What is influence marketing? As it turns out, I have been an influence marketer for three decades. Who knew? And, one way or another, this affects every business. Let me share some important thoughts with you as one of these influencers. Companies use influencers to help with marketing the company, products and services. The results can be quite different from company to company and influencer to influencer.
This may be a powerful way to reach the marketplace, but influence marketing is not new. It’s been with us forever. Plus, it is very important for the influencer to focus on retaining their objectivity. Let me share a few examples.
As a wireless analyst, telecom analyst and pay-TV analyst, I share my thoughts and opinions in a variety of ways. I discuss what companies are doing right and wrong. I follow products and services and the talk about the transforming industry.
I do this through columns, interviews to the media, as they call on a daily basis, sharing thoughts in speeches, reports, books and more. These days, influencers also use social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
IBM invited influencers to recent IBM World of Watson event
Even though influencers have been around forever, only some companies are on the cutting-edge, leading the change wave. Others are followers, but they still grow. Still others don’t get it and lose the growth wave as it passes them by, leaving them behind. We can all name quite a few examples of companies in each of these three categories.
Influencers are growing in importance in the marketing world. They help companies break through all the noise of a chaotic industry. IBM asked me to attend and speak at their IBM World of Watson event or WOW in Las Vegas as an influencer. This is one example of how our most important companies are starting to understand the importance and value of influencers. They understand the importance and value in the influencer community and getting a buzz in the marketplace.
With that said, influencers need to manage and maintain their objectiveness. They are a trusted source of opinion and advice to the media, customers, investors, workers and competitors.
Over time, I have worked with virtually every major competitor in the space, and many newer and smaller companies as well, sharing my opinion and advice. Objectivity is always in the forefront of my mind.
Influencers share their opinion
Influencers are not new. They have been around forever. Think about television and movie stars. They are the stars of corporate advertising. Think about the goodie baskets stars get when they attend events like the Academy Awards. They get baskets full of smartphones, tablets, headsets, watches, pens, perfume and all sorts of goodies. The reason is simple. Companies can say that these influencers have their products or services. There is real marketing value in that claim.
What about the Kardashians? They are just a regular, ordinary family who happens to be huge influencers. Many companies would die to be part of their world and pay them a fortune to do just that. The reason is being part of their world puts you on the radar of countless potential new customers in a good way.
That’s why Nike loved the photo of Tiger Woods winning putt with the camera zoomed in on the ball, as it paused so the viewer could see the Nike logo, just before it fell into the cup. That was a million-dollar shot not only for Tiger Woods, but for Nike as well.
Think about talk shows on the radio. The talk show host uses their own voice to tell you why you should buy from the sponsoring company. Is this advertising or public relations or a sponsorship? It’s all three. But it’s also influencing.
So, influencers work with or partner with a wide variety of companies in many ways. There are so many influencers in so many industries. This seems new since we have given it a name, but the practice has been around forever.
The whole point behind the influencer world is the same as advertising, public relations and sponsorship. It’s to do more business. To increase your customer base. It’s that simple.
Wireless influencer, telecom influencer, pay-TV influencer and more
Every company is on a growth wave. They are either on the way up, or they have crested, or they are on the way down. Companies need to stay on the growth side of the growth wave. That’s why they advertise. That’s why they sponsor. That’s why they us PR. And that’s why they use influencers.
So, are you an influencer or do you want to do business with an influencer? Yes, the term seems to be relatively new, but as I learn more about this, I realize that it has been around forever.
In fact, every person who has built name recognition is an influencer, whether they realize it or not. That’s why I never realized I was an influencer until I started reading more about it, and until an executive told me about this whole world that has been around forever.
Just make sure your primary focus is on maintaining the value of your own personal brand. Make sure you remain objective, honest and unbiased. That is key.
Influencing has become a real marketing tool for many companies in many industries. That’s what companies are interested in. All the people you can help them reach to help them sell more. After all, that’s the whole point of advertising, marketing, PR and influencing, isn’t it?
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