At this year’s Rally, a global cross-sector innovation conference held in downtown Indianapolis, influencer Brooke Wyatt and Select Management Group Talent Manager Logan Watkins discussed how companies can collaborate with influencers to reach new audiences.
“In today’s digital age, influencers are becoming the new power players in marketing, rivaling traditional celebrities in shaping consumer behavior,” according to the panel’s description on the event website.
Wyatt is a lifestyle influencer who has nearly 68,000 followers on Instagram and just over 396,000 followers on TikTok.
To the aspiring influencers in the audience who were looking to grow their platform, Wyatt said they do not have to pigeonhole themselves into posting about one thing. Posting about a variety of content can help tap into new groups of followers.
“It’s your social media platform. You post what you want to post, and the right people will come,” Wyatt said.
Both Wyatt and Watkins acknowledged the power influencers have to reach large numbers of people.
“Influencers are the new celebrities,” Wyatt said.
She added that celebrities are now following in the footsteps of influencers by posting content that is more relatable and less curated.
“We’re seeing that shift of these A-list celebrities going on TikTok and doing vlogs and doing the things that the influencers are doing, and I find that really interesting,” Watkins said.
Can influencers help your business grow?
According to Watkins, companies are increasingly connecting with their intended audiences by partnering with social media influencers like Wyatt.
An influencer’s followers often look to them as they would a trusted friend, Watkins said, which can make their recommendations powerful.
“I think it all goes back to that closeness that you feel to the influencer,” Watkins said.
Brands are becoming savvier with these partnerships.
“A lot of brands will come to me and say, ‘We’re looking for an R.O.I. (return on investment) here. We’re only looking for influencers who have a thousand clicks on every single frame,’” Watkins said.
While many elements are involved in whether an influencer can drive traffic to your business, Watkins said making the investment in those partnerships can help your business reach its goals. Businesses can connect to influencers on platforms like Grin, which allows you to specify the demographics of your target audience.
“If you’re looking and targeting the right influencers, that R.O.I. (return on investment) will be there,” Watkins said.
