Creating lots of possibilities for new businesses, influencer marketing is a method using the online influence of people who have the power to affect purchase decisions in order to launch a brand’s message to the target audiences. This way, a campaign will be focusing on influencers (gained or paid) to get out the word for you instead of marketing directly to a large group of consumers.

According to recent studies, 84% of businesses owners are willing to launch at least one influencer marketing campaign this year. Why? The answer is simple.

Standing behind an influencer is great opportunity to release a new product, to make people pay attention to your brand and to be more credible. Also, it is simple because there are many social media influencers on all social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Building a successful partnership with them is an easy job.

Now, let’s see how it works.

In order to understand how actually influencer marketing works, you firstly need to take a look at how social media works. This new digital environment reveals a much easier way for consumers to change ideas and to help each other to make a choice and a purchase. It also means that it opens up a new channel for brands which now have the possibility to connect with consumers more directly, more organically.

For example, Sperry, which is a famous shoe brand, began by finding over 100 micro-influencers on Instagram with similar audiences and interests. Actually, some of them were already between the fans of the brand on Instagram. In addition, they were sharing high-quality photos and a great content about their products. As a result, the marketing team invited them to collaborate for promoting the business on Instagram. Anyone can imagine it was one of those campaigns with long lasting results, made with a minimum investment.

The best choice for start-ups

Customer to customer marketing generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising, shows a recent survey made by Mc Kinsey. Offering a huge opportunity to become known when you have a very low budget, influencer marketing is one of the best solutions for new businesses. Moreover, even though you’ll may not think about it, it is method positively interacting with other important marketing strategies used by every business.

Influencer marketing helps your SEO more than you could imagine. If you’re in doubt, SEO reports say that user generated content and all social posts are responsible for 25 percent of search results for the world’s top 20 brands.

In a digital world where 47% of online consumers use ad blockers, this very traditional method is one of the most effective, holding everyone’s attention and giving fast results. By creating branded content with social media influencers, these campaigns can also be a smart marketing solution for long-term while amplifying the brand message and seducing their target audience.