• About Us
  • Write for Us
  • Paid Content Solutions
  • Contact Us
ExpertHub
  • HOME
  • LAUNCH
  • BUSINESS
  • LEADERSHIP
  • MONEY
  • SUCCESS
  • NEWS
    • All
    • Company Posts
    • ExpertHub Today
    Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

    Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

    Global Tech companies

    Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

    Innovation Summit

    Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

    Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

    Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

    Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

    Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

    SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

    Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

    Trending Tags

    • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • HOME
    • LAUNCH
    • BUSINESS
    • LEADERSHIP
    • MONEY
    • SUCCESS
    • NEWS
      • All
      • Company Posts
      • ExpertHub Today
      Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

      Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

      Global Tech companies

      Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

      Innovation Summit

      Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

      Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

      Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

      Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

      Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

      SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

      Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

      Trending Tags

      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      No Result
      View All Result
      ExpertHub
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home BUSINESS Marketing Marketing Tactics

      Using Influencer Marketing

      Jason Stewart by Jason Stewart
      Nov 9, 2011
      in Marketing Tactics
      13
      Using Influencer Marketing
      Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

      RelatedTopics

      Startup Content Marketing: 3 Things To Do Right Now

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      Importance of Having A Marketing Calendar

      New trends, societal changes and major shifts in beliefs are all generated by various stimuli. Yet what remains consistent is that there is always a core group of individuals who drive such change. They are the Influencers of a particular movement. International brands are shifting mindset as they scramble to unravel the complexities and subtitles of influence. I’d like to highlight why this dynamic is so essential for brand custodians to understand.

       

      A good starting point is to look at peer pressure – a major force of influence across any age group. We all have two major psychological needs that lead us to conform to the expectations of others. These are the need to be right (named Informational Social Influence) and the need to be liked (named Normative Social Influence).

      The ‘friend’ factor

      Our need to be right means that we don’t like to be wrong or be seen as making the wrong decisions. This comes into play when we are uncertain about a brand, for whatever reason, and we generally accept information from others as evidence about so-called “reality”. This is then spread to our friends and family through both Word of Mouth and the sharing of recommendations (whether positive and negative). It explains why consumers rate recommendations from their friends as the best source of information for new product launches and affirms their need to not be wrong!

      Thus the need to be right (or not wrong) drives consumer perceptions about a brand. Often, we as an agency deal with brands where the Word of Mouth being spread is negative yet completely untrue. However, consumers still buy into the negative and untrue perception regardless of what the advertising says or how the product performs. This is because the consumer always wants to be seen as right, as set by the general and most popular belief at a particular moment in time.

       

      Understanding peer pressure

      A study was conducted in the US to see if it was possible to motivate homeowners to cut down on their power usage. By providing each homeowner in a specific neighbourhood with a snapshot of their power usage and how they stacked up in relation to their neighbours, an immediate change in behaviour was effected. There were notable power reductions within the community. All because we care about how people view us. Peer pressure played the major role.

      Research has shown that we shop just like our friends and are in fact five times more likely to respond to marketing messages from a brand that one of our friends uses. This is why Facebook has been promoting the “like” button so much. They know that from a brand’s point of view, it’s possible to influence a broader set of consumers just because our friends have “liked” a brand’s page. It also shows why it’s so important to ensure that your consumers are able to share their love for your brand with their friends. It increases your future communication penetration.

      An Influencer is therefore someone who is able to motivate others to change their way of thinking and their consequent behaviour. Influencers might vary in their Influence-ability, but their common denominator is either high moral or formal authority over others. They are difficult to type-cast. They can be influential either off-line, on-line and sometimes both. Importantly, they don’t necessarily look the part or seem “cool” – they need to be able to motivate others through a perceived knowledge of the sector in order to change peer behaviour.

       

      Finding influencers

      Influencers are usually gauged as being “connected” and “credible” due to the critical mass of friends and peers who look up to and respect them. They are therefore able to motivate change in others. We all know such individuals. Yet surprisingly, each of them is generally influential in only two or less areas of life. It’s rare to find an individual who is influential across all spheres, since all-rounders are seen as generalists. An Influencer’s core interest drives their passion and is the focus for their influence. So someone who is passionate about technology might be terrible with fashion, or vice versa.

      Brands that will perform well in this day and age are those that get to grips with the dynamics of Influence within their target market. Embrace them and they will embrace you.

      Jason Stewart

      Jason Stewart

      Jason Stewart is the co-founder of HaveYouHeard, South Africa's first specialist Word-of-Mouth Marketing agency. Visit http://www.haveyouheard.co.za/ for more information or to contact the agency.

      Quick Links

      • Business Plan Advice
      • Business Plan Format Guide
      • Business Plan Format
      • Sample Business Plans

      NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

      Sign-up for Weekly ExpertHub Updates

      * indicates required




      EXPERT INSIGHTS

      Startup Content Marketing: 3 Things To Do Right Now

      Startup Content Marketing: 3 Things To Do Right Now

      by Frank Hamilton

      Content marketing has become so popular that brands both big and small eagerly use it in almost every marketing campaign....

      Work Life Balance - Morning Mindset Practices

      Morning Mindset Practices Are Key To Maintaining Balance

      by Sheila Vaske

      Work / Life balance is a huge topic these days, and one that really needs some attention. I hear it...

      Must-Have Mindset for Business and Leadership Success

      Must-Have Mindset For Business and Leadership Success

      by Laura Di Franco

      Business and leadership success start with a discipline of mindset moves, including having fun with your fear.

      Improve Customer experience

      7 Methods Merchants Can Use To Transform the Customer Experience

      by Frank Hamilton

      How You Can Transform Your Customer Experience And Why It Is Important

      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Data Privacy Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      No Result
      View All Result
      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In