Grow Your Online Reach with an Influencer Marketing Consultant

An influencer marketing consultant could help your business achieve new levels of growth. 

Today, influencer marketing has become a mainstream marketing strategy in the digital world. Growing at a rate of around 33.4% (CAGR), the influencer marketing landscape is set to reach a value of $143.10 billion by 2030. Soon, it could become the most valuable promotional tool around.

As consumers become less susceptible to traditional advertising campaigns and more reliant on authentic human recommendations, influencer marketing is helping companies attract new audiences and increase brand loyalty. Used correctly, an influencer marketing strategy can improve the credibility and reputation of your organization, create new revenue streams, and even help you to retain more of your consumer base. 

The challenge is figuring out how to make the most of any influencer campaign. 

That’s where influencer marketing consultants come in. 

What is Influencer Marketing?

Though influencer marketing has become something of a buzz term in recent years, it’s not an entirely new concept. For decades, companies have been partnering with influential figures to help draw attention to their services and products. Just look at all the major businesses that work with celebrities and press companies to generate leads for their organizations. 

Influencer marketing builds on the concept of endorsement in marketing, expanding beyond the belief that only celebrities have an impact on consumer purchasing habits. Through influencer marketing, companies partner with everyday people who already have a connection to a specific target audience. 

An influencer is essentially anyone who already holds emotional sway over a consumer base. This can include people with large social media accounts, bloggers, thought leaders, and more. Influencer marketing is successful because it leverages an existing trust between an individual and their audience. Around 60% of marketers now say influencer-generated content performs better than branded posts. Consumers trust influencers to share authentic information more than brands.

Influencer campaigns, like influencers themselves, can come in a range of different styles and formats. Some companies produce sponsored videos with influencers, where they showcase their products or services. Others pay influencers to review a product or highlight a brand in a social post. 

The Benefits of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a proven and effective way for companies to connect with their customers through partnerships with credible, authentic individuals. Today, around 93% of companies say they’ve leveraged influencer marketing at some point. What’s more, around 61% of consumers say they trust the product recommendations given by influencers. 

Influencer marketing works by helping consumers to connect with their audience on an emotional level, establish credibility via social proof, and bypass the restrictions of traditional advertising. Consumers are less likely to ignore influencer recommendations than they are paid ads. Additionally, influencer marketing bypasses the ad blockers that around 47% of today’s consumers are using.

The core benefits of influencer marketing include the following:

1. Increased Brand Awareness

According to 86% of marketers, the primary reason they invest in influencer marketing is to improve brand awareness. Influencers actively improve the visibility of your brand or product by placing your content in front of a specific target audience. They work with you to promote your brand through carefully structured messages and campaigns designed to engage consumers. 

Even micro-influencers with niche audiences can have tens of thousands of followers. Larger influencers have millions of fans, which can also share the content they see with their networks, leading to potentially infinite levels of reach. With engaging and entertaining promotions, influencers ensure you can not only reach your target audience but build interest in your company too. 

2. Authentic and Credible Promotions

As mentioned above, one of the reasons influencer marketing is so effective is that people generally trust influencers more than brands. Consumers know companies have an agenda and will often use hyperbolic statements in their marketing to increase their chances of sales. While they’re also aware influencers aren’t entirely objective, they trust them to deliver more authentic insights. 

Influencers work hard to build their reputation with their target audience and gain their trust. As such, they’re considered authentic and genuine sources of information. Aligning yourself with the right influencer gives your company a crucial seal of approval from someone your audience already respects. Your reputation and credibility, therefore, increase automatically.

3. Targeted Engagement

A good influencer marketing campaign will ensure you reach not only a higher quantity of leads but also more relevant customers too. When you set up an influencer marketing campaign, you can choose to work with a professional who already has a strong reputation in a specific niche. This makes it easier to reach more highly targeted and engaged customers. 

