Influencer marketing is no longer only for consumer brands or FMCG products. Gone are the days when influencer niches were predictable like beauty, fashion, food and travel because of how they lend themselves to beautiful imagery on social media.
These days, there is a niche on social media for every interest under the sun and thus there are also influencers for each of these niches. This means that most, if not all, types of brands can and should include an influencer marketing strategy to complement their other marketing activities and reinforce their market share in specific sectors.
We’re seeing influencers pop up in niches we’ve never seen before. Some of these non-traditional niches include:
- Granfluencers
- Cleanfluencers
- Real estate
- Farming
- Teaching
- Therapy
- Dermatology
- Health insurance
- Finance…
- ….the list is never-ending
The influencers in these niches became industry experts and audiences follow them to either learn something, get expert tips, or to be entertained. With the rise of social media over the last decade, audiences have evolved from wanting to consume mere beautiful and aspirational imagery, to now also using these platforms as educational, entertainment and discovery tools. Tapping into a world of peers has never been easier.
While traditional advertising still has its role to play, adding trusted voices (in the form of influencer marketing) to marketing plans, reinforces campaigns, their messaging and call to action. It’s another touchpoint but it also adds a real person, aka a face to the brand, who essentially endorses the broader campaign.
By aligning with influencers who reflect a brand’s values and are already naturally inclined to create content on products and services in its industry, brands can reach their audiences through trusted and credible niche experts to speak on their behalf. Looking at how social media has changed the way people find information, it’s a no-brainer to include influencer marketing in any marketing strategy.
Think about it, when people are considering switching brands fo any given product, or want to try something new, they don’t ask brands for their opinions, they ask those who they trust and who have already used said product or service. This includes family and friends but, these days, also includes their social media followers. These are ultimately the opinions that people take into account when making purchasing decisions.
No matter the brands’ niche, rest assured there’s an influencer for it out there; and influencer marketing specialist agencies like Webfluential and theSALT have databases to make it easy for brands to not only find their niche experts, but also their brand fans…those who already love and use its products. These agencies take the pain out of planning, implementing, and reporting on campaigns as they do it all – from start to finish.
My best piece of advice to brands is to at least try influencer marketing to realise what it can potentially achieve if it’s done right.
Anne Dolinschek is a consultant with a focus on influencer marketing and public relations. Her education and experience are steeped in communications with a BCom: Communication Management degree a leading university in South Africa. She has vast experience in traditional and digital public relations with some of South Africa’s biggest PR agencies. Her love for connecting brands with consumers through alternative platforms led to consulting with Nfinity Media, South Africa’s number one influencer marketing group where she is lead strategist at Nfluential.
