October 19, 2017 4 min read

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Interest in influencer marketing is at an all-time high, and there is no sign of it slowing down. My agency is being inundated with requests from businesses and brands of all sizes daily, all wanting to capitalize on this popular marketing strategy.

The most common question we receive is, "How does influencer marketing help?"

Many just assume that leveraging the large following of an influencer translates into more eyeballs on their business and or offer, which it does, and more sales, which it can, but there is more to it. Here are the three main reasons influencer marketing has the ability to deliver incredible value to brands that leverage it correctly.

Related: 10 Marketing Influencers That Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From

1. The return on investment (ROI) can be unmatched.

One of the most attractive benefits of influencer marketing is the ROI it can deliver. A couple years ago, Adweek ran a story about how influencer campaigns earn $6.85 in earned media value per every $1 spent, and it created quite the buzz.

Brands are successfully leveraging the right-fit influencers to drive sales as well as brand awareness. Both immediate value and long-term value can be achieved through influencer marketing, depending on how the campaign is structured.

The key, like with any marketing, is to fully understand what your target market is. "Marketing needs to be audience focused and it must authentically appeal as much to emotions as to logic. The goal, really, is to know and understand your customer so intimately that your product or service sells itself. When you can do that, you create lasting value and drive revenue," explains Dana Harvey, CCO of RightMesh.

Along with pairing with the right influencers, a brand needs to take their product or service into consideration. Consumers are going to be more likely to make a $29 impulse purchase than a $299 impulse buy. The right product or service paired with a perfectly aligned influencer can deliver an unmatched ROI, when compared to other marketing channels.

Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

2. Brand messages are presented authentically.

Influencers don't have to try hard to engage their audience -- their following is already highly interested in what they share on social media, which is what triggered the follow in the first place.

Many brands go wrong when they try to dictate how the influencer promotes their product or service. If it comes off unnatural, the response will be dismal at best. If you give the influencer full control, they are going to naturally introduce your brand to their audience, leading to a much more successful outcome.

"It's crucial that the message is introduced in an authentic manner," says Edward Cunningham, CEO of Trippki. "To experience the best results, you need to instill trust, allowing the influencer to promote your brand in the manner that he or she feels will be well-received by their audience."

Influencers rise above other creators because they understand how to create content that their audience loves. The same applies to monetization success -- top influencers are making money because they are able to introduce brands to their following in an authentic manner. Without authenticity a campaign is destined to fail.

Related: This 14-Year-Old Founder Explains How to Market to Teenagers on Social Media

3. Consumers' views of a brand can be extremely positive.

A brand's goal is to establish a connection with consumers through creating a positive image. There isn't a more powerful way to improve a brand's image than influencer marketing, which is why so many large brands are spending an incredible amount of money to leverage the influencer to elevate their own image.

"Being in the business of reviewing consumer goods, it's very clear that brands leveraging influencer marketing are seen in a favorable light, in the event that a consumer was first introduced to the product through an influencer they trust," says Brian Lam, CEO of Trusted Beasts.

For the best results, partner with influencers that actually truly believe in your product or service. When an influencer genuinely loves your brand, it has a much larger impact on how they portray you within their content. When their audience senses authentic love for your product or service, they will learn to love your brand , too.