INSIGHT business coaching
Influencers: Your New Best Friends What is influencer marketing, why does it work and how can it help your business? BY KATHY WALL
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our business is on Facebook and Instagram, maybe Twitter. You have some followers and fans. But how do you grow your audience—and your prospective client base—through digital platforms?
One possible path is through the Instagram influencer. You’ve probably heard about them. Since 2017, the term “influencer marketing” has increased by 325 percent in Google searches. Influencers are the “it” thing, with an increasing amount of marketing dollars being channeled their way. And, generally, it’s money well spent. For each dollar invested in influencer marketing, companies see an average of $7.65 in earned media value returned. It’s clear that Instagram influencers work. But why? First, understand that we live in the Instagram Age. One billion people use Instagram every day—and more than one-third of these users are digital-native millennials. Instagram also ranks as the preferred platform of the decorative arts industry. Most interior designers and decorators have accounts on Instagram, 26 | wf-vision.com | November + December 2019
which makes sense, because design professionals and the platform are intricately linked to the visual. Visual impact matters. An emphasis on beauty means that Instagram is seen as a positive platform at a time when negativity and trolls have created quagmires throughout other parts of the digital landscape. Instagram’s gorgeous images have given it the most highly engaged users among digital platforms, far outperforming Facebook and Twitter. The positive, friendly nature of the platform leads users to feel a real connection to the designers and brands they follow. And that has given rise to the Instagram influencer. So, let’s dig down a bit. Who or what, exactly, are influencers? It’s really pretty simple. They’re people in the design industry who have built a large and engaged following on digital platforms by offering content that appeals to a wide swath of people in their affinity group. They’re knowledgeable in their field and have built an appealing digital persona. They also have become fan favorites because they not only share their design projects but also pieces of their personal lives. Their fans feel like they know the influencer personally, that they truly share something in life. So when an admired influencer recommends something—a product, a service,
