Types of Influencers You Should Know About for Your Business

From teeth whitening strips and delicious dessert-flavored protein powder to gorgeous face highlighters, influencers really got a hold on us! It's not surprising that so many of us find ourselves thinking, "I had no idea I needed that!" However, an influencer that we may have spotted while browsing through our favorite social media platform brought the introduction to that product into our peripheral thanks to their platform. 

Businesses benefit from their already-existing presence by attracting more customers and boosting sales. An influencer loyalty program can strengthen relationships with customers and have an impact on their attitudes, behaviors, and purchasing patterns in favor of a brand. In fact, influencer marketing has been used by 93% of marketers. In addition, businesses usually earn $5.20 on every $1 invested in influencer marketing. Businesses are establishing relationships with the key influencers and rewarding them for referring their target customers. Today, we'll go over the many types of influencers that your company should be aware of, as well as take a closer look at the benefits of collaborating with an influencer. Let's jump right in!   

What’s an influencer?  

Let's have a quick lesson on what an influencer is before we get started. It's a person with influence over the target audience in a specific industry niche. They generally possess expert knowledge, credibility, and understanding in a certain area. The appropriate influencer can completely impact the outcome because the audience takes their advice or thoughts very seriously. Additionally, they are able to relate to the primary issues facing your target audience and highlight your product or service as one of the possible solutions. Let's talk about the advantages of working with influencers who draw in loyal supporters before we go into the various types of influencers.  

How influencers give your business a boost  

• Improves brand recognition: Collaborating with influencers provides immediate exposure to the influencer’s current audience   

• Makes your brand known: The influencer's halo effect enhances a brand’s presence among prospective customers  

• Enhances trust: Customers clearly have faith in the opinions of the influencers they pay attention to. Influencers have the ability to immediately increase your brand’s credibility  

• Strengthens customer relationships: Develop ties with the target audience through the close connections influencers already have with them  

• Improves SEO: Working with influencers provides opportunities for link building, and more links equal higher search rankings 

The following is a strong example of the power of influencers: The Detroit, Michigan-based influencer marketing company The Outloud Group helped Wondrium (formerly The Great Courses Plus), a subscription video service that provides access to thousands of courses and documentaries. The company and Allison Lesser, Senior Director of Marketing Acquisition at Wondrium, said that the goal of the subscription package was to draw in a younger population of enthusiastic learners. Lesser's goal was to boost the number of subscriptions in addition to promoting Wondrium's rebranding efforts. 

In order to publicize Wondrium's rebranding and establish a connection with their target market, The Outloud Group employed YouTube integrations and paid collaborations with influencers. Lesser says, “The Outloud Group identified new influencers who were in the niche markets that Wondrium was targeting.” She continues, “[T]his allowed us to reach the specific audiences that we know will like our product.” Thanks to the help of The Outloud Group, Wondrium received 705.1 million views on its influencer content and gained fresh subscribers. 

Types of influencers  

Influencer marketing could be extremely effective, whether you want to promote a brand or increase customer loyalty. Selecting the right influencers for your brand is crucial, though. By obtaining the desired results, selecting the proper influencer can alter the present business conditions. But making the wrong decision could have negative consequences. In that case, let's examine the numerous types of brand influencers. 

1. Mega influencer  

The highest-ranking group of social media influencers includes mega influencers. They often have a million or more fans. They have the ability to spark the interest of their followers with a variety of issues because of their broad audience. They can have a significant impact when you need to launch awareness campaigns or promote a brand. In other words, they may not be subject matter experts in the field, yet they can still have a big impact on a company.  

2. Macro influencer 

Mega influencers are comparable to this class of influencers. However, the primary distinction between mega influencers and macro influencers is that the latter typically get notoriety through the internet. Podcasters, social media celebrities, well-known bloggers, vloggers, and a host of other personalities are considered maco influencers. Their typical fan base consists of 1,000 to 100,000 people. It would be beneficial for a specific industry specialty to influence marketing with those influencers.  

3. Micro influencer 

The followers of micro influencers range from 1,000 to 100,000. They are the most favored and committed to swaying a particular niche's audience. This kind of influencer is appreciated for their subject-matter competence. They specialize in a single area and use thought leadership to leverage their knowledge. Because of this, micro influencers are far more successful in motivating the behaviors that a company admires to achieve an influence on the objectives of the marketing campaign. 

4. Advocate 

Advocates are a particular type of influencer who favorably promotes your company by utilizing a good or service. They frequently interject themselves into discussions of your brand to support or defend it. These influencers are useful for increasing word-of-mouth advertising since they spread a message and raise awareness. When promoting goods or services locally, their favorable publicity is most effective. 

5. Referrer 

The person who directs other individuals to your website, place of business, or online profiles is the referrer. They often feature reliable and trustworthy recommendations of your goods or services. Only your brand is promoted by referrers. Even if people compare your brand to the competition, it will still be the top pick. These influencers resemble lead magnets, also known as marketing qualified leads (MQLs). Their advice is immediately accepted and taken into consideration.  

6. The loyalist  

Followers, customers, or fans who use your goods or services make up your loyalists. Loyalists are a company asset and are created by your steadfast support. They fully get your brand since they have evolved alongside you. This makes promotional activities simpler. They will benefit your company whether they spread the information through social media or through word-of-mouth. Loyalists have a significant impact on marketing plans, techniques, and campaigns and are a valuable asset to your company's staff and objectives.  

Conclusion  

Regardless of the fact that each influencer has something useful to offer, choose wisely. You should conduct thorough research on the influencers you choose for the loyalty program. After gathering the information, move forward with your marketing strategy and objectives in mind to boost customer loyalty. Use the right influencer marketing technique for the industry you serve and the characteristics of your business. Targeting additional customers will undoubtedly be aided by the incorporated involvement. Furthermore, it boosts internet presence and consequently search engine results, in addition to bringing in additional repeat customers. It implies that there are numerous advantages to dealing with influencers. In the end, brand promotion boosts sales.  

Ready to take your business to the next level? Look no further than Loyal-n-Save! Our loyalty rewards club is designed with your company's goals in mind, offering cutting-edge solutions for optimal customer retention. Schedule a consultation and experience a demo with one of our specialists today!   

This article was written by Loyal-n-Save, an omni-channel customer loyalty solution for retailers looking to increase customer retention and new customer acquisition.