Influencer Marketing - The Next Big Thing.

Consider how many times you've seen your favourite Instagram influencer show off their new shoes, phone cover, or product, followed by some type of influencer discount coupon. Influencer marketing is extremely important in marketing and may provide the business with the extra push it need.

Influencers have been back flipping their way into their audiences to find new and fascinating methods to "Influence" their audience, from standard native posts to the ever-popular Instagram Reels.

I was thrilled to learn that George Brown College has asked Ashley Walsh to speak in-depth about Influencer Marketing and its possibilities in today's society. She is currently employed as an account director at North strategic/Publicis Groupe.

According to Ashley Walsh, influencer marketing has progressed from just delivering items or invites and hoping for the best to focusing on data, analytics, and business outcomes.

In today's digital environment, where discussions take place online, a brand is no longer defined by what it tells its customers, but rather by what people tell one another. Influencers are no longer chosen only on the basis of their followers, as was once the case.

The traditional method of picking influencers based on the number of followers and the aesthetic of their feed has given way to a more seamless approach that specifies the campaign requirements, discovers the suitable influencers matched through insights, and then validates the influencer's platform.

This new approach of focusing on brand alignment and validation assists marketers in ensuring that their campaigns are successful in conjunction with and in line with brand goals and image.

Ashley also claimed that 70% of influencers believe their audiences turn to them for direction – so much so that the WHO and CDC have collaborated with artists to raise awareness throughout the epidemic.

1. She also noted that influencers are increasing their Instagram engagement by 30%.

2. The number of TikTok users has increased by 80%, while the number of Twitch users has increased by 15%.

3. A 73 % shift in influencers from polished material to in-the-moment images and videos, as well as an open discussion of changes in their own behaviour in terms of media consumption, entertainment, and so on.

An Influencer marketing job seemed out of reach for a long time, owing to the lack of clarity regarding the road to this position. Listening to Ashley's path to Account Director gave me some optimism that I could work in this field.

However, understanding that Influencer marketing is anticipated to be valued $13.8 billion in 2021 (Lai, 2021) provided some insight into the sector's stability; with industry development comes job prospects.

This job path appeals to me since it requires a high level of creativity and cooperation, as well as the ability to form genuine relationships with people.

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on leveraging important leaders to promote or highlight a brand's message to a broader market, often the B2C market.

I believe that a successful B2B influencer marketing campaign would require a similar approach to the B2C method, with a focus on innovative ways to target those with deep industry knowledge; the type of individuals who can influence "corporate buyers" and seamlessly tap into key business-to-business conversations.

Ashley truly offered us a behind-the-scenes look during our session, for which I will be eternally thankful. Ashley's most useful subjects included current developments in influencer marketing, understanding the distinction between Influencers, Advocates, and Content Creators, discovering (the appropriate) Influencers, and the necessity of validating audiences. Having these insights into the realm of influencer marketing has piqued my curiosity in pursuing a career in this field.

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