[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” min_height=”” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_column_spacing=”” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” border_sizes=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_right=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing_medium=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” spacing_small=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_dimensions_medium=”” padding_top_medium=”” padding_right_medium=”” padding_bottom_medium=”” padding_left_medium=”” padding_dimensions_small=”” padding_top_small=”” padding_right_small=”” padding_bottom_small=”” padding_left_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_vertical=”” box_shadow_horizontal=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” z_index=”” overflow=”” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_background_color=”” sticky_height=”” sticky_offset=”” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” type_medium=”” type_small=”” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ dimension_spacing_medium=”” dimension_spacing_small=”” dimension_spacing=”” dimension_margin_medium=”” dimension_margin_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_medium=”” padding_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” hover_type=”none” border_sizes=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_radius=”” box_shadow=”no” dimension_box_shadow=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” background_type=”single” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_type=”regular” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true” type=”1_1″][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]

Instagram Influencer Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide

Who knew in only ten years of its existence, Instagram would become a social media powerhouse? Currently, the number of Instagram users in the United States is 106.7 million and expected to reach 125.5 million by 2023. In a short period, it has become the second most logged-in social media site for daily use after Facebook.

The app that started as a fun photo-sharing tool today has grown into a business monetization tool for many people. In marketing terms, it’s known as Instagram Influencer Marketing and it’s almost a $2 billion growing industry.

How did this become so popular? The new social media influencers feel more relatable than traditional celebrities. Consumers turn to their favorite Instagram personalities for recommendations before buying a product or a service. Even the most prominent brands are embracing its importance and leveraging Instagram Marketing to increase their brand visibility and sales.

Picture Credit: Influencer Marketing Hub

In this blog, we highlight:

  • What is Instagram Influencer Marketing?
  • Who is an Instagram Influencer?
  • How do you work with Influencers on Instagram?
  • Is Instagram Influencer Marketing worth the effort?

What is Instagram Influencer Marketing?

Wikipedia defines Influencer Marketing as a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, people, and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field.

The growth in Instagram influence marketing has created a massive demand for all kinds of influencers. The pool is vast and diverse, which means no matter the size of your business, you can easily find one to endorse your brand to their followers.

It is an opportunity for companies to market their products without there being an obvious attempt to sell something. The dynamics are changing, and so are the costs involved with it. It is no longer about just sending free coupons or products to an influencer in return for a post or story on their page. Direct influencer compensation is now a consideration as businesses budget advertising dollars.

What Makes an Instagram Influencer?

While there are no defined criteria for being distinguished as an Instagram Influencer, any user who has established their credibility in a particular area of interest and who has a highly engaged following can influence purchases or choices based on their recommendations.

These influencers can be anyone – from an online mom blogger or a celebrity like Kylie Jenner.  Many influencers talk about products or services related to beauty, fashion, travel, food, fitness, or anything else that appeals to our visual senses. When we see the post promotion, we can imagine owning and using the product just as our influencer does. Pictures still say a million words.

For influencers, building a strong following is both commitment and hard work. Attracting an audience has to be intentional and targeted. What’s common between all the influencers is their ability to persuade their audience and make a compelling marketing proposition for brands.

Gone are the days of free endorsements. With the number of endorsements made of influencers, they can be selective and charge expensive fees. It’s important to find the sweet spot between influencer and number of followers. If you are looking for engagement, an Instagram megastar will most likely not interact with followers around your brand in the right ways. Having goals and a plan for the campaign are critical. Optimization of followers with ad spend is key.

How Do You Work with Influencers on Instagram?

Marketing experts affirm that brands utilize sensory marketing with three goals in mind – identify and understand consumers’ emotions, explore and monetize new markets, and grow brand recall value & loyalty.

This graph shows a correlation between the number of followers and engagement rate.

Influencer Marketing Followers vs Engagement

Growth in the number of followers:

Engagement rate among influencers on Instagram in the U.S in 2018 & 2019

Like any marketing tactic, an influencer program requires research, goal setting, and planning. Once you decide to include Instagram Influencer Marketing in your brand marketing plan, the first step is to allocate a budget. This strategy involves knowing what you can spend, so you must understand the purpose of your campaign well.

Your budget decides the right kind of influencer for your campaign. Even with a smaller budget, you can find an influencer who may have relatively fewer followers, but has a pretty high engagement rate on their posts.

You will be surprised to know that Nano-influencers (the ones who have between 1000-10,000 followers) have a higher engagement rate (7.2%) than mass influencers on Instagram. If you want to be sure, there are various tools available online to calculate any influencer’s engagement rate.

Try to go into as much detail as possible, i.e., budget, how many posts, the type of content, etc., to best manage expectations on both sides of the collaboration.

Is Instagram Influencer Marketing Worth the Effort? 

In the last five years, Instagram influencer marketing has grown massively to become one of the best ways to promote your brand to a large online consumer base.

Market research has found that these influencers will continue to be invaluable in building trust that can be tapped to raise brand equity. The future will continue to be about shining a light on your brand with a unique and well-known personality giving us more robust ways to collaborate and grow brand value. We expect to see an increase in marketing budgets to utilize the power of Instagram influencer marketing.

Conclusion

Don’t get bogged down if your first attempt at engaging an influencer doesn’t create brand magic. Instagram influencer marketing success hinges on the honest relationships between influencers and followers, which can sometimes be tricky. And, there are no strict guidelines for using it the right way. So, remember your campaign’s objective and goal and find ways to measure success. Keep doing what works and modify what doesn’t. With practice and the right data feedback, Instagram promises to be a fresh and fun new way to create brand loyalty.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]