Month: April 2017

Categories
SEO

Schema Markup Guide

Schema is a type of structured data. Structured data is information presented in a universally understood format. In terms of websites, this means search engine bots are able to tell what a page is about and what elements it contains with greater ease. In return, searchers get more useful results, creating a better user experience.

Without structured data, webpages are nothing but information; there is no context. The structured data gives it context. Schema.org is a markup vocabulary for structured data, created by Google, Bing, Yandex, and Yahoo. They built the vocabulary with the intention of creating something that every search engine is able to understand, though it’s not clear if any other search engines are actually using it.

When you see a search engine result that features extra information, such as ratings, that’s because the website is using schema.org markup code to tell the search engines the rating content is there. The rich data and snippets create a more informative result, which generally increases click-through rates.

Surprisingly enough, only 0.3% of websites are using Schema markup, so I’m writing this to help you learn how you can use it on your own website to improve the appearance of your search engine results.

What Can You Do With Schema.org Markup?

Schema lets you do all kinds of things. For example, you can add data types like:

  • Articles
  • Local Businesses
  • Book Reviews
  • Events
  • Restaurants
  • Recipes
  • TV Episodes with Ratings
  • Movies
  • Products
  • Software Applications
  • TV Episodes

I can’t go over every single thing you can do with Schema – because if I did, this blog post would end up being more like a book. So, if you’re interested in seeing everything you can do, head on over to Schema.org to get the full list.

You can mark up everything from products to events and recipes. If your website has any kind of events, organizations, people, places, products, or creative work, it can benefit from the use of Schema markup data.

All the types of information have additional properties you can use to describe it in more detail. If I wanted to list a book on my website – that’s a creative work. Then, from there, properties could include: name (that’s where you’d put the title, of course), illustrator, ISBN, and more. Other properties are also possible, depending on how you want to describe the book.

Why Does Schema Matter?

Take chocolate, for instance. It’s both a yummy ingredient for many recipes, and a 2008 movie. When someone searches for chocolate, chances are they’re looking for information about the food, but, there’s always the chance they’re looking for the movie, too. And without Schema, Google can’t tell the difference between the search for a recipe, and the search for the film. That’s exactly why schema matters – and why you should be adding it to your code. The extra bit of code gives search engines what it needs to know that you’re talking about the ingredient, not the movie – and allows people who are searching for chocolate recipes to get more of what they’re looking for.

So, let’s look at what the code would look like if we wanted to talk about the movie, versus what it would look like if we were including a recipe.

Movie code:

<div itemscope itemtype=”http://schema.org/Movie“>

<h1 itemprop=”name”>Chocolate</h1>

Recipe ingredient:

<div itemscope itemtype=”http://schema.org/Recipe“>

<span itemprop=”ingredients”>chocolate</span>

As you can see, the schema markup fits right inside whatever other HTML properties you want to give the item for display.

IMDb and other movie websites use schema to show movie ratings, which allows Google to pull that into their search results and show it on the results pages for applicable queries.

Food blogs and other recipe websites use schema, which allows Google to pull in the recipe image, ratings, and other details into their search results and show it on results pages for applicable queries. Where recipes are concerned, the use of schema is how Google adds your recipe to recipe specific search results, like the ones shown below.

 

What If I’m Not a Coder?

If you’re not comfortable with coding everything yourself, that’s okay. Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper can help you create the basic Schema markup for several things.  All you have to do to get started is choose the type of markup you want to do, then enter the URL for your website. Then, you’ll be able to click through and tag the appropriate parts of the website. From there, you’ll be given the HTML code you need to include.

Then you’ll paste the code in the appropriate place in your source code – looking for the highlighted parts. If you’d rather not do that, you can download the HTML file that’s automatically generated, and pasted that into your content management system (CMS) or source code.

You can also use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to see if your rich snippets are properly configured. If it doesn’t show up in the search results like you think it should, or expected it to, this tool can help you determine where the issue is.

