By Kara Svenson, Marketing Communications Co-op
Today, consumers are bombarded with information on a daily basis. It can be hard to break through the crowd to gain a consumer’s attention and trust. One effective way for brands and marketers to accomplish this is through influencer marketing.
### What is it?
Influencer marketing involves leveraging the endorsement and audience reach of a person, brand or group that has clout with your target market. Endorsements can include writing a review, posting on social media and more. This “influencer” can have impact because of their experience and knowledge, reputation or following base. Some common influencers include bloggers, celebrities, and industry leaders.
### Why is it important?
[Influencer marketing](http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/influencer-marketing.html) is a great way for you to connect with your target market in a more authentic way. People are more likely to trust an influencer’s opinion . This is critical because by the end of this year, it is estimated there will be [70-million ad-block users](http://adage.com/article/digital/ad-blocking-growth-emarketer-forecast-70-million/304615/) in the U.S. Marketers have to find additional ways to get through to their audience and influencer marketing provides that opportunity. Additionally, influencer marketing has a strong ROI, with an [average of $6.50](http://www.convinceandconvert.com/digital-marketing/influencer-marketing-for-businesses/) of revenue for every $1 spent. It is also the fastest growing online customer acquisition method.
### What are some best practices?
I recently attended an American Marketing Association presentation on the value of influencer relations. The presenter described various best practices for influencer marketing. The first step is to carefully consider which influencer is right for you. Think about your goals for the campaign. Next, consider your target audience. What social media platforms are they on? Who do they look up to? What do they care about? There are several tools and networks you can use to discover and connect with influencers. Some great examples are IZEA, BuzzSumo, TapInfluence and HYPR. Finally, it is important to understand that the relationship between the brand and influencer is a partnership, and you need to support their goals too.
### Case Study
Here at Intrinzic, we have ample [experience](/work/everything-but-the-house/) with influencer marketing. In 2015, [we won](/newsroom/awards-recognition/) the Cincinnati PRSA Blacksmith Award in the blogger outreach category for our work with [Everything But The House](https://www.ebth.com/) (EBTH). EBTH is a revolutionary online estate and consignment sale company that combines the personal touch of a hands-on, local business with the reach of a global e-commerce company.
To create buzz for the startup brand and raise awareness within new markets, EBTH engaged Intrinzic to lead a blogger relations campaign. Over the course of one year, Intrinzic crafted a robust tracking database of over 500 possible partners and activated an outreach program targeting the ideal influencer within the online interior design, DIY and lifestyle space. Intrinzic was successful in placing EBTH reviews and success stories of estate sale finds on blogs across the country, including fan favorites such as [Emily A. Clark](http://emilyaclark.com/2014/09/everything-but-the-house-the-best-way-to-shop-estate-sales-if-youre-scared.html), [Sarah M. Dorsey](http://sarahmdorseydesigns.blogspot.com/2014/11/everything-but-house-online-estate-and.html), [DIY Playbook](http://thediyplaybook.com/2014/11/love-estate-sales.html), [Southern Hospitality](http://southernhospitalityblog.com/everything-but-the-house-online-auction/) and [House Seven](http://houseseven.blogspot.com/2015/02/everything-but-houseand-giveaway.html#.Veno0J1Viko).
Due to the success and momentum of this program, Intrinzic recommended a deeper integration of blogger relations in the overall marketing communications strategy, which led to a new Tastemaker Series on the EBTH blog, a gold sponsorship of the Haven Home Design and DIY Blogger Conference and a behind-the-scenes influencer tour at the corporate headquarters.
Interested in leveraging influencer marketing? Let’s [connect](/connect/).
