While ad blockers have advantages for mobile users, it is a game changer for the digital advertising industry. It now means, more than ever, digital revenue will have to focus on personalized content that drives readers to buy products and services. Remember our Valentine’s and Holiday Gift Guides?
Today 70% of consumers in Canada, the United States & UK trust influencer or consumer opinions on products more than other sources
Content will be an even greater driving factor as partnerships with bloggers and other influencers advertise brands directly to target audiences, rather than using display, search or video ads. Read more about Influencer Marketing trends for 2016 on the Sidebuy Blog.
Companies that once relied on digital ads to attract customers will have to rethink that plan, as users figure out how to block ads on their browsers and mobile devices.
Sidebuy, a Vancouver-based company recently featured in BIV, is a data-driven platform tech company with an established online influencer marketing platform that connects brands and bloggers and offers a data-driven tool that tracks the analytics of influence marketing campaigns.
Image from “The Power of Contextual Marketing” on Sidebuy blog
CEO of Sidebuy, Mona Akhavi is a Vancouver-based techpreneur who can talk about the movement of influencer marketing among lifestyle brands. Sidebuy is dedicated to connecting lifestyle brands with appropriate bloggers.
Mona says marketing today is about personalization and cites a recent study by Research Now that found 84 per cent of consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post. This indicates consumers find blog posts more authentic and reliable than traditional advertising.
Black Friday and the holiday shopping season in Canada are just around the corner, and the low Canadian dollar this year may lead American shoppers to look to Canadian retailers for good deals.
Briefed had some questions for Mona, who is also a contributor to TechVibes and Startup Grind. We wanted to know how influence marketing will be a dominant sales funnel this #blackfriday, holiday season and beyond.
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What are some examples of local companies you have worked with? What changes have they seen in their business as a result of working with Sidebuy?
One of the Vancouver-based brands that we have recently worked with is Cymax. Their objectives were to raise their brand awareness and promote sales of some of their luxury brands to the American market. Based on Cymax’s objectives, we matched them with two relevant home decor bloggers whose followers were similar to Cymax’s target audience.The bloggers managed to drive more traffic and conversions to Cymax’s website in a very cost-effective and timely manner by creating authentic and engaging content on their blog and their social media. Another example of a local business that took advantage of the power of influencer marketing through Sidebuy is Sweet Leilani, which offers skin care products for those with skin complications. They had difficulty reaching out to their niche market in an engaging way with other online platforms such as Google and Facebook. By collaborating with a beauty blogger, they managed to increase their social followers, raise more awareness around their brand and increase sales.
Is influence marketing the same as content marketing? If not, how do they differ?
Influencer marketing is part of a brand’s content marketing strategy. However, they are not the same thing. Influencer marketing is about collaborating with influential persons who have built large and targeted audiences who trust them. They create content and share their honest opinion about your brand with their readers, whereas content marketing involves creating and sharing any type of content to inform and retain your customers.
Why is influencer marketing hot now? What factors are making influencer marketing the way to go in 2015 and 2016?
Influencer marketing is hot right now because it works. Based on a recent study by McKinsey, bloggers generate twice more sales compared to paid advertising. The reason for this is that consumers are growing to hate brand-created advertisements and with the advancements in technology, they are finding more ways to block ads. Consumers are increasingly turning to social media and blogs to inform their purchasing decisions. In fact, based on a recent survey by Research Now 84% of consumers make a purchase based on a blog post. Influencer marketing is beneficial for both brands and consumers. It nurtures a two-way and mutually beneficial relationship between the two which is often absent in the conventional channels of advertising. Through the power of influencers, brands can turn prospects into loyal brand advocates, and consumers on the other hand, can get access to a trustworthy source of information.
Is influencer marketing more suited to some brands or industry sectors than others?
As long as there is an influencer who talks about a certain topic, whether it is vegan leather or foreign exchange investment, brands can take advantage of influencer marketing. However, for those products which shoppers prefer to research more before they make a purchase, influencer marketing can be more beneficial than other promotional channels as the blogger can offer a personal and trusted perspective on the product, that the readers can relate to.
What is needed for an influencer marketing campaign to be successful?
The secret of implementing a successful influence marketing strategy is in finding the most suitable influencer with a high degree of affinity for the brand and reach to the target audience. Lack of alignment between the influencer’s image and values, and that of the brand’s prospects can seriously damage the integrity of the brand and backfire. Another aspect to be considered is budget: as influencer marketing is getting more traction, top-tier influencers require top dollar. However, there are still numerous influencers that are affordable and produce results. Here’s where Sidebuy comes into place. With our data-driven analytics, our platform can match brands with relevant influencers who have access to their target audience.
Learn more about SideBuy at www.sidebuy.com.
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@KevanKevan