You can also use other code generators to help you get the job done. These include:

JSON-LD Schema Generator lets you choose the type of markup you want to create. You’ll be able to choose from: local business, person, product, event, organization, or website. Fill out as much of the information as you can, and then copy the generated code. Paste it in the head section of your HTML code, and test it with Google’s testing tool.

Microformats.org creator has tools for hCard, hCalendar, and hReview. hCard is used for publishing people, companies, and organizations – like a vCard contact on your phone. hCalendar is used is used to markup events, using components of the iCalendar format. hReview is used for user reviews, whether of books, events, products, or services.

Schema App is a paid platform that allows you to quickly and easily deploy schema markup to any platform. The app will create the JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data (JSON-LD) code for you, and you don’t have to worry about pasting it because the app will do it for you. The platform will also notify you when Google chances recommendations, and lets you update your markup in a few clicks. Pricing starts at $15/month for one domain and one user – after a 14-day free trial. There is also a WordPress plugin.

If that is a bit too much for you and you’re using a CMS like WordPress, then you can turn to plugins to help you get the job done. A word of warning, however, not all schema WordPress plugins are created equally. In addition to the one above, options include:

  • WP Rich Snippets: This is a premium plugin, with pricing starting at $69/year for a single site license, a year’s worth of support, and a year’s worth of updates. Higher tier plans are available for additional site licenses and include add-ons. If you’d rather, you can pay a one-time fee of $399 to get unlimited site licenses, unlimited support, and unlimited updates. The add-ons include: anonymous user reviews, call to action, data tables and ranking tables, front end entry submission, user reviews image (so registered users can submit their reviews and include images if desired), and more.
  • All In One Schema.org Rich Snippets: This is a free plugin that makes it easier to create rich snippets for all of your content. It will help you create the schema markup without needing to know and understand how to manually write the code.
  • Rich Snippets WordPress Plugins: This is a $20 plugin from Code Canyon. It’s a schema shortcode generator so you can implement schema markup on your website and you can set your data to be either visible or invisible.If they are visible, your audience can see it – but if they’re not visible, the search engines can still see it. This plugin doesn’t implement schema site wide, but gives you more control over it.

Will Schema Improve My Rankings?

Unfortunately, there’s no clear cut answer. There’s not any conclusive evidence that suggests using the markup improves SEO rankings, but that doesn’t mean you should skip using it. The idea is that when your website has more extensive rich snippets, you will have a better click through rate. Over time, the increased click through rate may help boost your ranking. The more data you can markup with schema, and the more detailed you make it, the better off you could be in the long run. Why wait for it become a proven ranking factor to make changes to all your content?

Schema isn’t just for websites…

Schema markup isn’t limited to websites. You can also use it in emails to trigger Google Now cards, get information such as flight searches, tracking numbers of packages, and so on to show up in the user’s search results, and add actions to email.

Schema’s been around for a while, so if you’re already using it – how have you noticed it affecting your rankings and click through rates? Share your experience in the comments below.

Categories
Outreach

How to Reach the Entrepreneur Community

The entrepreneur community is massive. With the world moving ever-closer to the “gig economy,” more people than ever are choosing to make the jump into self-employment and self-run businesses. That network can be a significant source of support and value – but only if you reach them the right way.

As entrepreneurs, we all know the marketing hustle and what it looks like; that can make us especially critical of attempts at communication. Many people experience this “connection shock” on a daily basis. Similar to content shock, this simply refers to the fact that many of us are just completely burned out on emails and requests for our attention. That drives us to become immediately critical of connections on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook.

So how can you, as an entrepreneur, cut through the crud and get your message noticed in a sea of connections? There’s really no easy answer, but it all starts with being transparent and honest about why you want to connect.

Be Transparent

There’s a movement in some circles to mask exactly why you want to connect, at least at first. Unscrupulous content companies will sell you connection services that scour potential contact profiles for little details, using that information to then connect with them and seem more personable.

An example: someone you want to connect with about a business opportunity attended a certain university. In an effort to “warm up” the connection, an unscrupulous marketing company will send an introductory message that specifically mentions the university’s sports team in a way that makes it sound as if you went there, too.

