In 2006, Pay Per Host, the first online platform offering to pay bloggers for their content was launched, which some mark as the beginning of online influencer marketing.
While this may have been the start of partnering with those who have a digital, or online audience, piggybacking on the influence people have with their audience has been around for a very long time.
Ancient Influencers
Archaeologists have discovered messages from ancient Egypt and Rome that convey that a particular, presumably well known, person touting products such as wines, pottery and olive oil.
Royalty have often been the influencers of their day. In the 15th century the Queen of England began offering Royal Warrants of Appointments to those companies who provide products and services to the royal household. These companies would then advertise the fact in the hopes that customers would say to themselves If it’s good enough for the Queen, it’s surly good enough for my family!
In 1882, Pears soap enlisted actress Lily Langtree to endorse their products, making Lily the first actress influencer. In 1932, Coca-Cola borrowed on the persuasive power of Santa Clause for the first time, arguably the first fictional person influencer.
Collaborating Influences
And it’s not just endorsements. A big topic today is collaboration. Not simply telling a following about a quality product or service, but getting involved in the creation of the content, or product; hopefully making it more audience-centric. These types of arrangements have been around a fairly long while too. In 1760, Wedgemont collaborated with King George III to create a royal tea set. In 1952 Gibson teamed up with guitarist Les Paul to create an icon that helps fuel the music industry. and since 1985 Nike Air Jordan shoes have been another of the most famous and lengthy examples of influencer collaborations.
So, if influencer marketing has been around for so long, it must work, right? I like to delve deeper and find the nuggets of human truth that explain why something works, so that I can use it in other areas.
Let’s investigate.
An Influencer in Every Niche
Marketing is about influencing behaviour. Getting someone to try, or repurchase your product or service. It’s much easier to convince someone who already knows, likes and trusts you. Strangers are much more difficult to influence. But not impossible.
First, you have to get your company in front of prospects to get noticed and remembered. Which means you gotta fish where the fish are. Meaning when seeking new customers you need to advertise where your customers frequent. This is how influencers can help. Those with a following can help expand your awareness to a larger audience. Another tactic is to find one that can help you fish in areas that you don’t currently frequent, bringing awareness of your company to whole new segments of people.
Shared Positions Bond Quicker
In their book ‘Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind‘, Al Reis and Jack Trout discuss how your company should position itself to stand for a single idea, thought or word in the mind of your prospect. Such as “safety” being the word that Volvo was known for at the time. It acts as a mental shortcut in the mind of your customers reminding them why they do business with you. People naturally bond over shared beliefs and values. If you can find one that your company shares with an influencer and their audience, it may help to speed up and strengthen those bonds using this same positioning principle.
Halos of Association
Another reason that influencer marketing works is the Halo Effect. A psychological phenomenon where a positive impression from one area affects our judgement in other areas. For example, an award winning athlete (positive trait) probably has great fashion sense (not necessarily…). If we find one person attractive, we’re likely to rate the people with them as more attractive than we would if they were with someone we consider less attractive. Halo effect is something you may benefit from with influencer marketing. But, the reverse is also true, and definitely something to consider. When influencers go bad, it reflects poorly on those around them. Guilty by association. Also, Halo Effect.
Authorities and Friends
In his book ‘Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion‘ Dr. Robert Cialdini teaches us about two phenomenon at play with influencer marketing. One is Social Proof, and the other is Authority.
We all know that word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. Someone hearing from a trusted confidant that our products or services worked for them will do far better than any marketing material we could show them. That’s Social Proof in action. Anyone who has heard “and if your friends want to jump off a bridge, are you going to want to do that too?” will know what I’m talking about. This same principle is what drives the success of testimonials, and reviews. Social proof removes the unknown. It worked for them, so it might also work for me. Influencers with large audiences is simply Social Proof at scale.
9 out of 10 dentists agree. As Seen on TV. The JD Power Award Winner. Each of these draw upon the Authority principle. Dentists are the last word on dental care. So hopefully, potential customers think 9 out of 10 say this one is a good one, who am I to argue? They’re the authority!
If a company has the money to be on tv they’ve reached the corporate version of what we call “made it” in our personal lives. If you’ve been on TV you must be a pretty big, and therefore fairly good company, right? Big, therefore good. (Halo effect, anyone?) Authority principle.
Highlighting that you were awarded by an organization that is considered to be an authority in your industry also draws on this. If the authority thinks they’re good, they must be.
Many influencers have become authorities by sharing their knowledge of an expertise they have. This has made them an authority to their audience. If you partner with them to create co-branded products, your success may borrow on the Authority persuasion principle.
A Niche For Every Influencer
One difference with today’s influencer marketing is that the internet has taught us that there are influencers out there in every category imaginable. You want to talk to little old cat ladies who like caramels and knitting. There’s a group, an authority, and maybe even a social network for that. We no longer have to continue to find tangential ways that a sports star is associated with a breakfast cereal, or rock bands with lunch boxes. We can find authentic authorities speaking to people on a topic that we each care about and hopefully add to the conversation.
One tip I learned from writing ads, and it seems to work with influencer messages too, is that if you are humble enough to mention something your product or service isn’t really great at, it helps to convey credibility, and induces trust. Admit an honest fault, and they’ll trust you more. Counterintuitive, but it works.
Whether it’s an endorsement, public appearance, full on product collaboration or brand integration, influencer marketing isn’t new; and it’s likely going to be around for a very long time. Simply because it works. But. knowing why it works allows us to use the principles in other areas of your business and life as well.
How are you using these principles in your marketing?
Have you had success using an influencer?
Let us know in the comments.