So what are social influencers? An influencer is someone who has the power to affect purchase decisions of others and boasts a following in a particular industry, which they actively engage with. A social media influencer is someone that has established presence and following on social media.

Social media influencer marketing is a really powerful way to promote your brand and becoming an increasingly popular way for brands to promote their products or services utilising influencers. Influencer marketing should form part of your brand messaging and content strategy, enhancing your overall brand reputation.

You may already be aware that word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing. People trust people, so when your audience hear good things from your customers they are far more likely to buy from you. Studies have shown that people influence 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions. Potential customers are much more likely to be influenced by recommendations from a person they respect.

Today, word of mouth extends well beyond recommendations from friends and family and people now use social media as a source of recommendation. This is where ‘influencers’ come in. Influencers are people who are active on social media (this includes blogs), they can influence action and awareness around your brand. Twitter states that 49 percent of consumers make purchasing decisions from social media influencers, and 20 percent said that a Tweet from an influencer inspired them to share their own product recommendation. Nearly 40 percent of Twitter users said they had made a purchase as a result of an influencer’s Tweet.

So where do you find these influencers? Just search for them on social media. Search for people talking about your industry, sector or service. An influencer will bring you their audience and network, and because of the loyalty of their audience, will help drive traffic to your website, increase your social media exposure, and help generate sales.