Social media has had a tremendous impact on the world over the last twenty years. One arena that is really feeling the impact has been the world of marketing.
With the creation of social media has come one of the most effective and fastest growing advertising channels this world has ever seen. It’s called influencer marketing.
Influencers are the alternative version of word-of-mouth publicity that has become a huge part of digital PR as they promote clothing, food, vitamins, and an assortment of other products.
As more users joined social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat, many of these users became content creators who would curate and craft their own stories, photos, and videos for the world to see.
Naturally, they attracted followers and boom, easily the influencer was born.
It is no surprise that influencers have quickly attracted the attention of marketers and that brands are flocking to them for their promotions. Influence can be a powerful thing.
Imagine putting on a new shirt that you are not too sure about, but you wear anyway. All it takes is a head nod from someone who sees you wearing the shirt to restore your confidence and make you feel you made the right choice.
These head nods are a form of influencing, especially if they come from someone who has a big following.
According to a Vox report from 2018, the average influencer can take home anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 per year by promoting products. Users who have over 1 million followers can make more than $100k a year and even up to $250,000 per a sponsored post.
Kylie Jenner is one of the highest-paid social media influencers to date who has raked in over $1 million for just one sponsored post shares with her millions of followers.
It’s definitely a lucrative business for both the influencer and the company that hires them, but not every sponsored post will cost an arm and a leg. According to Mic.com, some sponsored posts can run as little as $50 which means this advertising medium is certainly a realistic option for many people who want to get their name and brand out.
When a company or organization thinks about their public relations strategy today, they quickly realize the power of influence needs to be a part of that strategy. By using influencers as fruitful potential partners, businesses or organizations can increase awareness of their products and message and reach larger audiences.
“When you want to really scale and when you want to reach new audiences, you need content that makes people WANT you — and that comes from having great content. One of the best ways to get this content is from influencers – they know how to tell a story that fits the social media channel’s objective,” said William Harris, Founder & CEO at Elumynt.
So, who are these influencers? Many are regular people who formed cult followings on their social media pages, while others are celebrities such as Jenner.
Radio personalities are also high on the list of influencers. We have considered them the original influencers before social media came around.
There are over 25,000 on-air radio personalities across the U.S. such as DJ’s, jocks, journalists, experts, etc. With their loyal listeners, these personalities are “local, national, one-to-many, person-to-person influencers who drive conversation” according to Tammy Greenberg, senior VP of Business Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau.
Some top names in radio influencing are Ryan Seacrest, Mario Lopez, and Mark Levin. Then you have to consider regional household names and local household names across the U.S and there are many.
Many social media influencers like the Kardashians and Ben Shapiro have also been heard on broadcast radio.
What percentage of consumers are reached through radio each week? A staggering 92%.
Radio reaches more Americans than any other platform measured by Nielsen. Among adults 18+, radio reaches 92% of U.S. adults every week.
Research from Nielsen has also showed that 37% of listeners say DJs are one thing they like most about listening to traditional radio. These DJ’s are influencing their fan bases left and right as they share their opinions on various things.
In an October 2018 survey of consumers in the United States, Statista found that 60 percent of respondents said they had spent under 100 U.S dollars on products endorsed by online influencers. Further 31 percent admitted to spending up to 500 dollars on such purchases.
With many audio hosts available today, like podcasts too, brands are now easily finding several ways to reach various demographics by turning to broadcasting.
Brands can benefit by taking a fresh look at radio personalities who offer advantages over social media influencers. A radio influencer actually talks about a product for several minutes with many details.
“They might even veer off script, discussing benefits or sharing anecdotes,” says Buck Robinson, partner and chief radio strategist at The Media Manager.
“By the end of the dialogue, the audience deeply understands the relationship and engagement between the host and brand. Not only does this transference of legitimacy build trust between the host and listeners, but also between the listeners and the advertiser,” Robinson added.
Sources:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/social-media-influencer-pay