The value of influencers in a communication campaign

They may be potential buyers themselves, or they may be third parties. These third parties exist either in the supply chain (retailers, manufacturers, etc.) or may be so-called value-added influencers (such as journalists, academics, industry analysts, professional advisers). Being able to connect a brand with influencers via online, social or corporate channels could prove to be extremely valuable. The importance however lies in connecting your brand with likeminded individuals who share similar interests and the same values.

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Influencing followers

Finding the perfect influencer will depend on the objectives of the product or campaign that your brand is launching. Some influencers will be able to speak to a broad audience about wide-ranging topics and another will focus their efforts on a niche group of listeners. In 2011 a short documentary about the power of influencers in America, entitled Influencers emerged.

The documentary delved into the concept and found that these individuals labelled as influencers are able to identify a trend within a brand and then 'mentor' their audience to follow suit. A successful influencer will be able to entice their audience to not only listen to their thoughts on a subject, but ultimately connect with the individuals who own the buying power.

The best way to partner with a celebrity or brand ambassador is to find out what their likes and dislikes are. This might involve some online stalking, but once you know how to pull at their heart strings it won't be difficult to devise a plan to get them on board. In a strike of luck, a well-known individual will mention the brand or product on their own accord, thus becoming a brand ambassador without any exchange (monetary or barter) having happened.

Big influencers

On an international front one of the most blatant examples of an influencer is certainly Kim Kardashian. Companies all over the world are so confident in her ability to influence her followers that Kim Kardashian gets paid $10,000 per sponsored tweet. What's even more shocking is that for most of these endorsements she may not even own the product or be required to know anything about it. Another, and probably more credible American that turns everything he speaks about to gold is rapper and business man extraordinaire, Jay-Z.

In a brilliant move by Samsung earlier this year, the mobile giant partnered with Jay-Z by uploading a short video on to their YouTube channel where the rapper describes the new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. The video managed to receive over two million views in 24 hours and ensured that Samsung trampled all over Apple's solid music heritage strengthening the brand's consumer image.

Gaining awareness

On a local front we unfortunately do not have a large pool of influencers to choose from and the celebrity scene is so dismal that the ones in the small group of noteworthy 'voices' have been used and reused to exhausting measures, resulting in a rather diluted message to the consumer. So what are we to do in South Africa?

Enter Bloggers! This pool of influencers are often overlooked, but their potential for carrying brand messages should never be underestimated. Whether these individuals have 200 or 20,000 followers they have the ability to influence this small group and in effect having five or six bloggers in different, yet likeminded spheres will act like a guerrilla campaign with punchy and focused messaging that could be just as effective as using one big name.

The problem with the latter is that messages are usually sent out in the universe with little possibility of enticing conversation, whereas the former ensures a constant two way communication stream resulting in a symbiotic relationship.

Some local influencers worth checking out are, Mark Bailie an eco-enthusiast making his mark on various online platforms; Bert Olivier a professor of philosophy at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth; Sarah Britten a writer, blogger, lipstick artist and pianist as well as singer and songwriter Toya Dilazy.

When including influencers in your campaign, remember these points

• Think small: Rather than getting one big star to support your campaign, get a group of individuals that fit the criteria and
• In order to maintain the influencers' and brand's integrity it is important to always be honest and transparent
• There are no rules with influencer communication, but it advised to ask your influencers to remain natural in all their messaging to peers
• Believe in the brand and know all the ins and outs

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