You are more than likely to have heard the phrase influencer marketing bandied about of late, but what exactly is it and why are people speaking about it?

Influencer marketing places the focus on specific people, or types of people, rather than a target market as a whole. By placing influencers at the very centre of activity, brands hope that followers and observers will be influenced and become customers themselves. This type of marketing can be viewed as testimonial advertising, in that it’s ‘real life’ recommendation as well as authentic (another buzz word within marketing!).

Social media, and digital as a whole, have entirely altered and shifted the way in which customers undertake their purchasing and engage with brands, and as such brands must constantly innovate their marketing campaigns to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

Utilising influencers is an effective way to build trust and engagement with your audience and increase brand awareness overall via their followers. Influencer marketing can be a great add-on to existing content marketing plans – amplification is the name of the game - and finding the right person / people / cartoon / animal to work with is half the battle.

A great example of this marketing done well is the Marriott hotel chain, who have a well-established influencer strategy, working with a number of individuals with strong social followings within travel, food, business etc.

Have you tried influencer marketing out for your brand or company - have you found it successful? We would love to hear your thoughts...