mishler is a multi-talented woman. She is an actress who appeared in films, such as Detective Calzone, Austin High, and Everybody Wants Some! However, when she is not on set, she is making free yoga videos that are easy to follow. These videos cater to everything you want and need, from losing weight to finding your inner zen.

“Find what feels good,” is the message Mishler spreads since she started helping people understand the practice of yoga beyond stretching and flexibility.

She has led millions of people across the world to fitness through her channel “Yoga with Adriene”, which has earned her more than 554,000 Instagram followers, 523,000 Facebook likes, 81,700 Twitter followers, and more than 5.3 million YouTube subscribers.

She creates videos of simple yoga flows that her subscribers can easily follow at the gym or at their own homes.

Product endorsements:

Yoga with Adriene: This is the brand she started with and has cultivated through the years. Under her brand, she runs “Find What Feels Good,” a yoga video subscription service, and sells clothes and accessories perfect for yoga.

Deepak Chopra

Long before health and fitness advocates started taking over social media, Deepak Chopra has already made a name for himself.

With a background in medicine, he started as a licensed physician when he first moved to the US and even became the chief of staff at the New England Memorial Hospital in the 1980s. However, during his time there, he became involved in the Transcendental Meditation movement, which changed the way he viewed human healing.

He then established the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center and wrote several books about alternative medicine and healing, which gained nationwide popularity. During the 1990s, Oprah Winfrey interviewed him due to his innovative ways and beliefs, and this propelled his career more.

Today, Chopra is a public speaker, author, advocate of alternative medicine advocate, and “the O.G.(uru)” with a firm belief that the “perfect health” can be attained as aging is “fluid and changeable.”

Eventually, he became the executive director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine of Sharp HealthCare and the co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

His musings, books, beliefs, and alternative ways of living has helped many people live a healthier life, making him one of the most influential people in the health and fitness industry today at the age of 72.

Product endorsements:

Deepak Chopra: His name and books are his own brand. Under it, he has multiple best-selling books, a resort and spa, a 21-day meditation experience app with Oprah, as well as videos and podcasts.

Simeon Panda

If you are into bodybuilding, then you have probably heard of Simeon Panda.

His love for weightlifting and bodybuilding started right in his own home. He began lifting when was just a skinny 16-year-old who wanted to improve how he looked. This further improved when he got to college and met a friend who inspired him to practice and lift more.

“I was training in my living room and a friend of my brothers who had not seen me in a while came over and was shocked and said I was huge. That really motivated me to go at it even harder,” he said in an interview.

The bigger and fitter he got, the more motivated he was to improve his routine. This went on until he started joining bodybuilding competitions where he was eventually recognized as a pro in Musclemania.

As the years passed by, he was able to develop his own name, brand, and following which earned him 5.4 million followers on Instagram, 5.5 million likes on Facebook, 102,000 followers on Twitter, and 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube.

Product endorsements:
SP Athletics: Aside from his workout programs, Panda is also the CEO and founder of some of the top athletic wear brands today. These include Just Lift clothing and gym accessories, Vanquish Fitness clothing, as well as the products under the SP Athletics line. These lines also partner with other brands, such as TW Steel.

Emily Skye

Before becoming the health and fitness powerhouse she is today, Emily Skye was deeply involved in the modeling industry.

However, the pressure of maintaining her the thin physique of models eventually took its toll on her, which cost her happiness and health.

“None of it made me happy, being skinny never made me happy, being as perfect as I could be never made me happy,” she said in an interview with Whimn Body and Soul.

Eventually, she decided that enough is enough. She took her life into her own hands and credited meeting her boyfriend and business partner, Declan Redmond, in helping her change her mind about health and fitness.

Since the changes, she’s put on 13 kilos while lifting heavy weights and doing some HIIT. She claims these changes have made her happier and healthier. What’s more, she no longer obsesses about her looks. Instead, her focus is on training for health and longevity.

Today, Skye has more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram, 10.5 million likes on Facebook, 113,000 followers on Twitter, and 74,000 subscribers on YouTube. And, she uses these platforms to help other women gain confidence in themselves through proper workout and nutrition.

She never forgets where she came from but, instead, she uses it to encourage other women who have gone through the same experience, making her a standout influencer.

