Can Influencer Marketing Impact Sales Growth in the Automobile Industry?

Influencer marketing has proven to be one of the most value-driven marketing strategies for businesses. Using social media, a lot of brands have been able to take advantage of the power that influencers have over their audience and convert that valuable attention into sales. While several industries are ever present and consistent in their social media marketing game, with 70.7 percent of brands expected to be on Instagram this year, there are still a lot of options for businesses to explore. An industry that comes to mind is the automobile industry. Leading brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz on Instagram are already taking charge when it comes to social media marketing. However, could influencer marketing take their efforts further? Influencers as experienced car enthusiasts One thing that the automobile industry seems to thrive on is experience. The more experienced a user is, the better their taste in choosing a car, or so it seems. Now influencers can take the wheels for a brand and be the more experienced driver, while their ever-loyal social media fans trust them to choose the right brand. Brands can start with finding the right influencers to work with, or use tools like Influence.co and Mention to engage influencers. It's usually recommended to vet influencers to see that their audience actually meets the brand's target market. While there are a lot of social media power users, not all have fan bases that would easily get excited about cars. However, if a brand is able to find one, his or her audience would easily warm up to its products. Brands can connect with consumers directly With influencers on board, brands in the automobile industry can directly interact with their audiences and engage them on what the future holds for their favorite car brands. Dealers have always had an upper hand when it comes to direct interaction with consumers. Even in the social media age, what most automakers do can best be described as "selling." They splash glossy pictures of their latest models on Instagram, making their fans desire their products. With influencers, they can get people to do more than desire their products. Auto Transport Quotes founder and CEO Nicholas Dutko says influencer marketing ought to have taken root in the automobile industry, adding: The best way to bring interaction to the picture in this industry is to engage influencers on social media. Interaction, in turn, will drive growth across all sectors, especially when shared commuting threatens sales. Get response directly from consumers When it comes to the automobile industry, growth is dependent on how well a brand is able to meet the needs and tastes of its consumers. The problem is that automakers don't often get to hear directly from the end-user. Dealers, experts and critics are mostly the ones manufacturers get to hear from. Social media, however, plays a very important role in consumer feedback. According to a report from the CMO Council, at least 23 percent of car buyers use social media to share recent purchase experiences. With social media bridging the gap between consumers and automakers, influencer marketing is ideal in eliciting response from consumers. Here, feedback is not only valuable to manufacturers, but it can also serve as growth engine. James Jorner is a content strategist and marketer at Effective Inbound Marketing. His company specializes in online branding and digital marketing for businesses. Image courtesy of Tramino/iStock.