Make no mistake – unless you really did attend, this is deceptive, and most entrepreneurs will see right through it.

Being transparent about why you are contacting someone is valuable here; it shows that you aren’t underestimating the entrepreneur you want to connect with. But transparency doesn’t mean you need to reveal everything right out of the gate.

Start with a subject line that reflects your interests, yet is personable. If you have a product you believe someone would find interest in, consider offering a free preview or test item. If it’s advice you’re seeking, make this clear, too. Avoid masking your connections or inflating them by including “urgent” or “important” in the subject line unless it’s actually a critical situation; this feels pushy and is more likely to turn people off.

Attend Face-to-Face Events

Connecting online is important, but it’s not the be-all, end-all of everything. In-person networking events are a crucial way to establish yourself and reach out to the entrepreneur community. They’re so vital to your success that it may even be worth traveling to them via airplane if you live in an area without any events. Of particular interest to most entrepreneurs are all of the following:

 

Each of these conferences offers something slightly different, but they all have one main common feature: they allow you to network with the entrepreneur community directly. Don’t underestimate the value of industry-specific events, either; whatever your niche is, they’ll allow you to reach people already working in your field.

Get Active (And Provide Valuable Content) On Social Media

Are you on LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter? Possibly even YouTube, too? If not, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to reach the entrepreneur community. Today’s millennial entrepreneurs spend more time on social media than anywhere else, and if you don’t get in the game (regardless of your own age), you’re going to miss them while they’re off connecting with others.

But simply getting on social media isn’t enough. Going back to the aforementioned content and connection shock, you have to bear in mind that most entrepreneurs are inundated with mindless posts day-in and day-out on all platforms. Find a way to add value to your updates and you’ll stand a better chance.

What exactly does “value” mean? Think about it this way; what is it about your posts that would drive someone to like or share them over anyone else’s content? Are they funnier, more human, more insightful, or filled with truly helpful advice for entrepreneurs? Use your experience and think about what you would find value yourself, as an entrepreneur, and apply basic social media marketing strategies for best results.

Join Entrepreneurial Groups and Organizations

One of the best ways to cut through the sheer avalanche of information entrepreneurs have to filter through on a daily basis is to join groups, websites, and organizations designed with the entrepreneur in mind. Many of these – including some of LinkedIn’s largest and most famous groups – exist solely to allow entrepreneurs to connect outside of the very watered-down general online environment. But both offline and online organizations are beneficial; it offers you the opportunity to connect and reach out to other entrepreneurs while using your mutual organization membership as a starting point.

Just be sure you’re joining to give input as well as receive; no one appreciates an entrepreneur that only leeches or lurks and never has anything of value to say.

A quick note: Meetup is also a fantastic tool for entrepreneurs, especially if you’re trying to find local organizations and groups in your nearest city. The site lets you browse and sign up for everything from social events to important industry meetings all across the country.

Utilize Six Degrees of Separation

You already have a small network at your disposal, even if it’s just friends and family; don’t be afraid to use that to your advantage. Utilizing the rule of “six degrees of separation,” it’s nearly always possible to get a warm introduction to an entrepreneur you’ve never spoken to before. If it’s a friend of a colleague, contact the colleague first to inquire about an introduction.

If someone you know is running a small but exclusive group of entrepreneurs, approach them about joining and point out why you feel you’d be an asset. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need; confidence and grace are the best characteristics for growing your network to exponential levels.

Take Some Initiative

Finding it difficult to reach entrepreneurs despite your best efforts? Don’t panic – take the bull by the horns and start your own group, meetup, podcast, or organization yourself. Figure out what it is you can provide to the entrepreneur community that’s valuable enough to draw people in and make it easy for others to join in, share, and respond.

If you build it, they will come – but only if they have a good reason to do so in the first place.

Better still, if you show drive and initiative, you’ll represent yourself as an authoritative expert who knows how to navigate the business world.

Categories
SEO

What is Broken Link Building?