Product endorsements:

Reebok: Aside from maintaining her own brand, Skye is also a brand ambassador for Reebok. They have worked together to create workout shoes and clothes to empower women to “be more human,” which is the brand’s philosophy.

Caleb Marshall

While other health and fitness influencers promote the lifestyle by going to the gym, lifting weights, or practicing yoga, Caleb Marshall promotes a healthier life through dancing.

Marshall first began posting fun dance videos in October 2014 on his YouTube channel “The Fitness Marshall”. He has been performing with his local show choir and for school events that it was only natural for him to gravitate towards dancing until his college days.

Although he was majoring in film production at the Indiana University, he still turned to dance as his main creative outlet. He eventually recorded his energetic and sweat-inducing choreographies which then gained traction online.

Today, he has more than 238,000 followers on Instagram, 955,000 likes on Facebook, 11,800 followers on Twitter, and more than 2 million subscribers on YouTube, who regularly watch his videos. In 2017, he even had the chance to tour the world and dance his heart out with his supporters.

However, over the past year, Marshall was faced with massive changes in his life that almost made him cease The Fitness Marshall. Thanks to his loyal “Booty Army” and their unending support, he did not drop it.

“I had spent the last year trying to be something for everyone else that I forgot they fell in love with The Fitness Marshall because I WASN’T trying to be anything for anyone,” he said in a post. “I want to do a better job of representing as many people as I can.”

Product endorsements:

Imperfect Produce & Booty Army merchandise: As a fitness enthusiast, it is important that your nutrition is in line with how hard you work, which is why Marshall partnered with Imperfect Produce to promote organic food that lessens food waste at the same time.

Along with this, he also maintains and develops his own brand that promotes self-love and a healthier lifestyle.

Conclusion

As this list shows, each health influencer on this list has a few things in common. First, they (obviously) focus on a particular aspect of health. Second, they touch on broad, relatable topics that widen their appeal beyond their health niche. Third, they all endorse very carefully selected brands.

The key takeaway is to recognize how to leverage your position on social media platforms. One option is to start your own influencer brand, build up a following and then use that platform to market your products.

A more effective method is obviously to partner with established influencers. Keep in mind that the influencers mentioned in this article are the best of the best.

Use these examples as references as you search for influencers that reach the audience you are targeting. There are literally thousands of budding influencers out there begging for resources to help them power their own brand.

Find them, reach out, and negotiate deals that fit with your budget. The sky’s the limit.

And if you ever need help in finding the right influencer for your campaign, contact me!

The post Top 10 Health Influencers of 2019 appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

With the rise of social media, marketing has taken on a different landscape.

It is no longer what most people think—celebrity endorsers telling fans to support products that they promote. These days, more marketers are seeing the significant value of hiring social media influencers.

What are influencers? What do they do and why do brands depend on them to help increase brand awareness and revenue? Can you become an influencer?

If you go through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you will find a lot of people who are not famous but have a huge following. They are not actors, actresses, recording artists, ramp models, and rappers, yet thousands and even millions follow them.

Who are these people and why do people subscribe to their social media pages?

On Instagram, there are more than half a million influencers. This consists of almost 40% of users with more than 15,000 followers.

You might think that creating a presence on Instagram is easy. How difficult could it be, right? Take a few great pictures, post them on your account, and wait for other users to start following you.

Well, it does not work like that. 

Making an account and posting is just the easy part. Getting people to follow you and increasing the number of your followers to thousands is tough. This is what Instagram influencers have already accomplished—that’s why brands tap them for their marketing needs.

Popularity is what brands pay for when they hire Instagram influencers. One question you might want to ask, though, when you are considering to partner with an influencer is how much do you have to pay? 

Also, how much does it cost to tap into their popularity for your marketing needs? Read on and find out.

What is an Instagram influencer?

Before you find out more about the best Instagram influencer pricing, you should first understand who and what they are. Influencers are people who can affect the purchasing decisions of others. They do this with the help of their knowledge about a specific niche and their engagement with their audience.

For Instagram, its influencers use their images and their captions to give people a story. They tell a story about products, experiences, and places that they feel people would want to know more about. They can persuade their followers to either buy or boycott whichever brands they post on their feeds.

Small, average and power influencers

Small

Small influencers have less than 15,000 followers. However, you can’t scoff at these people for having a limited following. Their audience belongs to a more specific niche. That means their followers are more engaged and know exactly what the influencer is talking about. These influencers are sometimes called “micro influencers.”

