Influencer marketing, deemed “the next big thing” by AdWeek, is hitting full stride in 2016. 75% of marketers currently use influencer marketing and 59% of marketing professionals plan to increase influencer budgets in the next 12 months, according to a study by Tomoson.
We live in a world where word of mouth marketing holds much more purchase influence than traditional advertising. For example, fewer than 3% of Millennials trust TV news, magazines, and books, compared to 33% who rely mostly on blogs to guide their purchasing decisions. It’s no wonder global brands like Nestle, Walmart, and Anheuser-Busch consider influencer marketing programs an essential part of the overall marketing budget.
Influencer marketing has become an undeniable part of a modern marketing mix for five important reasons:
