I just ate a power bar because I am sleepy and I am trying to write this blog. I believe the power bar will give me enough energy that I can make it to the end of the article without dozing off. Why do I believe that? Influence. I read it on the package. You see the power bar is actually a chocolate covered chunk of granola - for the most part a candy bar - that has been marketed to increase energy levels when you need a boost. In reality, it is full of sugar that gets me going for a bit, but there is not much in the way of nutrition in that power bar. Yet, knowing all of that from reading the label, I still ate it to give me the power surge that is promised me on the wrapper. It really wasn't what was written on the label that first made me believe in the energy boost of power bars. My belief in them began when someone I knew ate them and told me they were a great pick-me-up. I believed their endorsement.
Influence in marketing is very powerful. You and I wear certain styles of clothing, buy food, listen to music, watch movies, use phones, speak trendy phrases and drive specific brand of cars for one reason: someone of influence told us it was good to do so. Whether we are making conscious or unconscious decisions, we all are in the same boat. We buy stuff because people we consider prestigious endorse it.
It is an election year. We are all evaluating two general factors in our candidates: are the believable and what kind of influence do they have. For their part, the political candidates are jockeying for the endorsements of influential people themselves. Getting such a person to state they like you is big for winning a political campaign. It helps us all buy into the politician. At the center of an endorsement are two key components: Believability and Influence. The same is true of your marketing. If you can make people believe what you are saying, if your marketing pitch is true, you have half the battle won. The other half is influencing your target market to buy the product. This is why celebrity endorsements still have a big edge over social media. An average person can say something on social media and it has some impact. But if someone of renown, like a famous actor, a sports icon or a pop musician endorsed your brand, people will line up to buy it. That is why, in our world of instant and honest feedback, we will ignore the comments on a post and buy what the celebrity tells us to buy. They have influence.
So how is your marketing doing in being believable and influential? One way you can take advantage of this is to seek out satisfied customers. If they have complimented your work, ask them if it would be okay to quote them and use it as an endorsement. You may have to write down the gist of what they are saying and then get them to approve it. You may not be able to pay for a celebrity endorsement, but there are leaders in every industry who are known for their trustworthiness and are admired for their influence. Work your way to them and ask if they would feel comfortable letting you write a short statement for them. In this way, you are working off of their clout to gain more sales.
Take a look at your marketing. Is it influencing people to buy from you? If not, change it up. Put a new wrapper on your own candy bar and convince people it's a power bar. How do you do that? Get someone of influence to endorse your brand. If they say it's a power bar, not a candy bar, it will forever be a power bar. It's the power of influence.