By Besnon Mambosho

Your brand wants to do influencer marketing or endorsement campaign. As a marketer, you have the responsibility to look for the key influential person or people to work with. Who would be the first to call? Why would you? How are you going to include him/her in your strategy? 

It’s obvious, marketers and brands have employed influencers to be part of their campaigns. A deliberate technique to convince and convert customers.

Consequently, they have become a powerful and fastest customer acquisition source. They outgrow other online or traditional advertising mediums such as paid search, TV, display, email, affiliate marketing, and others.

This is due to the fact that influencers create trust, transparent, market targeting is easy, cost-effective. They are quick to spread word of mouth about your brand, product or service.

Nevertheless, how would you differentiate between influencer marketing and endorsement? Never thought of it, I guess! Don’t worry, I never did too at first. How would we, therefore, understand the difference between influencer marketing or endorsement? We need to ask ourselves the right question. how did it all begin?

The Davis Milling Company is reportedly to be the first company to use influencer marketing. This was in the late 1800s with their popular character, Aunt Jemima in minstrel shows. She was dark-skinned and dewy.

She had a pearly white smile, a scarf over her head and a polka dot dress with a white-collar. The character symbolized her pancake secret recipe, family life, and plantation life. A happy slave in southern plantations of America, famously – called antebellum.

Many companies, artists and brands thereafter adopt Aunt Jemima ideals. Hitherto, Aunt Jemima pancake mix and maple-flavored syrup is a staple product in the United States.

What do we learn here? Your target audience have to resonate with your influencer. They need to be a symbol that influences their behavior, and mentality of using your product/service.

I remember, back in my early childhood, Rambo was one of the prolific movies and life icon. For instance, they even made nylon bags with him standing with a rocket launcher. We called them Rambo Bags or in the native language, ‘Mifuko ya Rambo’ to this date. I mean, who wouldn’t want to come from a shop without the bag? Other live examples are the Marlboro man, Coca Cola Santa Claus, and so many others.

In this golden age of social media. Influencers have become more powerful. People are looking up to influencers more forgetting to pay attention to brand’s message within. Moreover, some influencers work for multiple brands in a year sometimes in a few months or days.

There is very little room for them to fully understand what the brand or its product/service embodies. Therefore, having influencers publish your ad in their social media, blogs or websites isn’t enough.

The former case study suggests, affiliation is important when choosing an influencer. Another important element is the ability for them to build a connection with your audience.

Additionally, there’s another simple to get your brand message across the noise. You can decide to create your own influencer. This is, especially if you are building a new brand. You can also decide to marry an existing one into your brand.

In other words, it’s important to understand how you are going to establish a good and win-win relationship with your influencer. This is especially if you are going to work with them for the long term.

To clarify, think it over first before paying influencers randomly. Not just because they have delivered your ad or have millions of followers. Do intensive research before you begin implementing your influencer marketing or endorsement.

Finally, ask them if they understand the company’s vision. Have they used your product/service? How do they rate your brand? What should be included or excluded in your marketing strategy? Etc. and, remember it’s always important to involve them in every stage so that they ultimately align with your business goals.