What does it mean to have effective paid content marketing without pushing sales jargon too hard at a prospective client?
When we look at the trends in marketing throughout 2018, paid content marketing and integration are everywhere, especially when it comes to influencers and bloggers. What makes marketing through influencers so popular and effective? It comes down to trust and authenticity.
Trust
One of the interesting things about influencers is that they have created a relationship with their online audience through whatever content they produce. Oftentimes their audience has been following them for extended periods of time, sometimes for years! The influencer has established themselves as a source of good information, and their audience trusts their opinion on many topics, both inside and outside their expertise. Combine this with the meteoric rise many influencers see on social media, and suddenly your paid content is exposed to unbelievable amounts of people.
“Modern consumers, overwhelmed by media and visual content on a daily basis, are forced to identify the sources of information and inspiration that they can trust,” Bill Connolly, a writer for Olapic stated in a recent articlee. “Increasingly… consumers are turning to social influencers as a way to identify products, services, and travel destinations that resonate with their unique lifestyles.”
Authenticity
The biggest hurdle with influencer marketing lies in authenticity. People want to watch, listen to or read authentic content from their trusted sources. So how do you integrate your message while remaining authentic?
Authenticity is critical in being consistent across all sales and marketing channels. If the client doesn’t experience authenticity during the sales process the same way they did during the marketing process, they likely won’t continue through with the sale. That same message of authenticity has to be continued through influencer marketing to maintain brand consistency in the marketplace. This leads to satisfied customers becoming brand ambassadors in the marketplace. Remember you’re delivering on the promise that is stated during your buyer’s journey.
It’s all about choosing the right avenues and people to work with. Your influencer of choice will change depending on what you’re trying to sell. You may be able to sell professional development and consulting services through a professional blog or publication, but you’ll have a hard time pushing those services through a lifestyle vlogger on YouTube. It’s all about knowing which avenue will be the most effective in pushing you to your ideal audience and balancing that with making sure the message sounds authentic through the voice of the influencer.
Do you incorporate influencer and paid content marketing into your overall marketing strategy?