Influencer marketing is a highly effective strategy for increasing brand awareness and driving sales. In fact, 93% of marketers have used influencers for their marketing campaigns. In 2016, the influencer market totaled $1.7 billion. This year, it is projected to reach $16.4 billion.
Why the popularity? It's because influencer marketing works. One study shows that influencer marketing produces 11 times more ROI than banner ads, with over 1.2 million additional impressions. Though the term may be relatively new, the concept is not.
Radio influencers, called DJs, were the first influencers. Long before television and decades before the internet, families gathered around the radio for news and entertainment. The voice they heard was their connection to the greater world, garnering the respect and trust of their audiences. Their opinions on various topics and recommendations on products or services carried significant weight.
Notable examples included David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite, and Edward R. Murrow, for whom the coveted award for outstanding contributions to public radio was named. Many may remember growing up with The Rest of the Story with Paul Harvey. He made many businesses a household name by mentioning how much he enjoyed them during live ads on his long-running radio show. It's where we first heard of brands like Leatherman, Bose, Select Comfort, and Citracal.
Today, it's not just the nationally syndicated radio show hosts or social media influencers with multiple millions of followers, known as macro-influencers, who can make the most impact. Many local radio hosts are micro-influencers or those with up to 10,000 followers. Leveraging micro-influencers can be a powerful strategy. Some studies show they can return twice the ROI as macro-influencers, with increased engagement, lower cost, and increased ROI.
Local influencers can make all the difference. Your community wants to know what you have to offer, and they will take the advice of their favorite radio influencer. When their beloved host talks about their favorite restaurant, bar, store, or hangout, you can bet people will show up hoping to run into them.
A staggering 92% of adults 18 and over in the U.S. listen to the radio each week. Of those listeners, 37% credit the radio hosts for being their favorite part of traditional radio. They view the hosts with the same familiarity and trust as friends and family. In turn, the businesses they mention get preferential status just by being mentioned, a phenomenon known as the Halo Effect.
As multiple channels emerged, small businesses and large corporations alike gained even more opportunities to reach and influence their target customers. While radio is a highly influential medium, it is even more effective when combined with social media. Integrating your marketing strategies gives your campaign the one-two punch that broadens your reach and turns shoppers into buyers. You get the benefit of the large and loyal radio influencer's listeners along with their equally engaged social media followers.
The Rule of 7 states that it takes at least seven impressions or mentions before a prospective customer will take action. However, in today's world, with so many ways to present your brand, it may take much more than that to stand out. That's why combining radio and digital is the perfect strategy to get your brand noticed and keep it top of mind for the customer. You can reach the people that are already engaged with the influencer on all platforms, in addition to all their friends and family with whom they share the social media posts.
Influencer marketing is not only growing, it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. One of the most effective techniques you can leverage for your campaign is radio influencer marketing. Radio DJs were the original influencers long before TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook were even on the horizon. The influence and popularity have not faded over the years but have become even more pronounced despite having options available.
Local radio influencers have loyal audiences, and their social media followings are equally engaged. Though there may be overlap between the two mediums, they also reach different demographics. The radio influencer's local reach means their community and audience feel they know them. That familiarity creates trust and loyalty, a powerful tool for the brands that leverage their services.
It can be challenging for brands to stand out in our often oversaturated world, where we are under a constant barrage of marketing messages. However, radio influencer marketing paired with digital marketing can make all the difference. With radio influencer marketing, your business can reach an audience of already engaged followers who trust and value the recommendations of their favorite radio host.