Average

Average influencers are also called “macro-influencers” by those who frequent Instagram. They typically have between 15,000 and a million followers. They hold a lot of “sways” when it comes to products and brands that their followers should patronize. They are not as in-depth as small influencers, but they do have more followers.

Power

Power influencers are those who have millions of followers. They are usually celebrities, like actors or musicians, but some of them are just famous social media personalities. These influencers can make an impact on a large number of people but rarely engage, if ever, on a personal level. They also might not know or use the products they are endorsing. However, they still promote them because of their partnership with the brand.

How much do Instagram influencers charge?

So, how much do these influencers charge? In the past, small influencers would agree to a partnership if they get something for free. For example, they get a year’s supply of a product or free stays at a partner hotel for their efforts. However, these days, they already charge you for every post they make.

The cost is different for each level.

While there is no fixed price for each one, some marketers have a standard when it comes to making an offer.

The current starting point for negotiations when it comes to pricing is at 1 cent for every follower an influencer has. That means if an influencer has around 15,000 followers, an offer of $150 per post is suggested. As a result, the bigger the influencer, the higher the rate per post you are going to pay them.

Kim Kardashian, for example, can demand up to $250,000 for each post that she makes for a partner brand. If you are not a celebrity but have millions of followers, you can make up to $10,000 for each post you make.

Free influencer alternatives

The fee that some influencers ask for may seem pretty exorbitant. This is why some marketers look for low cost and even free alternatives. 

Where do you find free endorsers and influencers for your brand? 

The trick is to find an influencer who is a fan of your brand. You can also try to find one who has a healthy following and is willing to endorse your brand in exchange for free products. You can also look for influencers who post about your product unknowingly and simply re-use their posts.

Conclusion

If you really want to make waves online and get your share of the Instagram audience pie, finding an Instagram influencer should be on your list of must-dos. This way, you won’t get left behind by your competitors.

If you have a limited budget for the average Instagram Influencer pricing, try using both paid and free alternatives to achieve your online marketing goals. In no time, you can reach as many people as you can without going over your budget.

If you would like to have your influencer marketing strategy in good hands, feel free to contact us!

The post How Much Do Instagram Influencers Charge? appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

Five years ago, B2B brands were still comfortable with their marketing formula.  It involved making product announcements, attending industry events, and going on roadshows to connect with their target market, but each year has been getting more challenging.

Content marketing is more aggressive than ever, and industry events keep getting more expensive.  All this makes getting the attention of B2B decision-makers not so easy.  They’re educated, sophisticated, skeptical of marketing tactics, and oversaturated with content.

However, the fundamental truth remains:  People like to buy from others.  It’s also compelling to get involved with influencers because they add that personal touch to a brand and its products.

The trouble is that B2Bs have a more challenging time getting started because their pathway isn’t clear. Articles on the topic are often clickbait, loaded with unrealistic statistics, and decidedly consumer-centric.

Therefore, I’ve compiled this list of 15 truths for all B2Bs looking to use influencer marketing.

Let’s get started:

1: Your sales process is longer

The average B2B sales process takes six months to complete – which is far different from the average beauty brand selling to millennials.

B2B brands have more touchpoints with the customer because purchase decisions require research, can run into millions of dollars, and can include an implementation process.

Also, relationships often play a crucial component in B2B purchase decisions involving a professional sales team and company executives.

Therefore, your business and how you work with influencers are also different.

2: You Don’t Need Instagram

Instagram is a visual social platform, making it well-suited to consumer products. Products often require little more than an alluring photo and caption to stoke interest and even sales. That’s why fashion, beauty, and travel brands do well with influencers there.

However, B2B brands are different and require a different approach.

For example, no one purchases a Caterpillar tractor costing $ 650,000 because of an Instagram post.

Therefore, comparing your business to how a consumer brand works with influencers doesn’t help you.

Consider (carefully) who your target audience is, where they congregate online, the content they consume, and who they follow for advice.

This will lead you to where you need to be.

3: Focus on relevance first

Relevance is the most essential quality to look for with influencers.

Social media reach can sometimes matter, but your efforts will go to waste without relevance.

For example, if your business is industrial chemicals, your influencers should know about your industry, how it operates, the industry issues, the regulatory environment, the major players, and have a track record of experience there.

Otherwise, you are throwing spaghetti at a wall, hoping it sticks.

