My computer is still throwing an annoying red squiggle under the word "influencer." Apparently, it’s not an actual word.

Well real or not, this “faux” phrase is creating big ripples in the world of social media marketing and producing major results for brands.

What is influencer marketing?

Here’s the definition, according to TapInfluence:

Influencer marketing is type of marketing that focuses on using key leaders [in the social space] to drive your brand’s message to the larger market. Rather than marketing directly to a large group of consumers, you instead inspire / hire / pay influencers to get out the word for you.

I used to think I knew what influencer marketing was, but I’ve come to realize that I didn’t really have a clue. I understood the gist, but I muddied up the details & the purpose.

I used to think that to be an influencer, you needed to:⁠

• have 100k+ Instagram followers

• always be pushing products on people

• always be in awesome places doing awesome things

I also thought influencer marketing was:⁠

• not effective

• not genuine

• not relatable

I didn’t put a lot of stock into influencers. Because to me, they seemed to be pushy, lazy, too into themselves, over-the-top, insincere and/or just out to make a buck. (Generalizing much, Kinsey?)

And while there are bad seeds in every group of people, I’ve come to realize that the best influencers are not any of those things. They’re actually a wonderful resource to connect brands with consumers & vice versa (in a non-spammy way).

Here are the 3 things that have shifted my mindset about influencers.

⁠1) Influencer marketing is really digital word-of-mouth marketing

And that’s my favorite way to buy!

When I need to find the best product or service provider, I will almost always ask the people I trust for recommendations. And that's what influencers do; they 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥.⁠

I like to think of them as bloggers. They’re just people sharing their lives with a following of like-minded people. Their audience chooses to follow, admire, trust & support them.

And influencer partnerships with brands can be compared to affiliate links used by bloggers. They’re posting/writing/speaking about/endorsing a product, and if that leads to a sale, the influencer should get a slice of the pie. Why not?

2) Influencers care deeply about maintaining the trust of their audience

Giving products their stamp-of-approval means a lot to influencers because the trust of their following means the world. Without the confidence of their audience, influencers lose their influence.

So [a good influencer] will be very selective with what & how often they promote. To nurture the trust of their followers, they'll be genuine, tactful & timely with their promotions.

3) Influence is measured by the support of your audience - NOT by your follower count

Brands want to work with people who can convert for them. And conversions happen on an individual basis, not as a collective.

Influencers who are more connected with their audience on a personal level ARE MORE LIKELY to influence their followers to take action.

The best influencers have earned their audience's trust & can promote products in a non-scammy way. And that's something I can support.

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How do you feel about influencer marketing? Let me know below!