What Is Influencer Marketing and How Can Advertisers Use It?

Influencer marketing has been on the rise in the digital world thanks to the advancements in social media and the growing YouTuber community. It's a powerful alternative to traditional advertising that helps marketers reach their target audience through the people their audience looks up to.

What exactly is influencer marketing?

To know what influencer marketing is, you’ll have to know what an influencer is. An influencer is someone with a large following and engagement on social media platforms. So, onto influencer marketing. TapInfluence said it best, influencer marketing is a type of marketing that uses leaders and their sizeable network of people who follow them to drive a brand’s message to that network of people. Instead of marketing to a large group of consumers, you can instead hire an influencer to get the word out for you to their niche audiences.

Influencers on influencers

With its rise, there are influencers everywhere: they’re in those Instagram pictures with #ad in the caption, they’re on your Twitter feed with sponsored content, and they’re in your YouTube feed with “sponsored by” videos. One of my favorite influencers is Orion Carloto. She’s a content creator turned author with a following of over 500,000 people. She started her social media journey on YouTube, garnered thousands of subscribers, and now has a successful Instagram account. I have been following Orion for about four years now and am one of those followers who loves engaging in her content. Orion has an authentic voice and inspiring personality She has sponsored content with big brands from Verizon to smaller upcoming brands like Function of Beauty. I admire Orion for her carefully curated Instagram aesthetic and her uncanny ability to create gorgeous content.

How can advertisers use influencer marketing?

Advertisers can use influencer marketing as a way to connect with their desired target audience. Instead of creating banners ads and pre-rolls on videos their target audience might watch, advertisers can pay influencers who have a large following of people who fit the ideal customer profile to shell out that content in a meaningful and engaging way. Plus, there are no ad blocker apps that can prevent this particular delivery of content and audiences are receptive to the content posted by their favorite creators.