4: Look to partners and customers

A simple and easy place to look for influencers is strategic business partners and customers.

You can find executives and employees there who blog, speak at conferences, author books, and have followings on social media.

Connecting with them can help you get introduced to third-party influencers they know and trust.

Use this to your advantage.

5: Leverage industry events

B2B companies allocate most of their annual marketing budgets to industry events.

The good news is that many influencers attend these events, too.

Find out who’s going and arrange to meet with them while there.

If the influencers aren’t planning to attend a particular event, perhaps you can invite them?

6: Start small and scale later

Getting started is simple and doesn’t require many resources.

Concentrate on building relationships with a core group of influencers to start.

As you get comfortable, you can recruit other influencers into your program as it matures.

Think of it like building concentric circles around one another and building slowly over time.

Don’t worry about scaling for the first six months.

7: Bigger isn’t always better

Influencers with large social followings attract brands like moths to a flame.

The allure of a large audience is often too tempting to ignore.

However, just because an influencer has a large social following doesn’t mean they can help you meet your objective.

For many B2Bs, influencers with smaller social followings can be more effective because they reach your target audience better.

Remember that relevance is the essential quality you want in your influencers.

8: Invest in education

Education is a two-way street.

Invest in your influencers to inform them about your company, products, services, philosophy, and goals.

Also, learn more about your influencers, their content, and their followers.

The more you know about them, the more you’ll be able to find ways to work together.

9: Personal touch over automation

Media stories about influencer marketing often tout the benefits of automation.

While it works for consumer brands managing large numbers of influencers, it’s not necessary for B2B brands.

You don’t need many influencers, so automation isn’t necessary and doesn’t make sense.

Invest in the personal touch and get to know your influencers.

10: Master the vetting process

Appearances can be deceiving online, so be sure to vet influencers carefully.

Check to see if they have the expertise they claim to have and are connected with other influential people in your business community.

Also, understand what kind of content they like to create, how often they publish, and the quality of their content.

Don’t forget to check for fake followers on social media.

11: Embrace storytelling

People like to buy from others because they tell stories about why and how they do things.

Influencers are storytellers by nature, so let them tell your brand story for you.

You’ll need to relinquish some measure of control over your messaging, which enables the influencers to be genuine in how they tell it.  It enables their creativity.

If you don’t allow them to express themselves in their own way, you’re being too controlling, and that defeats the purpose of influencer marketing.

It’s all about getting other people to tell your story for you.

12: Play the long game

The short-term mindset has no place here. Think about what kind of content you need, when you need it published, and where you’d like it to appear.

Customer journeys are longer for B2B brands, so work with influencers with that in mind.

Get to know the influencers in your niche, cultivate relationships with them, and look for opportunities to work together.

Look to develop content with your influencers that adds value and helps your customers understand why your brand is superior.

13: Communicate often

Once you establish contact with influencers, reach out to them even if you aren’t working with them on anything particular.

Follow them on social media and contribute to conversations there. Let them know you care about their content, their ideas, and the projects they are involved in.

Add value by offering your opinions and ideas and asking thoughtful questions.

Remember, active followers get more attention than passive ones.

Influencers will have a higher regard for you if you participate.

14: Invest in relationships

Getting to know influencers opens up new opportunities to create content, find other influencers, solicit ideas, conduct surveys, commission research, involve them in assets you create, and invite them to your events.

Invest in relationships, and you’ll get a great return on investment.

This is where the real benefits are. Cultivate your relationships with influencers like you would a garden.

15: Be mindful of conflicts of interest

Many influencers work with brands on a short-term basis, but occasionally, some contract with other brands long-term.

Therefore, vet your influencers carefully before divulging too much information.

Look at their content carefully for telltale signs that such a relationship exists.

If in doubt, you can reach out to them and ask.

Remember, they are professionals, too.

Wrapping Up

Following the lead of consumer brands doesn’t translate for B2B companies.  By adopting these principles, you’ll use the mindset necessary to work with influencers now and well into the future.

Got questions?  Let them fly in the comments below.

The post 15 Truths You Need to Know About B2B Influencer Marketing appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

Both are strong marketing strategies but are also distinctly different from one another.

Yet on the surface, they appear similar which causes confusion not only among ordinary consumers but also professional digital marketers too.

In order to understand the difference between these two let’s take a look at each separately.

