The Secret Sauce: Influencer Marketing

Are you ready for the secret sauce to social media success? Look no further than influencer marketing, where creative collaborations with your local influencers can skyrocket your brand's visibility and sales.

You’ve heard us brag on the importance of influencer marketing before (hint: check out our podcast), but time and time again we still encounter businesses and clients alike who share the same reservations.

Does it actually work? 

Think about the evolution of marketing over the last few decades. At one point, one of the most efficient methods of advertising came through purchasing billboards or even running infomercials. 

If you plant a billboard next to a highway, you’re isolating your viewership to that one stretch of road. Sure, cars will come and go, maybe they take the same journey to work every day, but the chances of your ad clientele superseding those who merely glance up, is slim. 

Instead, what if you had a billboard every 5 miles in town? What if you not only targeted the highway drivers, but also every exit, every detour, every sidestreet you didn't even know existed? Influencer marketing allows you, as a business, to target new audiences and reach new limits when it comes to awareness and exposure.

Here are 4 reasons why influencer marketing is the way to go:

1. Amplifying content: Influencers have built a loyal audience that trusts them and their recommendations. By creating content with influencers, their followers are exposed to your brand, products, or services, which can help to increase brand awareness and introduce your brand to a new audience.

2. Leveraging the influencer's platform: Influencers have sophisticated algorithms that help them reach their target audience. By leveraging the influencer's platform, your brand can reach new audiences that you may not have otherwise reached.

3. Engaging with the influencer's followers: Influencers often engage with their followers through comments, likes, and direct messages. Brands can leverage this engagement by interacting with the influencer's followers and answering their questions, which can help build brand loyalty and trust.

4. Leveraging the influencer's expertise: Influencers have created a niche for themselves and have built expertise in specific areas. By partnering with an influencer in your industry or niche, you can tap into their expertise and reach a new audience that is interested in your products or services.
   

But why stop there? Here are two of our own influencer success stories, the numbers don’t lie!

Indya Agos: Indya is a trauma informed fitness coach who has helped a multitude of women transform their lives through mindset, nutrition and fitness. Our partnership with Indya has superseded our expectations and is one of our key client success satires exemplifying the importance and benefits of influencer marketing. She entered into a partnership with Dr. Booth who is an incredibly skilled plastic surgeon at Austin Plastic Surgery Institute. On TikTok, Dr. Booth has gained 400+ followers since the initial posting of their collaboration, but the growth does not stop there! The top performing content piece has received 3.1 million views, 42,000 likes, 266 comments, 350 shares and 1,229 saves. On Instagram, profile views are up 231% to 1,669, email redirect link clicks are up 145%, and the top performing piece of content has 23,305 impressions! Overall, Dr. Booth’s instagram has increased impressions by 442%, granting him around 88,000 impressions over the last month or so. We are SO proud of Indya and Dr. Booth, and we are incredibly grateful and excited to be a part of this journey.

Lacey Dilworth: Lacey is a mom of four beautiful children and is a local here in Austin, Texas! In collaboration with APSI’s very own, Dr. Haydon, Lacey’s content has reached 265% more accounts compared to the previous month on Instagram, also increasing engagement by 383%. The most fruitful piece of content on Instagram Reels has reached around 350,000 viewers with nearly 7,000 likes, 365 comments, 521 shares, and 348 saves! In the last 30 days, 14,700 accounts have been reached through Lacey’s posting. Lacey has been an incredible addition to our circle of influencers who have truly expanded what it means to partner with brands to not only increase brand awareness but also shed light into topics that viewers are really interested in like aftercare, mental health challenges post surgery and life adjustments.

Influencer Marketing for service based businesses is a bit different from product based, but equally as beneficial. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Finding relevant influencers: Service-based businesses can identify influencers who align with their niche and target audience. This can be done by searching relevant hashtags, following industry-specific accounts, and researching industry experts.

2. Collaborating with influencers: Service-based businesses can partner with influencers to promote their services through sponsored content, social media shoutouts, or reviews. Influencers can also create educational content, tutorials, or case studies highlighting the benefits of the services offered!

3. Engaging with influencers' followers: Influencers have a dedicated following, and service-based businesses can engage with their followers by providing valuable insights, answering questions, or conducting Q&A sessions.

4. Leveraging user-generated content: Service-based businesses can encourage influencers' followers to generate content related to the services they offer. This can be in the form of testimonials, reviews, or recommendations, which can be used to improve brand awareness and reputation.