Link building is an important part of SEO, since Google and other search engines look at the number of domains linking to your website. Broken link building is one of many link building tactics. Though it sounds like it could be a little black hat based on the name, it is actually an effective white hat strategy that is focused on creating quality content. it’s also a highly scalable operation, which makes it easier to implement as part of your overall strategy. And, it’s not a new approach – it’s something that’s been around for years, so you know it works.

Broken link building involves finding broken links, recreating the broken content, and helping webmasters replace the broken links with your corrected link. The success of your campaign depends on how much good you do for the web. You only stand to profit if you create high-quality content that replaces the lost or abandoned content that webmaster still want to link to. You cannot just churn out crap or hire freelancers who barely speak English and expect to be successful with broken link building.

Let’s break down the process from finding the broken links, to creating the stellar replacement content, to pitching webmasters to replace the broken link with your content.

Tools of the Trade

  • Domain Hunter Plus: This Chrome extension allows you to scan the links on any page your visit. When you find broken links, add them to a spreadsheet.
  • Check My Links: This is another Chrome extension. Any broken links on a page will be highlighted in red. When you see them, add them to your spreadsheet.
  • Canned Responses (Gmail Feature): This is a useful tool for reaching out to webmasters with replacement content for a broken link. In your account, go to Settings >Labs and then click the radio button so it’s enabled. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save Changes”. I’ll tell you more about how to use this in Step 5 below.
  • Link Sleuth: This only works with Windows, from 95 up to 10. If you’re a Mac user, try using Integrity. You can use it to check a single URL, or a list of URLs at once. Using the list feature requires a text file with the list of URLs, one on each line. You can also use Screaming Frog to crawl sites to find duplicate content and 404 error pages.
  • Link Research Tools Contact Finder: This premium tool ranges from $169/month to $1998/month and includes a number of SEO tools, link data sources, and more. Though it’s robust, it’s not meant for solopreneurs.
  • BuzzStream: This tool lets you find and research influencers and bloggers, so you can focus on building relationships with people who matter in your industry. Pricing starts at $24/month for a single user after a free trial.
  • Raven Tools Contact Finder: This is part of a larger collection of tools that includes automated marketing reports, data, and a site auditor. After a free trial, pricing starts at $99/month.

Step One: Find the Broken Links

Option 1: Choosing a Domain

Using the crawling tool of your choice, check the URL’s external links. It’ll run a report, so then you can check to make sure they are actually broken. You can also check the URLs properties to see which pages have the dead link on them.

Note the broken links on a spreadsheet. Your spreadsheet should include columns for the page URL where you found the broken link, the broken link, a contact name, and an email address or a contact form URL.

Make sure you’re targeting domains that are worth your time in terms of domain authority, and don’t have tons of outbound links. You want link juice and lots of eyes/potential clicks. If your link is one of thousands on the page, does it really matter? If the site has more than 10 broken links, skip it. It’s a sign the site is no longer properly maintained.

Option 2: Finding Sites in Your Niche

Use a variety of search queries to find potential links. Options include:

  • keyword + “resources”
  • keyword + “blogroll”
  • keyword + intitle:resources
  • site:.gov keyword + “links”
  • keyword + intitle:blogroll
  • keyword + “related links”
  • site:.edu keyword + “recommended sites”

In each of these, click any results you think may be promising, and check each page for broken links using one of the extensions above. Check all pages and collect the broken links, recording each of them in the spreadsheet you started for option one.

Option 3: Searching by Keyword

Search in Google for a keyword you’re targeting. Visit all the top results. Choose any of those URLs and run it through Ahrefs. (You’ll need a paid account, starting at $99/month, to use this method.) Now, hover over “Inbound links” and then click “links” to bring up the list of websites that are linking to them. (The top results will have the highest number of inbound links.)

Next, scan the pages that link to that page for broken links, using your browser plugin. Add those to your spreadsheet, because you can reach out to them with a suggestion to link to your resource instead, and if it’s great quality, you could get a link.

Step Two: Getting Contact Information for Each Webmaster

You’ll want to be sure you can find a contact for each website you’re interested in reaching out to.