Through influencers, companies can even gather more valuable information about their target audience. Influencers can share reports with you from marketing campaigns to help you see which of their audience members were more likely to respond to your marketing messages. This can help you to update your user personas for future campaigns. 

4. Higher conversions / Increased Revenue

The best influencers have highly engaged audiences who actively respond to their recommendations and insights. Working with influencers not only drives more traffic back to your website and product pages, but it can also lead to increased conversions and revenue. 

According to some reports, businesses make around $5.20 for every dollar they spend on influencer marketing. On the top end, some businesses are making up to $20 for every dollar they spend. The more you invest in influencer marketing, the more money you can create. Influencers can even help you to tap into new markets and niches, so you can access additional revenue streams.

5. Cost-Effective Marketing

Compared to other marketing strategies which boost your credibility and reputation, such as paid sponsorships and celebrity endorsements, influencer marketing can be far more affordable. There are various forms of influencers available to work within today’s landscape, from huge professionals with billions of followers to smaller micro-influencers. 

Even micro-influencers, who often charge much lower rates, can deliver exceptional results. In fact, some studies show nano-influencers with between 1000-5000 followers can deliver an engagement rate of around 5%, thanks to the close connections they build with their audiences.  

Getting the Expertise For Successful Influencer Marketing Campaigns

The benefits of successful influencer marketing are significant. However, many companies struggle to access the right results simply because they don’t have the right expertise. Creating, executing, and measuring the results of an influencer marketing strategy can be a complex and time-consuming process. In most cases, companies need to access some support to ensure a high ROI. 

There are three options to consider if you need extra influencer marketing expertise:

1. Hiring an influencer marketing consultant

The easiest and perhaps most effective way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your influencer marketing campaigns is to hire a consultant. An influencer marketing consultant is a freelance, flexible expert you can work with for as much or as little time as you need. They can assist with everything from setting goals for campaigns, measuring results, and even connecting you to potential influencers. Freelance consultants don’t require any long-term commitments and can offer a range of forms of support, including optimization, campaign messaging creation, and more. 

Pros:

• Affordable pricing with no long-term commitments
• Support with everything from influencer selection to campaign messaging
• Scalable services to suit influencer campaigns on multiple platforms
• Access to instant expertise and insights
• Excellent communication and consistent support

Cons:

• Finding a reputable consultant is sometimes difficult
• You may end up working with different consultants across platforms

2. Hiring a full-time employee

Companies relying heavily on influencer marketing campaigns may choose to bring someone onto their team who can handle campaigns full-time. An FTE or in-house influencer consultant or expert will work only with your brand and focus entirely on optimizing your campaigns. These employees are exclusive to your organization and can offer excellent expertise and guidance. However, they can also come with a lot of overhead costs, as well as a need for consistent training. 

Pros:

• Exclusive support for your business (not shared among companies)
• Excellent knowledge of your brand and team
• The ability to customize the responsibilities of your employees
• Options to add extra employees whenever you choose
• End-to-end influencer marketing support

Cons:

• Expensive overheads for long-term payroll and insurance
• Knowledge gaps mean you may need to provide extra training
• Finding and retaining talent can be difficult

3. Hiring a marketing agency

If you’re looking for end-to-end influencer marketing support but you don’t want to hire a full-time professional or deal with a freelance influencer marketing consultant, an agency could be a good choice. Influencer marketing agencies are dedicated teams of professionals who can handle all the aspects of your campaign for you. Depending on the service you choose, they might communicate with influencers on your behalf, create marketing campaigns, and analyze results. 

Pros:

• Support from a number of different influencer marketing professionals
• Assistance with a range of marketing activities
• Adaptive support to suit your needs due to freelance contracts
• Consistent reporting and analytics are usually provided
• Scalable services for larger companies

Cons:

• Working with an agency is often much more expensive
• You may end up competing for their time with other clients
• You could be paying for more services than you need

Why Hire An Influencer Marketing Consultant

Although there are various ways for companies to access the expertise and support they need to run successful influencer marketing campaigns, working with a consultant is usually the most cost-effective and reliable solution. Freelance marketing consultants are flexible, knowledgeable, and committed to delivering results, particularly if you choose the right professional. 

