Get on board with influencer marketing: the new word of mouth

"How did you hear about us?" The survey that changed it all

Have you ever seen the question "Where did you hear about us?". Of course you had. It is one of the most valuable questions for any business as it helps determine where thousands/millions of dollars should be spent to acquire customers.

I was astonished when I saw the results of the 6 months audit of more than 20 thousand customer's surveys mailed in to our office. They were participating on a raffle for a trip to Las Vegas, and along with their personal information, of course there was this box asking where did they first learnt about our brand and products.

With 7 years into business, that company had a media expenditure of between $600k-$1M that was entirely dedicated to mainstream media, from which around 50/60% was being invested on TV, 30/35% on Radio and the rest on OOH or Print.

I was sure that the results would be pretty similar to the order of channels we were spending on, but we were up for a surprise - and enlightenment -.

See by yourself in the table below:

"Friend" outperforming Radio by far

So wait, am I telling you that we were spending from half million to a million dollars a month, mostly on TV and Radio, but still you got to our brand by a Friend for whom we paid nothing? Yes, the old and powerful word of mouth was playing a MAJOR role on our business, without us even realizing about it. It was time to get on board with the new way to spread word of mouth, influencer marketing.

Influencer Marketing is the New Word of Mouth

Traditional word of mouth advertising has always been about personal recommendations and persuasive conversations from trusted sources. Influencer marketing takes this power one step further, putting it into the hands of those with large followings on their social media accounts and websites, who can recommend your product to their followers without sounding pushy or sales-like.

People you know can influence you more than a TV ad

It is clear that a recommendation from a friend has more influence over your purchasing decision than any TV advertising campaign or social media message. So how do you leverage that and make it work for your brand? You start by partnering with trusted, relevant and influential people to spread your message. It’s one of best ways to grow your business today.

But let's get practical, shall we?

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Here are 6 keys to implementing Word of Mouth Marketing

1. Finding an Influencer to Work With. Is it easy or is it hard?

Influencers range from celebrities and big names, to much smaller influencers. And the best ones aren’t always the most well-known, as people usually notice when someone was paid to promote something, and the effect of the message looses it's core intention. On the other hand, small influencers are way closer to their audience—and thus more likely to be trusted.

But choosing an influencer is all about making sure they fit your brand, so start by thinking about who's important to you, then look at what they’re talking about and which products they use or recommend. And of course, make sure that their followers are likely to overlap with yours.

2. Working Together with Your Influencers

Working with an influencer requires time and attention to detail. You’ll need to get their buy-in from day one, be responsive and make sure you are giving them space to create something amazing. It’s a two-way partnership that benefits both parties and your audiences if you do it right. Creating a good campaign is all about working together with your influencers.

3. Writing a Successful Campaign Pitch

When you reach out to an influencer, you’re essentially asking them to give you a giant favor. While they do get some kind of payment in return, if they don’t like your campaign idea or your product, their interest will probably wane very quickly. To write a successful campaign pitch, don’t rely solely on numbers; show how passionate and excited you are about what you have to offer but most importantly show them why you like them. Additionally, make sure that whoever is writing for your brand has great skills in effective communication before reaching out to influencers!

4. Choosing the Right Reward

Deciding how much to reward influencers for their time and influence isn’t easy. Do you offer them free products? Will a simple shout-out work, or do you need to up the ante? There are no strict rules when it comes to choosing the right reward for an influencer campaign. Keep in mind that if you aren’t sure what kind of deal would make sense, survey your influencers and ask them directly which types of campaigns they prefer. You might also want to open yourself up to negotiation by allowing certain influencers a say in determining compensation as well as any other details related to their involvement.

5. What Happens After a Successful Campaign?

The results of a successful campaign are easy to track. Traffic, brand awareness, sales—these are all part and parcel of doing business in 2022. But once you’ve achieved your goals, how do you ensure it all stays up? How do you ensure that those who jumped on your bandwagon stay hooked? It’s important to set up ongoing campaigns after an initial success has been achieved. If you want loyal customers for life, you need to make sure they know about your product or service long after their first experience with it. And that means staying present on their minds long after their first purchase.

6. Best Practices for Maintaining Long-Term Relationships

Long-term relationships with influencers are critical to building a solid influencer strategy. It’s much easier for influencers to work with you if they have a history with your brand. These relationships should be maintained even after campaigns have ended and make sure that your brand keeps in touch with them on an ongoing basis. If you put in consistent effort, your influencers will respect and appreciate it—and more importantly, they’ll want to work with you again.

BONUS: Is it Different for the Hispanic Market?

No. The idea behind influencer marketing is the same and Hispanic influencers mirror the same process as other demographics: Find credible people on your target market and try to get them involved with your brand!

Conclusion

On 2022, it’s estimated that businesses who don’t employ influencer marketing will see a decrease in growth. This applies even more for businesses trying to break into the Hispanic US market, as Hispanics index above average for usage of most social media networks. Businesses won’t reach their full potential without tapping into the Hispanic Market with the power of Hispanic Influencers.

Luckily, Hispanifi has your back. We can connect you with the right influencers for your niche and help get your campaigns off the ground quickly and easily. Our team has extensive experience working with Hispanic influencers and knows how to create campaigns that reach this influential market.

Oh, and just for a very limited time, we are offering brands in the U.S. a first campaign with 3 Hispanic Influencers, without paying nothing. Yes, we know the Hispanic market is a hotbed for word of mouth marketing, and we want to show you how it works. For free!

Ready to get started? Book a call today!