Celebrity endorsement is when a brand leverages a famous person to amplify a particular product or service.

By doing this, the brand taps into “worship” people have for the celebrity in order to push a product or service.

On the other hand, influencer marketing leveraging word-of-mouth by people who have large followings on social platforms and who are often experts in their given industry.

Influencers, unlike celebrities, are not famous for being in movies or television or walking down a fashion runway.

They are ordinary people who’ve built a social following using their blog, video channel or social media feeds.

So, by working with social influencers, a brand makes use of the goodwill and trust the influencer holds with his or her audience.

This is where many get confused.

Both strategies make use of another individual’s image to highlight their product or service.

The only difference is one uses a worldwide renowned personality (celebrity endorsements) while the other uses experts from a given field on social media (influencer marketing).

So let’s take a closer look at these two widely used strategies to get more clarification and to see how they’re used.

Influencers are specialists in their niche

Celebrities often talk about things or endorse products that they know nothing about.

For instance, remember when Oprah endorsed Window’s Surface using her iPad?

Funny right?

But interestingly, people will still engage with an endorsement like that, or even buy the product because they feel comfortable with the celebrity.

While that is easy for the celebrities who have their fame to carry them forward, influences have to work really hard to make their mark in the industry in which they operate.

They’ve built communities around themselves and their interests and have gathered people who believe in them.

Therefore when a brand invites a seasoned app developer to review its newest innovation, the idea is to tap the target market or community the influencer commands.

It’s about community, not just followers

Celebrity endorsements are all about the product being highlighted – making sure its seen in a big way.

However, fans can’t interact with endorsement campaigns. They merely follow along.

Communication with a star or celebrity is a one-way relationship because the celebrity doesn’t interact with his or her followers

However, when it comes to influencer marketing, the influencers interact with his or her followers because that’s what makes it different, interesting and helpful.

Not only do they answer questions followers have about products and services, but they also delve into the details about those topics – all because the followers asked for it.

So, when the influencer publishes sponsored content their community is already interested and likely ready to take action.

Influencers are content creators in their own right

When it comes to celebrity endorsement, the celebrity becomes the face of the brand.

But they don’t do much because the brand develops the content for the celebrity to publish.  Normally, they get photographed with the product.

The words and language they use about the product are not their own.  Those are brand messages and are developed by special copywriters.

Therefore, from the target audience’s point of view, the message is ultimately from the brand, the celebrity is just the face delivering the message.

However, when it comes to influencer marketing, the influencer is the creator of the content.

For instance, if they are bloggers, they write the posts, if they run a YouTube channel, the responsibility of shooting the video, scripting, and editing is theirs.

So, from the very beginning to the very end, it is the influencers creating the content and crafting the message that gets shared.

This is why it has an authenticity that celebrity endorsement usually lacks.

How to choose the right influencer or celebrity

It goes without saying that both of these strategies work.

However, what works for a particular brand depends on a number of factors including what the influencer represents, the content they create, who their audience is and how engaged their followers are.

Therefore, you have to consider those elements before making the decision about who to work with.

But no matter who you choose, it must be the right person and the right audience for your brand.

For example, Julia Robert’s endorsement of Lancôme Cosmetics was a success, because people could relate to the content on a personal level. This is how a celebrity can be leveraged to help a brand reach and resonate with its target market.

It’s safe to say that if a celebrity like Julia Roberts likes and uses certain products, then a portion of her fan base will follow her lead and take action by buying.

It’s similar to influencer marketing – but with a twist.

Influencers should be allowed by the brand to express their opinion and to discuss the brand image in a way that’s unique and idiosyncratic to them.

This ensures their sincerity and authenticity – both crucial elements. If these are met, then the campaign isn’t likely to be successful.

Since people are active on social media a lot, it is important to ensure that your influencer marketing or celebrity endorsements are present there.

While people still watch TV, a huge chunk of the population has gone online.

In addition to that, social media visuals play a big role in ensuring success for influencer marketing as well as celebrity endorsement.

These influencers prefer to create these social media graphics on their own and add their own personal touch to it. This is unlike celebrities who prefer to have the brand handle that for them.

Money Talks

It goes without saying that celebrity endorsements are very expensive.

Many celebrities can ask for a fortune to do even a small campaign. However, this problem is largely mitigated when it comes to influencer marketing.

