What makes marketing with influencers so promising and how can influencer marketing in social networks be implemented as a strategic instrument in social media marketing?
First, the development and growth in importance of corporate marketing activities is presented against the historical background of the past 60 years and how marketing and its focus have changed significantly over this time. In this context, the emergence of online marketing, social media marketing and, above all, influencer marketing will be elaborated and it will be explained what makes influencer marketing so interesting for companies and their marketing objectives and how this differs from classic forms of marketing.
Subsequently, it is explained how influencer marketing can be used as a strategic tool in social media marketing. To this end, three social media platforms that are particularly relevant for influencers will first be presented: Weblogs, YouTube and Instagram. Then it will be worked out how companies can find and win over the influencers relevant to their marketing goals and which areas of application come into question for influencer marketing. In addition, possible risks that influencer marketing can entail are highlighted.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Marketing through the ages
2.1 The beginnings of marketing activities
2.2 Importance of marketing at the turn of the millennium
2.3 Online Marketing and the emergence of Social Media Marketing
2.4 Influencer Marketing
3 Use of Influencer Marketing as a strategic instrument in Social Media Marketing
3.1 The most important Social Media platforms
3.1.1 Weblogs
3.1.2 YouTube
3.1.3 Instagram
3.2 Finding the right influencers
3.3 Areas of use of Influencer Marketing
3.4 Possible risks of Influencer Marketing
4 Final reflection
5 Bibliography
Objectives and Key Themes
This work examines the evolution of marketing strategies and evaluates the strategic potential of influencer marketing within social networks. It aims to determine why influencer marketing is highly effective for contemporary companies and how it can be implemented as a robust component of a broader social media marketing strategy.
- Historical development of marketing and the shift to digital platforms
- The emergence of social media marketing and the role of opinion leaders
- Key platform analysis: Weblogs, YouTube, and Instagram
- Criteria for identifying and selecting suitable influencers
- Strategic application areas and potential risks of influencer collaborations
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 Influencer Marketing
In the meantime, a number of companies are already involved in social networks and operate their own profiles on all social media platforms, precisely in order to form consumers' opinions about their brand or product, to build on the previous thoughts, to keep an eye on them or even to actively influence them with their own contributions.
As a result, the mere presence in social media is no longer the sole guarantee of success, but can rather be seen as a necessary duty to remain competitive. Recently, however, another completely new way has developed in which companies can use social networks to draw attention to their brand or product in addition to their own social media presence and thus reach (potential) customers: influencer marketing.
In the course of digitization and the Internet-based networking of consumers with each other and their contributions to countless topics on various social media platforms, some active Internet users have emerged who have a lot of influence on the opinions of other users with their content and their opinion on brands and products. Hence the term influencer, to German: Influencer or opinion leader. Over time, they have developed this opinion leadership through the content of their contributions, their way of communicating, their knowledge in certain subject areas and the reach of their contributions.23 and are characterized by the fact that they have a large 'community', that is, a large number of people follow their profile or channel on social networks, read their posts or watch their videos and pictures. The influencers enjoy a high reputation among their so-called followers, so their posts are particularly relevant to them and the reach of their shared posts is enormously high.24
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter highlights the diminishing effectiveness of classic advertising and introduces influencer marketing as a competitive, trust-based necessity in the digital age.
2 Marketing through the ages: This section provides a historical overview of how marketing evolved from a production-oriented focus in the 1950s to a network-oriented approach in the modern era.
3 Use of Influencer Marketing as a strategic instrument in Social Media Marketing: This chapter details the technical aspects of major social media platforms and provides a framework for selecting, managing, and utilizing influencers strategically while acknowledging associated risks.
4 Final reflection: The author concludes that influencer marketing is an indispensable strategy that, when executed with mutual respect and creative freedom, offers significant long-term advantages for both companies and influencers.
5 Bibliography: Contains the full list of references and sources used throughout the academic paper.
Keywords
Influencer Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Brand Awareness, Opinion Leader, Digital Advertising, Customer Relationship, Social Networks, Weblogs, YouTube, Instagram, Content Strategy, Credibility, Authenticity, Target Group, Strategic Instrument
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The paper examines how influencer marketing functions as a strategic tool for companies to reach potential customers authentically within social networks.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The main themes include the history of marketing, the rise of digital and social media, platform-specific engagement (blogs, YouTube, Instagram), and best practices for influencer collaboration.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The goal is to explain why marketing with influencers is promising and how companies can implement it strategically to improve their social media marketing efforts.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The work employs a literature-based analysis and research approach to investigate the evolution of marketing and the mechanisms of modern influencer strategies.
What topics are discussed in the main part?
The main part covers the transition from traditional advertising to digital dialogue, the selection criteria for influencers, practical application areas like product launches and storytelling, and the mitigation of risks.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Influencer Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Content Strategy, Brand Awareness, and Digital Consumer Engagement.
Why is "storytelling" important for influencer marketing?
Storytelling allows an advertising message to feel like a subjective, personal recommendation rather than a pushy ad, which significantly enhances the message's credibility and the brand's image.
What is the "labelling obligation" risk?
There is a legal risk where posts must be clearly marked as advertising; failing to do so constitutes surreptitious advertising and can lead to legal consequences for both the company and the influencer.
What characterizes a "win-win" partnership?
A win-win situation occurs when the influencer gains reach and reputation while the company gains authentic exposure to a target group, provided the influencer maintains creative freedom and professional standards.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2017, Influencer Marketing in Social Networks as a Strategic Tool in Social Media Marketing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1180577
