Social Media Influencers and Brand Ambassadors

Social media influencers and brand ambassadors are great marketing strategies for companies.  Influencers and brand ambassadors can be used as an effective tool to reach the right consumers, increase brand awareness and brand loyalty.  These marketing strategies create relationships with the brand through social media.    As the influence of social media personalities grows, companies are choosing to use influencers and or brand ambassadors. For those companies are not sure who to contract as their social media influencers and brand ambassadors,  there are agencies who are the bridge for the company and influencer who can find the right match for their target audience. Although influencers and ambassadors often appear to be similar positions, they both have two distinct roles and positions in social media advertising.

What is the difference between social media influencers and brand ambassadors?

An influencer can cross multiple platforms and require a paid arrangement to do business. Influencers will work with brands they have an affinity for. Most influencers have large, engaged following and a specific area of expertise.  Brand ambassadors are influencers hired by brands for long-term relationships. They differ from influencers, who might only be used for short-term work. Brand ambassadors are paid spokespeople for the brand.

A recent study by Schlesinger Associates showed that  82 percent of companies were satisfied by influencer work. However, the biggest challenge for these companies or brands was influencer selection.  It is essential to do your homework to select the most effective influencers for your brand when marketing.  You want to make sure you are targeting the right audience and your influencers followers are the people you want to market your product to.  An important factor to consider while making a choice is consumer trust.  As shopping online feels more impersonal, the importance of recommendations from trusted sources becomes essential. You want your consumers to build a relationship with these influencers and will be more likely to buy from you when they trust you.