Brands are investing more of their time and money into influencers. According to a research conducted by Bloglovin, it is seen that 63 percent of marketers have increased their budgets for influencer marketing in 2017. This increase in budgets suggests that brands understand the value of influencer marketing and how they can leverage it to boost their performance.

But how exactly does influencer marketing help brands? With the massive followings of influencers, the obvious benefit is that they help brands reach a bigger audience. Besides this, there are several more reasons why influencers have become such a powerful weapon for brands.

They Leverage Authentic Storytelling to Engage Your Target Audience

Influencers are able to engage their fans by being their true selves. They express themselves through authentic and engaging content, which their followers look to for inspiration. And according to TapInfluence, 71.2 percent of influencers feel that their honesty and sense of humor is what keeps their audience engaged.

This is perhaps why influencers are so good at creating authentic content about the brand they promote. The TapInfluence study also found that the biggest benefit of influencer marketing is that it helps tell an authentic story around their brand. 89 percent of marketers in a Linqia study also feel the same way about influencer marketing.

This authenticity keeps an audience engaged even when it comes to promotional content created by influencers. And an engaged audience is much easier for brands to win over and convert to paying customers.

They Improve Brand Sentiment

Brands always strive to win the hearts of consumers and create a positive brand image. So it’s no wonder they work with influencers to promote their brands because influencers can increase positive brand sentiment. According to a RhythmOne study, influencer marketing programs that lasted for two or more weeks resulted in an 8.73 percent lift in positive brand sentiment.

You will be able to experience this benefit more effectively if you invest in influencers who genuinely believe in the product. This genuine positive sentiment the influencers have towards your brand can help portray your brand personality in a positive light.

They Drive A Higher Return On Investment

Another major benefit of influencer marketing is the return on investment it is able to yield. 54 percent of marketers in the Bloglovin’ study use influencer marketing to grow their social media following and engagement. 53 percent use it to drive more sales, while 47 percent use it to drive traffic to their websites.

Other than that, 71 percent of marketers in the study felt that influencer marketing helps them raise brand awareness on social media. 67 percent have stated that it helps them reach a more targeted audience. But these are not the only reasons why brands are leveraging influencers for their marketing campaigns.

The RhythmOne study found that influencer marketing delivers high returns in terms of earned media value. This is the value attributed to factors such as social sharing and publicity as well as other forms of organic digital media exposure. Influencer marketing helped advertisers generate $11.69 in EMV for every dollar they spend.

Wrapping Up

It’s clear to see that there are several reasons why brands are choosing to use influencer marketing as a weapon to overcome marketing challenges and get ahead of their competitors. Through authenticity, influencers help brands engage their target audience and then deliver higher returns in earned media value.