According to Jordensky, India is now called as a “Startup Hub” as it has successfully crossed 99,000+ active startups and 107 unicorn companies worth a whopping $30B. We are in the middle of what is popularly known as an Entrepreneural influx as social media is easily accessible to all and so are endless opportunities. But why should brands use social media and why influencer marketing? According to a 2023 Forbes India report a staggering 4.9 billion people use some or the other form of social media and standing at the height of its popularity are sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. These sites are capable of retaining the audience’s attention for a longer period of time all thanks to the different types of content available on the internet at the behest of content creators or influencers. This makes social media a brewing ground for fruitful brand and customer interactions. The future is thus only secure for brands that know how to wield this power in their favour and grow online presence while simultaneously collaborating with social media giants – Influencers. Social media and influencers go hand in hand, the difference made almost negligible in the past few decades. It is a major boon yet a bane for industries and brands who don’t know how to use it to its fullest potential. This optimist article is set to resolve all doubts and make growing brands adept at effective influencer marketing strategies.

1. Increased Brand Awareness  :
   Influencers that you want to target should have a niche that is similar to your product/service which will ensure that their audience is also interested in the same and would respond actively to your collaboration/ad. The brand would gain momentum amongst people who have similar interests which would further lead to a higher conversion rate. The brand will also maximize brand visibility and become a point of interest amongst like-minded individuals..
   
   
2. Higher Conversion Rates :
   Influencers pose a lifestyle that the viewers aim to have, for e.g. a fashion influencer wears branded and designer clothing which is hard to afford but when she adorns something from a brand which is affordable to her audience base, they turn towards it as something that they can style like the influencer. This leads to higher conversion rates and site visits of the brand..
   
   
3. Target Niche Audience:
   Brands should usually target influencers that fit their niche which aims at grabbing the attention of a customer base that is interested in the brand’s offerings. For e.g. If a brand is selling educational courses, they will majorly cater to or approach young influencers who can pitch the brand to their relatively younger audience instead of an influencer who is older..
   
   
4. Renewed trust on brand (due to pre-existing trust on influencers):
   Influencers have garnered support and followers on social media over a long period of time and thus a more loyal consumer base forms over time. This makes the audience trust the influencer and her/his choices more than they can trust any brand, thus when an influencer endorses any brand it fits the sentiments of this consumer base that further transforms into sales.
   
   Thus, by adopting effective influencer marketing strategies, you can also turn a fresh page for your brand and reach a wider audience base with higher conversion rates.