Everyone likes free publicity, even brands!

Done right, influencer marketing delivers just that. In simple terms, it is the idea of turning influential people, within a community of interest, into brand ambassadors for a product or service. 

The concept of leveraging high-profile personalities to endorse and promote products is not new by any stretch. The paid media – television, print, and radio – thrive on it.

Commercials that show Roger Federer hitting tennis balls wearing a Rolex watch and Ashton Kutcher exploring the features of a Lenovo laptop have caught our attention. Subconsciously we know that they get paid big bucks to do it and, as a result, do not entirely buy their pitch. On the other hand, influencers on social media evangelize a product because they use it, like it, or believe in it.

At least, that is the idea!

Here is an example.

Dipika Pallikal, the squash star from India has won seven WSA titles. At the time of writing this post, she is ranked number 12^th in the world. She was recently signed by Adidas to join their “All in for #mygirls” campaign.

A couple of screenshots from Dipika’s Twitter stream are shown above. While the pair of Adidas court shoes that she wears is obvious product placement, the reference to the Brazilian Farm Company-inspired line of Adidas clothing and Stan Smith shoes are subtle.

Despite being comfortable with my Prince squash shoes, I caught myself checking out the Adidas line. As for the Stan Smiths, I am wondering if I should surprise my daughter with a pair!

I have clearly been influenced!

The mechanics of influencer marketing are not complicated.

On social media, a person’s followers, friends, and connections are considered a direct measure of their influence. While not a perfect science, companies like Kred and Klout have made businesses out of measuring a person’s social media influence.

A recent study on Influencer Marketing by Augure shows that a person’s ability to mobilize opinions and create reactions is the most ideal attribute to look for in an influencer. When an influencer mentions a brand or business in a positive light, brands love it. It is free publicity targeted at a captive audience.

So what’s in it for the influencer?

As per the Augure study cited above, eighty-six percent of the influencers expected benefits or returns which were non-monetary in nature. The influencers get reinforced as experts in their field, often getting previews of products, free samples, and access to details not often privy to the public.

So how can you get influencers to mention your business or your brand?

Identifying a small number of people who can have a positive impact on your brand would be a start. They may already be a part of your extended social network or perhaps they follow your competitor and mention others in your industry. Engaging with them at a personal level or through social media channels would be a natural next step.

Bloggers wield a lot of influence in this area. Getting mentioned or written about by an influential blogger would go a long way in growing your brand image. So go ahead, comment on their blogs, like their Facebook posts, and retweet their Tweets.

After all, even influencers like social recognition!