You should avoid sending emails to a generic email address, or a site that uses a generic contact form, because it’s harder to reach a real person. Even if there’s a real person there, there could be such a large influx of email that your message gets lost. If you want to see whether or not your email has been opened or read, you could install YesWare to track the message.

If you’re reaching out to a blog with a broken link, sign up for their email list. You’ll get an email from an email address that’s actively monitored. Look for signup forms in the blog’s sidebar. Note the email address in your spreadsheet.

In the case of .gov and .edu websites, this is a bit harder. Look for a department specific email, or consider making a phone call. You can also use staff directories to try to find contact information if you see names, but no other information. Consider trying to find the contact information for the webmaster, and only rely on general emails or contact forms as an absolute last resort.

Step Three: Generating the Quality Replacement Content and Publishing on Your Site

You can try looking the broken URL’s previous content on WayBack Machine, if you want to create something similar. Or, you can wing it on your own, by creating what you know to be a solid resource on the topic, based on what’s already out there.

You have the option of creating content based on your content creation schedule and then going to look for relevant broken links. All you have to do is email the person and say that you noticed a broken link on their site, and you have a similar topic posted on your website. Sounds great, right? While many will take for the bait since it makes since for them to save time not having to find a replacement, there’s always the chance that your article won’t be a good replacement.

So, there’s another method. Check to see how many sites are linking to that broken link. Then, using what you see on the WayBack machine, make your version of the content even better than what was on that now dead link. This way, you know your content not only fits the website, but also all the other websites that linked to it.

Yeah, I know it’s going to take more time, but this way you’ll get more webmasters converting to your link, which is worth it in the end.

Step Four: Reaching Out to Each Contact

Here’s where that handy Canned Responses thing comes into play. Instead of having to copy and paste the same email over and over, if you’ve followed the steps above, you’ll be able to type everything out once, and save it as a template in Gmail.

You have a few different ways you can approach this – and I recommend you have a canned response setup for each. You can either make it sound like you’re a user who found the broken link, or you can ask to mix your link into an existing resource list, or reach out to connect, then offer your replacement link in a follow-up email.

If you want to see some templates, take a look at these or this one for a place to start. You’ll see the option to save each as a canned response in Gmail if you’ve implemented it correctly.

Step Five: Tracking Your Results

At this point, I hope you’ve gotten at least a few sites to agree to change out the link. Sometimes, you’ll find your link was added, but you won’t get a response. Other times, you’ll get an email saying your link was added, but it may or may not actually be added.

You can manually check the page that’s supposed to have your link on it. Just right click, choose “view source” and then use “Find” to see if your domain name is in the code. If it’s there at least once, you got the link. If not, you didn’t.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time on this manually, simply run your domain through Ahrefs and look at the inbound links report – clicking on “New” after you hover over inbound links. You’ll be able to choose how far back you want the report to go. Then, collect the information on a spreadsheet – including the URL with the anchor text. You can remove it from your initial spreadsheet, or choose another organizational method to help you keep track of the ones you landed versus the ones you need to follow up with. This way, you’re not wasting time emailing the same sites again and again.

You should also be tracking which templates are getting the most responses, so you can quit wasting your time on ones that aren’t bringing in results.

Step Six: Calculating Your ROI

This part is easy. Take amount of time you’ve spent, and multiply it by your hourly rate. Then, divide the number of links you get by that.

If you earn $100 an hour and spent two hours gathering the information – and got two links, then each link cost you $100. But if you were able to get five links in those two hours, then each link cost you $40.

Part of – Not Your Entire Strategy

Broken link building should only be part of your overall SEO and link building strategy. It shouldn’t be the only think you’re doing in terms of building links, so start small until you can make sure it’s worth the ROI.

Have you ever had someone reach out asking you to link to their source instead of a current link on your site, broken or not? How often do you check for and replace broken external links on your website? Tell me in the comments below.

Categories
Content Marketing

37 Influencer Marketing Stats Marketers Need to Know

Influencer marketing was hot in 2016, and data shows it’s only going to get hotter in 2017. If you’re not using it in your marketing strategy, what’s stopping you? Take a look at these statistics to see if they change your mind about working with influencers.

