The adorable Mila Stauffer is just 3 years old. She has over 3 million followers on Instagram. Kids love her. Adults love her. Brands love her. In fact, big companies like Samsung and Duracell are paying her mom for advertisements. With fans from all over the world, it’s the perfect opportunity for brands to share their products in an authentic, genuine manner. This is influencer marketing at its best.

Influencer marketing uses popular people to reach a certain target audience. One would assume that most of Mila’s fans are female and mothers – a group that cares about things like appliances and food and fingerprint-free surfaces. The Samsung Smart Refrigerator is clearly built for families (it features a Family Hub touchscreen where you can shop for food, organize the family calendar and more).

Rather than creating a flashy ad, the influencers (Mila and her twin sister) test out the fridge. Do they approve? Absolutely.

What Influencers Can Do for Your Brand

You can already see how effective influencer marketing is. Here we are, talking about a refrigerator that most of us knew nothing about yesterday. Aside from creating a great discussion, here are other reasons why influencers are crucial to your digital strategy.

  • They add credibility. Consumers are always being shown advertisements. While some ads are effective at attracting attention, they may not be believable. With influencer marketing, consumers watch the people they know and trust use the product. This is a far more genuine approach.

  • They allow access to targeted groups. Influence marketing allows you to get your product in front of the right audience. Because the ad is not intrusive, people are more willing to watch it and share it with others. This is a fast and easy way to get the right customers talking about your brand.

  • They offer an unbiased opinion. Influencers generally don’t slam the products they’re promoting, but they will offer an unbiased opinion, which people appreciate. They may kindly point out a few things that could be better or features that weren’t necessary. This feedback helps customers have more realistic expectations about your products.

  • They create new dialogue. Followers build relationships with the accounts they follow, so they aren’t afraid to post comments or ask questions. This opens up a discussion around your products and services. Through social monitoring, you can learn a lot about your audience.

  • They offer another way to advertise. Lastly, influencer marketing is another way for consumers to discover your products. People spend a lot of time on social media, so they may miss your display ads or emails. It makes sense for your products to be on social media, too.

Influencer marketing is here to stay. It’s an excellent strategy for generating brand awareness in a real and authentic way. It’s these raw experiences that hook people in and get them to stay.