Dive Brief:

• Social media influencers rival traditional publishers in marketing content to audiences, Jason Stein, founder of digital agency Laundry Service, told AdAge.
• One key element of success in influencer marketing is the influencer's authenticity in sharing marketing content, according to Stein.
• Stein recommended that brands looking to leverage influencers must be willing to be somewhat flexible with their brand messaging, and must understand why their brand aligns with that influencer and their audience demographics.

​Dive Insight:

One powerful way that marketers can get their message out on social media is via influencers, although it’s a tactic that is still emerging and comes without any set rules or best practices. But if it's leveraged well, it can be very effective.

"Advertisers pay for people, they pay for audiences, they pay for eyeballs, they pay for attention, they pay for trust, they pay for influence," Stein told AdAge. "And the only way to continue to engage that audience and retain that audience is to create great content."

Stein added that influencers "are reaching as many, if not more, people than traditional publishers every single day. They got that reach because they were really good at producing original content that people wanted with the specific point of view they brought to the table."

While tapping into an influencer's audience can be quite powerful, marketers surveyed by eMarketer said their greatest challenge comes in identifying the right influencer for a brand. Finding an authentic influencer that aligns with a brand and is enthusiastic about sharing the brand's content can make all the difference between an effective influencer strategy and an ineffective one.