Instead of hiring Julia Roberts, to talk about a new line of hair colors, the brand can get a number of hairstylist influencers on YouTube or Instagram to talk about the product at length.

In some cases, this works better because having the authority of people who color hair for a living means that those influencers have authority and experience. That will come through when they post about the products.

Thanks to platforms like Instagram, influencers are getting well known within their niches. Some content published by some influencers can even drive demand.

Since online influencers have spent some time making their position strong and solid, people believe them for what they say, and that works beautifully for a brand!

So before deciding to contact an agent about working with a celebrity, take a careful look at your product, who your target market is and your budget.

You may find that influencers are a cost-effective alternative and one you can leverage for a long time to come.

Prince Kapoor is a seasoned Marketing Analyst and Blogger at https://www.viralchilly.com/. With his skills, he helps fellow marketers and brands worldwide.

The post Influencer Marketing vs Celebrity Endorsement: What You Need to Know appeared first on // 551 Media LLC.

Want to know how to grow your Instagram account quickly? Want to become a big-time influencer on Instagram?

Or maybe you just want to promote your business and reach target market?

Instagram boasts more than 400 million active monthly users and 75 million users are on it every day, a significant portion being millennials.

So, almost goes without saying that it’s a powerful platform and enables you to reach your potential customers as I’ve written before.

And the best part is:

The tips I show you here will help you grow your following organically and authentically without paying for fake followers – which is a bad idea.

What you will learn in this post

• How to set up your Instagram account for success (with examples)
• Using hashtags to find your target audience
• When and how often to post your content
• The way to create quality so it connects with your followers (with examples)
• The art of cross-promotion to grow your page quickly

Set up your account so others can find you

When you set up your account, make sure it is set to public. Private accounts don’t normally gain many followers because only your friends can see your content. Other people (your ideal audience) will be unable to view your photos, making your profile appear empty of followers and dull.

Here’s what you need to do to make an account public:

• Click on the Profile button in the bottom right corner of the Instagram App.
• Click “Edit My Profile.”
• Uncheck “Posts are Private.” If you see the green button, then your post is private. Click this to set your account to “public.”

Make your bio, headline, and CTA clear

Be sure your bio is clear and concise but also descriptive. Think about keywords that you want people to associate you with and include those if you can.

Remember, you only have 150 characters so you must be concise and descriptive.

Also, be sure you have a clear CTA (call to action). Make sure your CTA is focused.  Don’t give your visitors more than one action to take.  Offer too many decisions to make and they’ll likely leave your account and go elsewhere.

Here’s an example from an Instagram influencer who has an excellent description and CTA:

Notice how she directs people to her free online course?

Here’s another example from a completely different niche, a tactical gear supplier:

Here’s my own martial art’s group account (small but growing):

We direct visitors to our website to get the free tips and tricks.

The biggest fault of my own IG account is the name — it’s not readily apparent to someone who is not familiar with historical European martial arts (talk about a niche!).

However, we make up for it in the description.

Know your ideal audience

Before you start posting some cool photos to your page, you need to think about your ideal audience and what will interest and benefit them.

This will help you post content they want to see – and attract more followers to you.

Be sure to focus on them rather than yourself.

If you have questions about this, take a close look at accounts that are already well established and reach your ideal audience.

Take careful note of what they post, how often they post and what they say in their posts.  Also, spend time reading what responses they get from followers.

Do the followers ask questions?  If so, take note of those as they are telling you what they want more of.

Be sure to offer advice, tips, quick how-tos with your images.  

It should not be about you, but about them, your ideal customers.

You’ll elicit more responses: likes, comments, and reposts so more followers will also come your way.

Choose a theme and post high-quality images

Instagram is all about visuals, right?

Establish a “theme” for your IG account and stay focused on it.

Don’t deviate. Focus is key.

Some accounts like to post images with text overlays. If you do so, do it consistently.

Ensure a consistent look and use the same filter all the time if you choose to use one (more on that below).

This FoxHanx account is a nice example:

Notice the consistent dark wood background with a simple hanky displayed?

Once you have your theme established, you can play little variations like the center image above. In this post, they included a pocket knife.

FoxHanx didn’t do this randomly.  

They did this because they want to appeal to a larger segment of the #edc (every day carry) community.

You see?  It is deliberate.

Now, let’s talk about filters:

There are a number of popular ones.  Juno and Clarendon are a couple.

