There have been countless studies measuring whether or not social media marketing actually works. So far all studies have come to the conclusion that influencer marketing works!
One study done by Micael Dahlén and Jonas Colliander shows that social media marketing is more effective than traditional media. Beatly has examined the study and compiled a list which demonstrates that influencer marketing is better than regular marketing.
1. Influencers Have Higher Para-Social Interaction (PsI)
Para-social interaction is an expression that describes the relationship that a follower has to the influencer. A loyal influencer creates the illusion that they have a friendship with their followers which makes recommendations from the said influencer as valuable as a recommendation from a real friend. The study also showed that the PsI increases the more times a person is exposed to the influencer’s thoughts and ideas. Because of this, an influencer that writes blog posts and posts on social media on a daily basis has a closer relationship with their followers than, for example, a writer that posts an article in a magazine on a weekly or monthly basis.
2. Publishing Efficiency and Word-of-Mouth (WOM)
As mentioned, recommendations are the single most effective form of marketing there is. Studies show that consumers are more eager to buy products that have been recommended to them by a friend. According to Dahlén and Colliander, influencer marketing increases the WOM rate a lot compared to marketing through traditional channels. A high WOM results in increased hype around the brand which naturally results in more people buying products. In the past, we’ve talked about how companies want to be “top-of-mind” which is directly connected to WOM.
3. Better Brand Attitude and Purchase Intention
Brand attitude and purchase intention go hand in hand in the marketing world. A customer’s attitude towards a brand affects whether or not that person will purchase a product or remain a window shopper. An influencer can help improve the attitude of a potential consumer which is important to increase sales. According to the study performed by Dahlén and Colliander, there is a big difference in brand attitude between a company that has used influencer marketing and companies that rely on regular marketing.
4. Why Writer Credibility is Important
A journalist, advertising agency, or brand’s credibility is crucial to their ability to influence potential customers. In a society where consumers are constantly bombarded with ads and sales messages, marketing campaigns often come off as spam. Generally speaking, customers today are more resistant to ads and commercials than ever before. However,
since influencers tend to have higher credibility than other channels, their messages aren’t always filtered out and met with the same resistance. Therefore, marketing influencers can reach consumers in a way that traditional marketing cannot.
5. Perceived Writer and Brand Relationship
When an influencer recommends a product or a service, the reader tends to assume that the influencer has a close relationship with the brand. This happens because influencers are often perceived as regular everyday people, which also means that people assume they would never recommend a product they don’t use themselves. Another benefit is that influencer marketing is such a new phenomenon that many still see paid ads as genuine recommendations and not marketing, which is exactly what companies are looking for.
Do you have any questions or want help with getting started with influencer marketing? Feel free to contact us at team@beatly.com, we have years of experience in the industry and can provide you with full scale solutions to improve your social media presence.
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