With an influencer marketing consultant, you don’t have to deal with the process of finding and hiring a long-term employee. Plus, you can keep your budget relatively low. 

The main benefits of hiring a freelance influencer marketing consultant include the following:

• Flexibility: Influencer marketing consultants can work with your business for as much or as little time as you choose. You’re not tied into any long-term employment contracts. 
• Affordability: Consultants working on a freelance basis can offer much of the same support an agency provides without the huge price tags, so you maintain more of your budget. 
• Simplicity: With the right service, you can hire the professional you need, with the right knowledge of the platform you’ll be using and the wider influencer landscape.
• Connections: Influencer marketing consultants dedicate significant time and effort to building relationships with influencers from various industries to help boost success. 
• Expertise: A freelance influencer consultant will have all of the knowledge and insights you need to optimize your marketing campaigns and generate better results. 

How to hire the best influencer marketing consultant

The good news for businesses looking to leverage the benefits of an influencer marketing consultant is hiring one of these professionals doesn’t have to be complex. There are services and tools which can connect you with experts in minutes, so you can start campaigns immediately. 

Here are some top tips for choosing an influencer marketing consultant.

1. Look for Pre-Vetted Professionals

First, it’s important to make sure you’re selecting your consultant from a collection of proven, pre-vetted professionals. Search for consultants who already have a history working with leading brands and have verified skills in their industry. Ideally, you’ll want to prioritize influencers with existing knowledge of your industry, the niche audience you’re trying to reach, and even the social media channels you’re going to be using. 

2. Ask for case studies.

Case studies and testimonials can help you to define whether your influencer marketing consultant has the right experience for your company. A good consultant should be able to share information with you about the previous work they’ve done. They may have reviews and endorsements they can share from other brands, as well as ratings from their customers. 

3. Examine the scope of their services

Different influencer marketing consultants can provide a range of different services. Some will simply help you to set goals and create campaigns. Others will be able to connect you with networks of influencers, so you can jump into your advertising strategy straight away. Look for an influencer marketing consultant who can help you with all stages of the marketing journey.

4. Prioritize transparency

A good influencer marketing consultant will communicate with you consistently about the processes involved in their work and ensure you’re up to date on the success of your campaigns. They’ll produce reports and share analytics so you can track the outcome of each marketing effort. They’ll also deliver easy-to-understand advice and communicate on your terms. 

FAQs

How much does it cost to hire an influencer marketing consultant?

The price of your influencer marketing consultant will vary depending on their level of expertise and the services they offer. It’s worth outlining a clear budget with your consultant when you get started and ensuring they provide transparent pricing.

What is a good budget for influencer marketing?

Your budget for influencer marketing will depend on the type of influencer you want to work with and the extent of your campaign. As a rough rule, many companies spend around 5-15% of their profits on marketing, and up to 25% of that money may be spent on influencer marketing. 

Is influencer marketing a good idea?

Demand for influencer marketing is growing rapidly in a world where consumers are becoming more opposed to traditional marketing strategies. Influencer marketing could be an excellent opportunity for companies to connect with their customers on an emotional level and expand their reach.

Should You Hire an Influencer Marketing Consultant?

An influencer marketing consultant could be one of the most valuable assets you bring into your business. With the skills and expertise required to make the most out of every influencer campaign, these professionals will ensure your marketing strategies drive a positive ROI. 

Influencer marketing consultants will help you to set goals, build campaigns, and connect with influencers who have the power to take your business to the next level. If you’re looking for rapid growth, new sources of revenue, and a better brand reputation, an influencer marketing consultant could help. 

Find your pre-vetted influencer marketing consultant with Growth Collective today. Hand-selected from the best experts in the world, our consultants are guaranteed to drive results.