In recent years, influencer marketing has skyrocketed in both B2C and B2B markets, and with good reason. With a recent survey finding 63% of B2B marketers agree that the use of influencer marketing significantly boosts the performance of their marketing efforts, and a further 89% saying the ROI from influencer marketing is the same (if not better) than other marketing channels, it really is something your business should be embracing.
Still not convinced? Here are six more benefits of influencer marketing your business needs to hear:
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Expand your reach & increase brand awareness
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Increased engagement & sales
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High-quality content
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Inbound links
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Increased credibility
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Valuable market insight
Arguably, the most widely recognised benefit of influencer marketing is the ability to reach a large number of people within your target audience. Not only will your message be seen by the most relevant people to your business, it will be heard, too. Influencers have large followings for a reason: people are interested in what they have to say. With 84% of B2B marketers working with influencers to create brand awareness, and 78% saying they achieved increased social reach after working with influencers, it’s safe to say that it’s a worthwhile investment.
Influencers are called influencers for a reason: they have the power to inspire and motivate their audience’s beliefs and actions. Trusted and respected by their large number of followers, influencers can drive a lot of traffic to your site – but it doesn’t end there. Not only will they increase the volume traffic to your website, but they will boost the quality, too. A recent survey found that 71% of marketers say traffic and leads from influencer marketing are better qualified than those from other channels.
Along with driving targeted traffic to your website, influencers really know how to encourage sales: with 91% of B2B purchase decisions being influenced by word of mouth and 69% of marketers saying influencers help generate new leads.
Whether it’s a blog post, Instagram photo or YouTube video, you can expect the standard of content produced by an influencer to be high – after all, it is their job. Not only will the standard of content be high, but more importantly, it will be relevant to your audience.
Influencers know exactly what their audience wants to see, meaning they can tailor their posts to maximise impact and generate more engagement. As a business, you will be able to repost and repurpose this content and use it again and again across all of your digital channels.
Another benefit of influencer marketing is it helps to boost your SEO through the acquisition of inbound links from high-quality sites. Think about it, each post an influencer publishes to their blog or social media channels to promote your business will (or certainly should) contain a link to your site.
Influencers are respected and trusted within their niches, meaning if they promote your business to their followers, it’s likely to be well received. Ultimately, people want to do business with people they can trust and relate to; an influencer can help to humanise your brand and enable the creation of those meaningful relationships your customers crave. And the proof is in the pudding: 64% of marketers agree that influencer marketing has helped increase their brand credibility.
Influencers are experts within their industries, and with 77% of customers relying on advice from these industry experts, you can almost guarantee that every influencer is up to date with all the latest trends within their niche. Whether you are looking to launch a new product or service, improve conversions or drive engagement, asking for advice from an influencer can be very beneficial for your business.
With an undeniable set of benefits and 96% of B2B brands saying they are confident about influencer marketing, now is the time to start building relationships and getting key influencers on board with your brand. If you’re looking for help developing your influencer marketing strategy, check out our B2B influencer marketing services page here, or contact us today for a free consultation.
