influencer marketing importance businessInfluencer marketing is quickly becoming the newest and most effective method of driving sales. While print and digital-media marketing will always exist, they no longer have the same impact on sales as they once did. Businesses are realizing that social influencers can have just as large a reach as a commercial or print ad campaign, but can provide instant results and viral possibilities.

Even the coveted Super Bowl commercial is waning in power, with fewer companies willing to drop millions on one single commercial, which may or may not pay off in the long run. Arguably, the Super Bowl commercial, as a genre, is the first viral campaign arena. Before there was the social media arena, where anything and everything can become an instant sensation, there was the Super Bowl Commercial.

Who can forget those early 90’s halftime ads? Major marketing companies spent months and millions to get their commercials in that prized slot. Some were flops, but some took off like skyrockets. The Budweiser frogs. The Doritos’ girl. Mean Joe Green. Any of that ring a bell? These ads became water cooler talking points that everyone knew about.

Now, an Insta video of Kim Kardashian applying lip tint has more value than all of those Super Bowl ads combined. Why? Because of influencer marketing.

Influencers are changing the way companies market their products and themselves. Not only do influencers have enormous audiences that reach into the tens, even hundreds of millions, they have very niche audiences. Businesses can utilize a niche-specific influencer to most effectively reach their target demographic.

Finding the right influencer is the most important part. You don’t want to choose your influencer based on their sheer number of followers. While having a large following is part of being an influencer, it’s best to choose niche-specific influencers to represent your business.

Let’s say you sell cat toys. You want to find an influencer in the pet/pet care industry to market your cat toys. Why?

A non niche-specific influencer won’t have the kind of audience attuned to your business. Why would customers buy cat toys from a musician, athlete, or actor? You might get some sales just based on celebrity value, but that wouldn’t be nearly as effective as engaging a pet specific influencer, like Grumpy Cat. This cranky kitty has 12+ million followers who eat, sleep, and breathe all things cat related. This is the core demographic you need to reach.

Most important to influencer marketing is an authentic voice. People follow influencers because of their deep involvement with whatever community or culture they are attracted to, and they can smell phony a mile away.

Remember these tips when you’re ready to give influencer marketing a try.