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Social influencing is all around us. From the news that shows up on your feed, to the fake news that’s not always verified, to the trends set by bloggers and YouTube users, we realize that there are more powers at play than we can dream of. These often ordinary people are extraordinary for the sheer power they wield. From the world of beauty and make up, to trends in marketing, brands, and advertising, social influencing holds massive benefits for all players concerned.
Credibility Matters
The biggest benefit of social influencing is credibility. In a world crowded by brands, products and opinions, an influencer makes the key difference between acceptance and rejection. When an audience gets a message from someone they’ve been following for a while and whom they trust, the message is accepted more easily. In fact, research shows that followers tend to buy brands they have been following on social media. Credibility cannot be bought- it defeats the purpose! So, what better than an influencer helping to enhance the impression we want to make?
Simplify Word of Mouth
Simple marketing is another benefit of social influencing. How it works goes beyond the traditional route of billboards and marketing campaigns and focuses on something very basic- word of mouth marketing and advertising. People talk about stuff they like, word spreads and before you know it, your brand has gained traction and mileage. Word of mouth goes a long way in creating credibility- something every brand needs in order to survive. What’s more, it costs a fraction of the budget and gives massive returns.
Reinforce Branding Values
It is in the realm of branding that the benefits of social influencing really shine. An influencer can create a certain image for a new brand. An old brand strengthens its place in the hearts and minds of its audience because of its connect with the influencer. This loyal audience continues to stay committed to the brand. The long-term benefit of a strong connection cannot be overstated. A brand can use social influencing to gain widespread recognition. When it’s online, and people talk about it, then a brand is here to stay.
A brand can create a lasting impression with the investors and shareholders of a company too. This happens when there’s positive feedback and vibes about the product on social media. There’s a reassurance that time and money is spent in the right place. This can also go a long way in building up a brand and guaranteeing funds to continue the legacy.
Expand Your Online Presence
When we look at stores today, apart from the traditional brick and mortar, there is also massive online presence. If yours is an online business or you have a website for your store, you can generate even more traffic for your site, through social influencing. This is especially true for startups. They need as much help as they can get to create a strong presence in the online world and the customers’ minds.
Complement Marketing Process
However, what one should understand is that social influencing can be a part of your marketing strategies but it cannot be the only marketing effort. When you are new and trying to get a toehold in the market, it becomes imperative to get acknowledged as part of the market and this can be done by social influencing. When a blog mentions your brand the followers will likely visit your website to get to know more about it. They may converse with others about you and this will create the much needed impact that you so desire to be successful.
If you look at immediate returns on investment with your social media influencing campaign, then be warned that it will take time to get back your investment. It is a process, the word needs to get out there and only then will the returns start coming in. Your other marketing options should complement your social media strategy and over time you will find that your brand has the recognition and recall value that you crave for.
Since social media has many formats, brand and product presence is further enhanced. The benefits of social influencing are vital for any business, big or small, so do not wait go out there and find the influencers in your niche and start building your business.
Image from http://realbusiness.co.uk/sales-and-marketing/2017/01/18/trust-issues-putting-influencer-marketing-failure-risk/
