The science, logic, and technique into marketing brands always fascinates me. It can be a lot of work. But, brilliant people also make amazing decisions in which one line of text or one photo sends their brand booming. It seems like alchemy when you think you just have to pour a little bit more of this to this and then just then will you have the perfect marketing material or entrance into social media. I was given a copy of Influencer Marketing for Dummies to review by CleverGirls, and I can honestly say that it was fascinating. It provides a “backward” view of what we do here every day.
In most sponsored posts, there is an exchange behind it which includes the blogger and the brand representative. I, of course, am the blogger who works with brand trying to advertise or market. They are trying to market through me, an influencer, to get more people to try out their products or something similar to that. So, for the most part, I only know about the role I play. I like to come up with honest, relevant content that also connects to the brand. However, I really know nothing about how they seek out who they seek out and what they look for. Thinking of my final reaction, it was actually very helpful for me in reading this because one, it opened my eyes on how to become more marketable (beautiful photos and catchy words definitely help) and two, it has guided me in how we can better market our personal training through the blog and social media influencer world. I would say those are two huge gains out of one book.
My favorite part of the book actually came in the beginning as an eye opener and a “triumph” moment. It speaks of how celebrities are usually chosen for a lot of ads because people trust celebrities that they admire–this has been a marketing technique for as long as marketing has existed. However, the tides are turning somewhat to a more “real” trust. The spotlight is also on bloggers. The real people. That food blogger with the recipes you die for, that gadget review blog who you go to for advice on which thing to buy, and so forth. These are real people who you trust and hey, we are those people! I found that eye-opening and invigorating. Bloggers are becoming a real voice for brands and a point of trust for consumers on what to buy. Power to us and inspiration to rock on.
This book has helped me tie the points together, dot the stars, if you will, in connecting the brand to influencer relationship. I remember one campaign where the points of the campaign seemed a little disconnected. I went along with it anyways, asking questions where I could, feeling a little apprehensive, and constructed the content they were looking for. When it went out, it was a huge hit. I was shocked! Once everything was produced, the blog post and then the social media weaving into it, it came out to be a marketing masterpiece. This book helped me feel less lost and understand where the marketer was coming from and how their genius actually works.
I highly recommend this book if you are a marketer OR if you are a blogger because there is so much to gain from both ends. Knowledge is power! As always, stay hungry and fit!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
