Finding new ways to generate buzz and attention for products and services is many a brand manager’s dream. In an increasingly skeptical online atmosphere resistant to marketing in general, brands are having to devise new and more creative methods for reaching audiences effectively. It is difficult to engineer viral content from scratch, but some methods are allowing businesses and brands to circumvent the process.

One such example is influencer marketing, where brands can reach large audiences overnight via promotions by social media celebrities and sensations. You’ve certainly encountered examples of influencer marketing in the past, but what are the true benefits for brands that decide to use it?

Keep reading to learn more about what to expect from influencer marketing.

Improved Trust

Smaller and lesser-known brands likely don’t have much authority within their own niches – let alone among the broader population. One notable benefit of influencer marketing is that brands can quickly gain exposure and earn trust through its use. Rather than pinging websites and social media platforms endlessly in pursuit of finding legitimacy or the occasional plug, influencer marketing can quickly help build rapport with like-minded audiences.

While some brands will undoubtedly be focused on a particular niche and therefore their influencer options may be limited, choosing to utilize influencer marketing still provides these benefits. If you are finding it difficult for your brand to break away and establish authority within a niche, then seeking out one or more influencers who have rapport within said niche can quickly change things.

More Refined Reach

Even with advanced PPC marketing solutions, the chances of refining your marketing efforts to a well-defined and relevant niche are low. There will undoubtedly be plenty of budget waste when focusing on select audiences using PPC platform filters such as age, geography or even interests – but influencer marketing helps further hone down the audience to a refined product.

While influencer marketing can be quite a bit more expensive than DIY pay-per-click advertising, the true cost isn’t as much as you might think. After all, the average PPC campaign still spends a lot of money on irrelevant or uninterested audiences, whereas utilizing the services of influencers allows for direct reach among an audience that has explicitly demonstrated prior interest in the relevant topic(s).

Potential for Collaboration

While the quickest way to take advantage of influencer marketing may involve paying for promotions via established influencers, it is by no means the only solution. Many brands seeking to grow can find opportunities for collaboration with the proverbial bigger fish, whether it be working on video content, blog posts or other collaborations that benefit both sides.

In these situations, there isn’t necessarily an exchange of money for exposure. Instead, brands can collaborate and ultimately win jointly as their content starts pinging websites across the internet. As in any professional field, collaboration and networking are absolute musts: consider this option if you are not yet ready to pay influencers to directly promote your brand or its offerings.

Influencer marketing can be used in a variety of ways. Whether in a paid capacity to establish trust and reach a particular niche more effectively or to open the doors for organic collaboration, it is undoubtedly an effective marketing solution that benefits all.