1. Facebook and Instagram are two times more important than other social channels.

Marketers say these channels are more important than any others when it comes to their influencer marketing programs. (The State of Influencer Marketing 2017)

2. Blogs and Facebook are dominating channels.

37% of marketers say blogs are the most effective platform for influencer marketer. Facebook followed, coming in at 25%. (Tomoson)

3. Most marketers say ongoing ambassadorships is the most effective form of influencer marketing.

70.6% of those surveyed agree that ongoing ambassadorships are the most effective. Product reviews are close second coming in at 66.7%, followed by brand mentions at 53.9%. (Tap Influence)

4. Influencers say most brands want to reach their audience through sponsored content.

81.7% of influencers say most brands want to reach their audience with sponsored content, while only 52.5% ask for the ambassadorship approach. (Tap Influence)

5. Most require influencers to disclose, but only half know what the current guidelines are.

While 88% of respondents say they require the influencers to disclose sponsored content, only 55% say they are familiar with current FTC guidelines. (The State of Influencer Marketing 2017)

6. Determining influencer marketing ROI is a challenge.

86% of marketers used influencer marketing in 2016. 78% say determining ROI is their top challenge for 2017. (The State of Influencer Marketing 2017)

7. And yet – there’s proof of strong ROI.

On average, for every dollar invested in influencer marketing, businesses generate $6.50 in revenue. 70% of businesses make $2 or more, and 13% make $20 or more. Only the bottom 18% fail to generate revenue. (Tomoson)

8. Others say finding relevant influencers is a big challenge.

67.6% of marketers surveyed say they find connecting with relevant influencers to be a major challenge. 59.8% say their biggest challenge comes in finding ways to engage their communities while satisfying executive expectations. (TapInfluence)

9. There’s still some concern over the effectiveness of influencer marketing.

55.9% of those surveyed say the biggest challenge they face within their organization is there is still concern because it is a new/unproven channel. 53.9% report there is no budget assigned, while 41.2% say the lack of control over messaging is the biggest issue. (Tap Influence)

10. Marketers are investing more money in influencers.

Nearly half (48%) of respondents say they’re planning on boosting their influencer marketing budget for 2017. Only 4% are making plans to decrease investments. (eMarketer)

11. Automation hasn’t quite caught on yet.

11% of respondents use a self-service software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to automate influencer outreach, management, and reporting. (The State of Influencer Marketing 2017)

12. The majority of marketers do not pay the influencers they work with.

69% of marketers say they don’t pay influencers they work with.  (Augure)

13. Most communications professionals consider Twitter as the key channel.

68% of communications professionals consider Twitter as the key channel as the key channel for influencer engagement campaigns. (Augure)

14. Twitter users are more likely to buy when exposed to promotional content from influencers.

When Twitter users see promotional content from an influencer, they report they have a 5.2x increase in purchase intent. (Twitter and Annalect, 2016)

15. Social media monitoring tools are popular for finding influencers.

39% of professionals say they use social media monitoring tools to find influencers. (MyNewsDesk)

16. Most influencers say they are more likely to buy from their sponsors.

77% of influencers say they’re more likely to buy products and services from their sponsors, becoming brand evangelists that way. (Wersm)

17. Engagement equals success.

81% of respondents consider their influencer marketing campaigns successful based on engagement. Reach comes in second at 61%.  (The State of Influencer Marketing 2017)

18. YouTube stars are more popular than mainstream celebs.

At least where U.S. teenagers are concerned. The top five most popular “celebrities” are all powerful YouTube influencers. Their level of emotional attachment is seven times greater than to traditional celebrities like Seth Rogan or Jennifer Lawrence. Teens also see those YouTube stars as 17x more engaging and 11x more extraordinary than traditional celebrities. (Variety)

