Tip of the Day: Talk is Cheap—and It Works: Influencer Marketing

Marketing comes in all shapes, sizes and budgets—and one of the very best, and least expensive, is influencer marketing, or word-of mouth.

According to Suzanne Fanning, president of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), influencer marketing is the practice of reaching out to a small group of individuals to influence the rest of your audience. Imagine one influencer telling their five friends (or a slew of Twitter followers or Facebook friends) how great your products or services are—suddenly you’re hitting audiences you’ve never had before.

Influencer marketing elicits a positive reaction because it’s not a company talking to us, but rather someone we know and like. It’s basic psychology. When a friend, or someone you admire enough to follow on social media, raves about a product or service, you’re far more likely to check it out. Why? It’s all about trust.

To seek out influencers, find out who’s talking about your type of business. Do hashtag research, and set up Google alerts for keywords pertaining to your business—these are like breadcrumbs directly to influencers. Reach out to them and send them coupons, samples or content. You never know where your next advocate will come from.

For more information on influencer marketing, check out Marketing Under the Influence.