David Ward from ANA: Almost 50% of Advertisers Plan to Increase their Influencers Budget

David Ward, Member of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), published an article to help brands amplify their stories, using influencers on social media. “Influencers on social networks are on the rise, and brands are responding. A 2016 survey by Linqia, a provider of content for marketing based in San Francisco, discovered that almost half of all advertisers plan to increase their budget for influencers” he said.Ward feels this group is taking over what it used to be the domain of lifestyle magazines. Now product and style recommendations are done by bloggers, he commented.“Due to the increasing importance of influencers in consumers’ decision-making, brands are discovering new ways to reach consumers, not only to boost brand awareness and obtain more ‘likes’, but to guide buyers throughout the purchase route” he said. Ward quotes Dean Forbes, CEO of Curb Crowser, who says advertisers who only want an influencer to scream their brand´s name will not be very effective.The Executive ends by saying that the use of influencers in a marketing plan for buyers shouldn’t be seen as a unique opportunity, with a short-term focus, applied to campaigns that only last a few weeks. “It requires a long-term alliance between the brand, the influencer and the retailer”.