Don’t overlook the field of new experts – the social media and blogging set – when content marketing comes into play.
Consumers are an impressionable bunch. They once flocked to buy items and clothing endorsed by celebrities. Today they aren’t as interested in celebrity endorsements. Instead, they want to buy the products that bloggers and social media personalities use and endorse because the organic-feeling nature, not always realizing some bloggers are being paid big bucks to influence consumer-spending habits.
Nearly nine in 10 consumers (84 percent) make purchases after reading about a product or service on a blog, according to a study by Research Now. Consumers turn to blogs for either initial product investigation (46 percent) or inspiration for purchases (43 percent). One in three consumers admits to using blogs to confirm purchase choices.
Yet, there’s an advertising economy at work. For instance, fashion bloggers can earn four to six figures to promote a product. It’s not unusual for a clothing label to hire a fashion blogger to tweet and blog about the clothing or to ask the blogger to serve as a model in advertising and then post images on their blog. Personal style blogger Danielle Bernstein says she makes $5,000 to $15,000 for each Instagram photo of sponsored content in her @weworewhat Instagram feed that features a designer’s shoe, purse or clothing item.
Mommy bloggers are actually big business, especially since 50 percent of all women online are moms and women make 85 percent of all brand purchases. Almost 75 percent of online moms feel online marketers don’t understand what’s like to be a mom, according to Sheconomy. Among the top mommy bloggers is ThriftyNiftyMommy, which reviews products and hawks giveaways.
At least ThriftyNiftyMommy plays by the rules. Here’s what she writes on her disclosure page: “Occasionally, I write sponsored blog posts or allow a company to submit a guest post. What this means is that a company, such as Verizon or Cracker Barrel, will pay me to tell you about a new service they are offering or a contest they are holding. These sponsored posts are a way for me to make a little bit of extra grocery money that day.”
