DECODING DIGITAL INFLUENCER MARKETING

 Influencer marketing is not a new term, we have all have seen Sachin Tendulkar's controversial promotion of cold Drinks back in the '90s. Well, he was a celebrity and what the brand did was influencer marketing. Digital Influencer Marketing is indeed old wine in a new bottle.

Today, as the Internet has narrowed down the target audience to the T, you can reach the only people that will be interested in your product very easily. To ease it further and make this digital interaction more humanised, digital influencers are the key. They will add the "trust factor". When you will see someone you trust using the product on the screen be it, motor vlogger, using a particular bike, or a beauty influencer using a cosmetic, you will tend to be interested. Capitalising on this, the past years have seen the rise of digital influencers.

The best part, you can replace the bigger influencers who demand a huge amount of money with small influencers with 20-25k followers on social media. The digital influencer marketing has to be one of the top successful digital marketing strategies of today and it has a bright future.

I am sure you don't want to miss this opportunity. So, let me decode this for you further:

WHO IS INFLUENCER?

As I mentioned in the above examples, a person with power to affect purchasing decisions of a significant number of people, due to his authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with the audience. Yes, in traditional marketing, this included a 'teacher' who can due to her position, knowledge, relationship, and authority affect the sales of a particular book.

A DIGITAL INFLUENCER IS SAME OR DIFFERENT? HOW CAN A DIGITAL INFLUENCER HELP MY BRAND?

Well, a digital influencer has extended the definition of the influencer as well. Having a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages, a digital influencer uses internet as a medium to affect the purchase of a product. While the size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of the niche, these are not only marketing tools, but also great social relationship assets for brands and that is how you should yield benefits of digital influencers.

ARE THERE TYPES OF DIGITAL INFLUENCERS? HOW DO I DIFFERENTIATE?

As diverse is the social media with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Linkedin, I can go on, the types of digital influencers also have a range. From follower count to the level of influence, here is how you can differentiate digital influencers:

DIGITAL INFLUENCERS ON THE BASIS OF FOLLOWERS:

Social Media followers are not just a number, but a number that matters as much as the investment you are going to make in this endeavour.

1. MEGA INFLUENCERS: The first ones, mega influencers are the people with a vast number of followers on their social networks. A vast number means at least more than a million on a social media platform. Usually, the major brands approach these influencers with approximately as much cost for one post as their total followers, a million.
2. MACRO-INFLUENCERS: 40 thousand to 1 Million social media followers make these budding digital influencers are more accessible for clients and their audience. This makes them, a great place for brands to promote their products as these influencers are relatively more connected to the audience.
3. MICRO-INFLUENCERS: More connected, more relatable, more focused, micro-influencers are the digital influencers who are common or ordinary people with knowledge of the specific niche and following for the same. The level of influence is great. Why? Well, it is the relationship they share with their followers and interaction that they can support. Having 1000 to 40,000 social media followers, these influencers do put the audience on priority and hence, it becomes the brand's job to convince the influencer. But, this also means that they will promote the brand for free to ensure more and more followers.
4. NANO-INFLUENCERS: Yes, they exist, and as the name suggests on a very small level but an effective one. They are mostly connected with their followers having less than 1000 followers. And contrary to the mega influencer, they exist in a huge number which means that they are cheap but you also have to reach hundreds of nano-influencers to send the message across.

DIGITAL INFLUENCERS ON THE BASIS OF CONTENT:

As I listed several social media platforms, each creator from these platforms is different. You have different digital influencers based on the types of content:

1. Bloggers: These are the ones who write on their websites or on a blogging website where they share their knowledge of lifestyle, beauty, luxury, technology, health, business, stock, and various other niches. This are the very first who indulged in Digital Influencer Marketing.
2. YouTubers or Vlogging: Same as bloggers, but sharing information, knowledge and facts through video, one of the powerful influencers of today, video loggers or YouTubers have their own space. Top YouTubers in India are: Who is the Richest Youtuber? Top 10 Richest Youtubers In India
3. Podcasters: These are a budding number of influencers who can become your brand's voice, as they share the views, with millions of people through voice content. Here's the best in business: BEST INDIAN BUSINESS PODCASTS 2020
4. Social Media Posts: While all the above can have a great social media profile to stay connected with their followers and increase their reach, some are only on social media and will be promoting your brand through social media posts only.

HOW DO I CONNECT WITH A DIGITAL INFLUENCER?

Well, human to human interaction between a brand and an influencer has to be complicated by its nature, However, to ensure seamless interaction and traction, here is what you should do to connect with a social media influencer:

Search the "niche" terms: From "content marketing" to "beauty blogging" search the term you want to find an audience for, go through the names the pop.

Check reach, relevance and resonance from the list: If they have the reach, they re relevant in the current scenario and what is the level of trust between followers and influencers.

Values and Budget: Well, both these point are the most essential. This holds significant value for both the parties. Neither of them can risk a blunder on social media. Hence check that in advance. Also, it is best to go ahead and make a separate budget of this marketing activity and research what do the type of influencer you want to reach demand usually.