Some filters are more popular in some niches than others and you’ll notice them when you begin to examine certain niches and how the big accounts position themselves.   You’ll notice a lot of fashion and beauty influencers follow this rule. 

Be sure to investigate what seems to work best in your chosen niche but be sure not to copy what others are doing.  Develop your own style, look, and theme.

Be sure to stay true to what you like and how you want to present yourself.

Or you can use an external app like VSCO which offers more choices.

If you prefer to use no filter, that works too.  In fact, that choice has its own hashtag: #nofilter.

No matter what, be consistent.

Make sure you post quality images.

Remember, high-quality images make your account appear put together, attractive, successful, even luxurious. So if you are looking to build a luxury brand, it should radiate luxury so it attracts interested people.

Once you start, some images will garner the more attention via likes and comments than others.  Be sure to keep track of that so you can produce similar posts that you know your audience will like.

Let’s look at an example:

Check out Caroline Harper’s House of Harper account:

She includes more than just fashion… there is a theme to her account that is suggestive of a fashionable, luxurious lifestyle.

She achieves this by the use of subject matter, careful choice of color and perhaps a filter.

What if you are looking to sell products?

You’d want to showcase the product in “lifestyle” photos where it is being worn or used by someone like Caroline does above.

Remember, you want your audience to CHOOSE to buy your product by suggesting how nice it is and how nice it will be to have one.

Simply setting up shots of the product and expecting people to buy is not going to work.

When and how often to post

Be sure to set a schedule for your posts.  This way your followers will see that you post regularly and consistently.  

There are a number of apps that can help you including Apphi.

Post at least 1X per day and up to 3X per day.  In some niches, it pays to post even more.  No matter what you choose, be sure to stay consistent.

I’ve experimented with both and didn’t find any appreciable difference in attracting followers by posting 3X per day, but every niche is different. What works for one, may not work for another.

Therefore, you should experiment and see what works for you and your followers.

What about the best time of day to post?

You’ll find variations on this,but Hootsuite offers some advice.  They say to post between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m, Monday through Friday but this time frame also works for the weekend.

Others say the best times are in the early morning and after work hours.

Every Instagram account has a different audience. Work out what times get you the most amount of interactions and post regularly at those times.  Be sure to check your analytics and see what is working.  

Remember:

An Instagram photo has a lifespan of three to four hours before it disappears into the Instagram community.

If you post while the largest number of people are on, you are more likely to get random viewers and potential followers than you would at other times of the day.

One thing you might do is take note of when your competitors post and do the same.

Hashtags … what you need to know

Hashtags are important because they get your content get discovered.

Go to the “explore” tab and enter your keywords, Instagram will come back with a list of hashtags with how often they are used.  

Now keep this in mind:

Be sure to use hashtags specific to your account and interests.

Avoid overused hashtags like #love because millions of others use them and your content will never get seen by using them anyway.

Instead, I recommend following this general rule:  Look for hashtags that have between 1000 and 100k posts.   People are more likely to find your account this way.

Also, don’t waste your time using hashtags with anything under 1000 as they are not popular enough to help you.

Remember, you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, so be selective but make sure you take advantage of that.

And one more thing:

Place your hashtags in the comments section, not in the post itself. This way your posts won’t appear spammy.

Engage other accounts and cross promote

Here’s where you can really juice your account and get it to grow quickly! Cross promote with other, similar accounts of approximately the same audience size.
Hands down, it is the fastest way to grow on Instagram.

It works like this:

You team up with accounts in your niche & generally close to your size in terms of followers. You tag each other in posts frequently, directing traffic to each other’s pages. If you properly execute this strategy you will see super fast growth on Instagram.  By frequently, I’m talking about several times per day.

Also, be sure to like and comment other pages that you like and follow.  They will notice your activity and begin to reciprocate.

Don’t rely on bots to handle this for you. Comments left by bots are easy to spot by others and immediately signal that the account holder is relying on an app to handle their interactions.

People want to engage with other people, not bots.

Be genuine. Be authentic. When you leave a comment, provide insights and be complimentary.  Only bots leave emojis in comments.

Try to provide value with all of your comments when you can.

This will encourage others to visit your account and follow you.

And don’t forget to have some fun along the way!

Instagram is a great platform and once you get going, you’ll find it’s fun to connect with your audience.

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