Influencers have a great impact on consumer buying behavior. When purchasing a product or signing a contract with a new service, many people search for the product or service on the Internet and check reviews.

 In this article, we will thoroughly explain the marketing method "Influencer Marketing"! We will present in detail representative methods, points to achieve results, and things to remember.

 

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is the use of influential "influencers" on SNS and blogs such as Instagrammers, bloggers, YouTubers, etc.

To introduce a company's products and services and increase awareness among consumers. The objective is to generate word of mouth from there and activate consumer behavior.

 

Also, influencer marketing has gained attention in recent years as an effective branding method. Consumers become fans (loyal customers) of the company through traditional marketing methods.

 

Characteristics of influencer marketing

As a characteristic of influencer marketing, influencers send information. And followers who see it spread the information on SNS etc., which increases the cognitive effect.

The proliferation of smartphones has made it easier for consumers to access information. And they have come to demand high-quality information.

 

For this reason, information disseminated by trusted influencers and impressions of consumers' actual experiences (word of mouth) plays a role in promoting consumer behavior as high-quality information.

 

In other words, influencer marketing is characterized by being able to connect consumers and companies favorably through word of mouth.

 

Influencers are known differently depending on how many followers they have.

 

Top Influencer: More than 1 million followers

Characteristics: Most well-known influencers, many of them entertainers who are popular on TV, models, etc., are recognized beyond social media.

A characteristic of top influencers is that they are supported by a wide range of people.

 

Medium influencer: More than 100,000 followers

Characteristics: Lots of people who don't appear on TV

Gained support from consumers in specific genres (beauty, gourmet, etc.).

Additionally, many followers trust the information provided by influencers.

 

Micro-influencer: More than 10,000 followers

Characteristics: Like medium influencers, they are influencers who are gaining the support of a specific genre.

Compared to medium influencers, the cost is low, so this is a recommended influencer if the budget is small.

 

Nano-influencer: 1,000 to 10,000 followers or more

Characteristics: Although they have a smaller number of followers than other influencers, one characteristic is that they have a high degree of intimacy with their followers. Because of that, engagement rates for posts are high, and some companies employ large numbers of nano-influencers.

 

Benefits of influencer marketing

 

1.     Easy to reach the target audience of the product

As mentioned in the characteristics of influencers, followers are often fans who trust influencers.

 

Thus, using an influencer who specializes in a particular genre is often a consumer who is interested in that genre, allowing the product to reach its target audience.

 

Thus, influencer marketing can be said to be a cost-effective method compared to mass advertising as it can promote to the potential level.

 

2.     Awareness can be expected to improve

Influencer marketing mostly uses social media.

In recent years, the size of the social media market has expanded.

 

Also, the diffusion function, which is the strength of social media, will further increase awareness.

 

Thus, it is a big strength that it is possible to reach not only the target level but also the "potential level" who do not know the company's products and services.

 

3.     Because the color of the advertisement is light, it is easy for consumers to accept it.

In recent years, consumers have developed an aversion to advertising.

 

For this reason, promotions in the form of regular posts like influencer marketing are preferred because they are less likely to give a negative image to consumers.

 

But, even with influencer marketing, if the tone of the ad isn't aligned, it will become "stealth marketing" and cause a fire.

 

Disadvantages of influencer marketing

1.     Influencer flames

Social media has many users and has the advantage of being highly publicized. But at the same time, there are hidden dangers if used incorrectly.

 

For example, if an influencer posts unethical words or actions that go against the times, they can be defamed. Some influencers are forced to stop their activities, and the companies that cast them also face problems such as damage to their brand image.

 

This is why managing influencers is so important when doing influencer marketing.

 

2.     The fire caused by stealth marketing

There are also cases where promotional posts without ads cause fire to the activities and activities of the influencers mentioned above

 

Stealth marketing refers to influencers finding and experiencing products and services without displaying ads themselves. Although they are doing PR activities related to products and services with compensation from the company. It refers to the method of creating a post.

 

If STEAM is discovered, it will not only impact but also cause a significant deterioration of the corporate image. Among consumers, the word Steam is widespread, and we often see cases where it spreads on social media and catches fire. Before posting, it's important to ask the company (or advertising agency) to thoroughly proofread the influencer's post to ensure the ad is written correctly.

 

3.     Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law

Companies that are subject to pharmaceuticals and medical device laws, such as the cosmetics industry, need to be careful. Due to the 2021 amendment of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, a surcharge system will be enforced.

 

Until now, only advertisers were subject to fines, but with this amendment, individuals like advertising agencies and influencers are also subject to fines. A slight difference in wording can determine whether a violation is occurring, so meticulous checks have become necessary, and the burden on companies is greater than ever.

 

Tips for success in influencer marketing

1.     Clarify influencer marketing objectives and goals

Influencers have their own strengths and platforms and their approach varies, so let's first clarify the objective.

 

As mentioned above, one of the advantages of influencer marketing is that it is easy to get noticed.

 

Thus, by performing precise targeting, it is possible to select the most suitable influencers. Conversely, if you blur your targeting, you may reach a different demographic than your target, which will reduce cost-effectiveness, so be careful.

 

2.     Appoint influencers who match the product or service

Influencers should be selected with attention to whether they match the image of the product or service.

 

A mistake people make when using influencers is that they prioritize too much on the number of followers and use influencers that are different from their target audience.

 

Of course, the number of followers is also an important factor. But if it does not match the advertised product or service, it may not have much impact on the customers and the system may end up in failure.

 

To prevent this from happening, make sure to carefully check the influencer's general post details, follower reactions to them, and follower trends (male to female ratio, etc.) before making a selection.

 

3.     Communication with influencers

Influencer marketing is largely based on the experience of influencers.

If you're afraid to go out on fire and give detailed instructions on how to post, you're missing out on the best part of influencer marketing (how to express yourself).

To understand the company's product or service and create good posts, it is necessary for the company to communicate strongly with the influencer.

 

4.     Attention to stealth marketing

Stealth marketing means that even though a company has made a PR request, it is hidden and not accompanied by an ad notation for a post.

 

In recent years, even large companies are conducting stealth marketing, and SNS is burning every time.

 

Of course, it's not allowed to deliberately do PR without advertising, but the possibility of influencers forgetting to advertise is not zero.

 

Yet, for consumers, this would be classified as stealth marketing. In order not to damage the company's brand image, be sure to handle it firmly when communicating with influencers.

 

Effective use of influencers for successful branding

This time, we present influencer marketing success points and cases. How was it?

 

Influencer marketing can generate results by pushing hard and using points. But if not managed properly, fire can cause a lot of damage, so be careful. Also to use only influencers, we will use word of mouth of nano-influencers and general users to generate UGC on social media. Thereby increasing awareness of products and services and promoting purchasing behavior you can.

 

Clarify your company's purpose, solidify management principles, and target sales growth.

 

At FameNet, we will pick up the most suitable influencers from our list of over 1,000 influencers.

We also accept free influencer list creation, so please feel free to contact us.