Promotes brand awareness
First and foremost, local influencers get the names of businesses out there to people who may not know they exist.
Obviously all types of influencers do this, but local influencers are helpful and more effective for businesses in specific geographic areas.
By offering small incentives, local businesses can turn their favorite customers into their own, personal influencers at a minimal cost.
More engagement
Local influencers are able to connect with their followers on a deeper level than macro and celebrity influencers. They’re more likely to know their followers on a personal level and have genuine connections with them.
Local influencers tend to make time for thoughtful responses and engage when they have 100k followers or less.
In fact, research shows that influencers with 1,000 followers have the best engagement ratio.
The ratio of engagement to followers is more important for social media marketers than the number of followers.
Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, is toying with taking ‘likes’ out of the social media platform altogether.
“We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about.”
This potential evolution will make engagement an even more powerful tool in the influencer world.
More cost-effective
Local influencers don’t need thousands of dollars to endorse your brand. Many are happy to be influencers for small incentives.
Free queso when I post a photo for taco Tuesday? Sign me up.
Giving people a chance to sample your product and share it with their friends and family is a great way to create return customers.
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.
Influencers gain credibility in their niche, the business reaches new customers, and both get their name out there.
Provides access to new followers
Local influencers are ideal for local businesses because the majority of their followers will live in the same area.
This partnership means tapping into a wider market of people who have yet to hear of your brand. Even better, it means tapping into a market of people that are close in proximity to the business.
No matter how incredible a local pizza spot is, it’s highly unlikely someone will fly across the country to try it unless they’re already in town.
Maybe unless they really love pizza, have extra money burning a hole in their pocket and are just dying to go on a world’s best pizza tour. Never say never.
BUT if someone scrolling Instagram sees their friend raving about it, it’s very possible they will decide to check it out on the next date night.
Or if people visiting from out of town see rave reviews about how bomb your pizza is when searching for food on Google, chances are they will want to see for themselves.
Increases authenticity
Marketing experts have long since understood that word-of-mouth marketing is the most effective form of marketing. Local influencers do this without looking like the business is just tooting their own horn.
It doesn’t come off sales-y or gimmicky, just a person sharing something they love with the people in their network.
Because of this, people are much more receptive than a sponsored post from a business page or influencer with a million followers.
Create fresh content
Giving the influencer the freedom to create their own content promoting a brand does two big things.
#1: It lightens the load of marketing campaigns. The business may provide guidelines (like their special hashtag) or suggestions but let the influencer figure out how to talk to their audience. After all, they know them best.
#2: Allowing local influencers to create their own content offers fresh insight into the voice of the target audience for the business.
Paying attention to what influencers say and how their followers respond is a great way to get to know your audience.
Trustworthy to followers
If people are savvy when it comes to influencer marketing, they’re skeptical of celebrity endorsements.
Have you ever seen a celebrity in a skincare commercial saying their secret to looking young is some magical, anti-aging eye cream? I know I’m not the only one that laughs and dismisses these advertisements immediately.
I am much more likely to try out a new restaurant or product in my area if a friend recommends it rather than a celebrity I don’t even know.
The personable aspect of local influencers is the future of online marketing. Think quality over quantity. They may not have a ton of followers, but they have a much higher probability of reaching your target audience.
Reinforces customer loyalty
Partnering with local influencers strengthens their relationship with the business while reaching a new audience, too.
Influencers will use the incentives they received for posting about a brand they love and often bring friends in along with them.
A small incentive can lead to a big pay off that keeps coming back again and again.
Think you need some local influencers in your life? Localfluence has your back. Let us help you get your business trending in your local area.