19. TV Viewership is consistently on the decline.

Though the numbers vary by age bracket, there’s a decrease across the board. Teens (12-17) have seen a 14.5% decrease year over year. 18-24 year olds have a 9.5% decline. Those age 25-34 and 35-49 saw 6.7% and 3% respectively. (Nielsen)

20. The majority of women turn to social media before buying something.

86% of women seek advice from their social networks before making a purchase. (aList)

21. Customers earned through word-of-mouth stick around longer.

Regardless of industry vertical, customers your business gets through word of mouth have a 37% higher retention rate. (McKinsey)

22. Influencer marketing is growing faster than other channels.

22% of businesses surveyed said influencer marketing was their fastest-growing customer acquisition channel – growing faster than organic search, paid search, and email marketing. Only 5% of businesses said affiliate marketing was their fastest customer acquisition channel, making it last on the list.(Tomoson)

23. Content promotion is the most common influencer use case.

67% of influencer campaigns are used to promote content. The second most common use is for product launch. It is tied with content creation at 59%. (Launch Metrics)

24. SEO is now becoming part of the influencer strategy.

23% of professionals consider influencer engagement as a strategic move for SEO purposes. (Launch Metrics)

25. Influencer marketing is one of the most cost-effective channels.

Influencer marketing, along with email marketing ranked for first place when it came to the most cost-effective customer acquisition channel, with 22% of businesses reporting those channels were the best for them. Organic search came in as a close second, at 19%. (Tomoson)

26. Businesses get better customers from influencer marketing.

Just over half of marketers (51%) believe they get better customers through influencer marketing. Marketers likely attribute this to the fact that social media users tend to spend more money, and are more likely to share their purchases with friends and family. (Tomoson)

27. Nearly half of customers are using ad blockers.

47% of online consumers areusing ad blockers. If you want to reach consumers, the best way you can do this is to connect with them on channels they’re already on, with content they want to consume. (Digital News Report)

28. More customers trust online word of mouth recommendations than they do banner ads.

92% of consumers trust online word of mouth recommendations, but only 33% of them trust banner ads. (Nielsen)

29. Influencer marketing searches have grown exponentially since early 2015.

Over time, we’ve seen a growth of more than 5,000%. (Google Trends)

30. More than half the companies in the beauty and fashion niche use influencers to amplify their campaigns.

57% of companies in beauty and fashion use influencers in their marketing mix. Organic growth for brands on YouTube has become harder without amplification and advertising. (ION)

31. YouTube reaches more people in certain demographics than any TV network.

Just on mobile alone – not including tablets, YouTube reaches more people in the 18-49 age bracket than any TV network, either broadcast or cable. (YouTube)

32. Influencers sharing your content can increase conversion rates dramatically.

If you have influencers sharing your content, you could see a conversion rate increase three to 10 times what you would have seen without it. (Wersm)

33. Influencer engagement is effective in lead generation.

Three-quarters of professionals consider influencer engagement effective in lead generation. (Launch Metrics)

34. Almost half of people say they’ve bought something after seeing an influencer use it.

40% of people say they’ve purchased an item after seeing an influencer use it on YouTube, Vine, Twitter, or Instagram. (Twitter and Annalect, 2016)

35. The vast majority of people don’t trust the advertising industry.

96% of people believe that the advertising industry does not act with integrity—69% of these people attribute their mistrust to the advertisers’ desire to sell more effectively. (IPSOS, 2015)

36. Nearly ¾ of Millennials feel obligated to make sure people they know buy smart.

73% of Millennials see it as their responsibility to guide friends, peers, and family toward smart purchase decisions. (Fleishman-Hillard PR & Hearst Magazine)

37. Influencers would rather work with brands through a platform.

While many brands work directly with influencers, 70% of influencers say the most effective way to work with brands is through an influencer marketing platform. (Tap Influence)

Ready to Get Started with Influencer Marketing?

If these statistics have convinced you to give it a try, take a look at Influencer Marketing 101. In it, I cover everything from finding and connecting influencers, to engaging with them so you’re not just blindly pitching random people to participate in a campaign for you. Yes, there are certainly challenges associated with influencer marketing, but the rewards are definitely worth the risk.

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