Endorsements are increasingly becoming part of marketing. Big brands such as Nike purportedly set aside 28 percent of their marketing budget to secure endorsements. Social media and influencers have taken endorsements to a whole new level. Famous faces continue popping up on our social media spaces, with influencers earning $5 to $100 per 10,000 views depending on their engagement rates.
Never underestimate the potential positive impacts of endorsements on the brand. A single endorsement can spell a sales increase of up to 4 percent within the shortest time possible. Whether you run a small business or a large corporation, exploring celebrities to influence your brand will eventually pay off. While endorsements may not influence brand loyalty, they remain powerful and useful tools that can magnify the effect of a marketing campaign.
Some endorsements may turn out more valuable than others. The idea of marketers and endorsers failing to understand the concept of endorsement could pose risks to a brand’s image. Therefore, before going down the endorsement road, consider vetting or reviewing the process as wrong endorsements can lead to widespread embarrassment and may devalue your brand.
The Right Recommendation
To set your new company in motion, it’s easy to think of finding a celebrity to endorse your products or services; while this may sound like an effective marketing move, finding the right celebrity to work with can be daunting. Partnerships bring a lot of value to your business. Before choosing whom to work with, consider the following:
Don’t Just Pick Any Celebrity
The truth is there are plenty of celebrities itching for extra work these days. Someone who probably has lost relevance will not help expand your brand. Take your time, scout around for options, and make informed decisions when settling for someone to endorse your brand.
Ensure Your Brand Is Well Represented
You may argue that it’s impossible to predict the future of business. Some celebrities can provide a huge appeal to your brand, while some could pose a huge risk. A single scandal along the endorsement journey could be a black eye to your brand.
Be Prepared To Pay For Good Influencers
The bigger the star, the more you’ll pay. However, if your idea is good enough, you can work out a deal where a celebrity may get some business equity in exchange for their marketing contributions.
Know a Celebrity’s Reach
Celebrities with a strong social media presence are more valuable to your brand than those that are not present on any social media platform. A strong online fan base is valuable, especially when your business targets a millennial consumer base.
Celebrity Involvement
Always encourage your endorsers to stick to your agreement and remain reliable in taking advantage of their connections and that they work to improve your brand visibility and not just to collect a check. It’s no question that celebrity endorsements do work.
However, choosing the right person to work with requires careful considerations as bad endorsements could hurt your brand. Choose wisely and ensure that the person pushing your brand is ethical, sincere, reliable, and marketable.
Endorsement Hacks
People can endorse a brand even if they are not celebrities or influencers. We are social beings in nature. We take special notice of people around us whom we consider experts or leaders. When you see people using branded business pens, you are likely to get clues on what you could do with the products and services of that brand.
An endorsement happens in public. Creating and distributing products people regularly use, such as business pens, can be a powerful marketing move. Celebrating your followers through social media or personally thanking them for using your products can birth repeat customers as they will feel valued and appreciated.
Organizing giveaways and shout-outs to winners can also make more prospects interested in your products and services. Powerful as such endorsements, you need to understand all legal requirements.
Are Celebrity Endorsements Effective?
Yes, celebrity endorsements are a powerful marketing tactic, and they work. A study by the Harvard Business School proved that celebrity endorsements could increase overall sales by about 4 percent. However, celebrity endorsements will only work if they are done smartly.
Therefore, the celebrity you choose must match up your values and the values of the market for you to make the best out of endorsement. You are likely to get better returns if your endorser keeps performing well in their sector.
