Influencer marketing has many benefits. The main one being that it’s the secret weapon for businesses who survive with word of mouth marketing. As a result, influencer marketing is a word of mouth “super strategy” that involves getting sponsored messages included in the conversations created by celebrities and “internet famous” personalities with the goal of influencing the buying decisions of their fans.

Many businesses leave word of mouth marketing success up to chance. Influencer marketing is the exact opposite, it requires that you implement a deliberate plan and invest a significant amount of up front time in order to reap the benefits.

This investment in planning and time deters many people from using influencer marketing as a primary marketing strategy.  If you are avoiding influencer marketing because of this, I would think again. Read the following 5 benefits listed below and you will understand why now may be the time for you to invest in a influencer marketing campaign.

Benefit 1: Influencer Marketing Does not require constant attention

Many marketing techniques require an intense amount of commitment. For example, social media marketing requires you to constantly share a consistent stream of quality content multiple times each day. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, is far less intense and does not require constant attention.

Benefit 2: You’re behind the scenes

Most marketing efforts are very public. Posting to social media, writing blog post, advertising all put you out there for public scrutiny of your style, grammar, and popularity. Influencer marketing allows you to avoid much of this scrutiny and instead leverages the influencer’s public persona.

Benefit 3:  Your work will work for you

Influencer marketing requires a fair amount of up front work. However, once you put that work in, it will continue to work for you even after you stop. Very few other marketing techniques provide this benefit.

Benefit 4: A Fast Track to Credibility

You can write all the blog post you want, share on social media daily, and be #1 on a Google search for your target keyword and still have NO credibility. On the other hand, with influencer marketing, you may have done none of the former, and still gain immediate credibility when an influencer mentions your brand in a positive light. Influencer marketing has the potential to change your life in a single day.

Benefit 5: Your Focus is on Individuals

The hardest part of marketing is reaching the right audience with the right message. This difficulty is eliminated when you need to reach an audience of one. Influencer marketing requires that you target each influencer separately with a unique message. This requirement makes it easier for you to both create your strategy and measure success.

How to Get Started

For a step by step guide to getting started with influencer marketing, I suggest you read these two articles titled: 21 techniques to influence the marketing influencers and How to get the attention of influential bloggers.