It wasn’t very long ago that influencer marketing was just an experimental approach found in an organization’s general advertising strategy. Most businesses were under the belief that only celebrities or high-profile bloggers could be effective influencers. Therefore, this type of marketing was seen as difficult or expensive. 

However, times have evolved significantly since then. Influencer marketing has quickly proven itself to be an engaging, successful, affordable approach. Today, many companies have even chosen to prioritize it. The best part is, research has shown businesses that almost anyone can be an influencer, and any company can sustain this type of marketing. 

Influencer Marketing Strategies are Required for 2021 and Beyond

Influencer marketing is one of the most organic types of marketing out there. It uses people, organizations, and “influencers” to expand your product reach, and taking advantage of it is no longer an option. Influencer marketing has risen to the top for a reason, and its benefits should never be ignored. Businesses that include influencer marketing in their approach enjoy advantages, like increased awareness and credibility, more money in their pockets, and improved SEO.

Regardless of the industry in which you operate, influencer marketing can help you get ahead of your competition. For smaller companies especially, choosing the right influencers is vital to kicking off your marketing strategy and getting your audience to trust you. 

10 Real-Life Examples of Successful Influencer Marketing

1. BMW’s #The1Challenge on TikTok
2. Tom’s of Maine and Their Micro-Influencers
3. Subaru’s #MeetAnOwner Campaign
4. The Motorola #InASnap Campaign
5. Dunkin’ Donuts and #NationalDonutDay
6. AXE and Their ‘Hair Creators’
7. HelloFresh
8. Undercover Lyft
9. Liquid-Plumr and Will it Clog
10. Honest Tea #RefreshinglyHonest

In reality though, the size of your company doesn’t matter. Influencer marketing, when done correctly, can help your business gain some great growth. This mostly has to do with the hyper-focus that many influencers maintain within their niche. And there is no shortage of influencer marketing success stories. 

Let’s talk about 10 of the most interesting and successful real-life examples of influencer marketing.

1. BMW’s #The1Challenge on TikTok

In 2019, BMW released a new 1 Series vehicle. With it, they also launched an influencer marketing campaign on one of the newest, fastest-growing social media platforms out there: TikTok. #The1Challenge was a hashtag used on the platform in videos that featured specific dance moves to advertise the new 1 Series. The hashtag was viewed more than 8 million times, mostly by their “young, digitally savvy target group.”

2. Tom’s of Maine and Their Micro-Influencers

As mentioned above, it’s not only celebrities acting as influencers these days. Many organizations are realizing the unique benefit of so-called “micro-influencers.” These people tend to have incredibly targeted audiences and very high engagement, and in 2017, Tom’s of Maine recognized their power. In a 4-week campaign using the organic reviews of some-438 influential customers, the brand was able to reach more than 4 million potential customers and saw a 30% sales boost.

3. Subaru’s #MeetAnOwner Campaign

As a way to celebrate the new 2017 Impreza, Subaru launched a YouTube- and Instagram-based influencer campaign. Known simply by its hashtag as #MeetAnOwner, the campaign offered 20 firsthand narratives on what it was like to own a Subaru. People were even able to ask specific questions to the owners and receive answers. As a whole, the campaign generated engagement from more than 4 million people and was a huge success among targeted millennials.

4. The Motorola #InASnap Campaign

After launching their new Moto Z Smartphone and its included snap-on attachment, the Moto Mods, Motorola launched the #InASnap influencer campaign on YouTube. The campaign included 13 influencers with, combined, a reach of more than 52 million people. In total, over 38 million people were reached by the #InASnap campaign, with more than 100,000 clicks being driven to the Motorola website.

5. Dunkin’ Donuts and #NationalDonutDay

In honor of National Donut Day 2018, Dunkin’ Donuts decided to launch an influencer marketing campaign on Snapchat. The brand chose 8 influencers to document the way they celebrated the national holiday and used geofilters, stickers, and codes to drive traffic to their stores. The campaign was wildly successful (because who doesn’t love free donuts?), and helped the brand gain 10 times the social media following they had before it, and encouraged engagement by more than 3 million people.

6. AXE and Their ‘Hair Creators’

All this talk about micro-influencers and their importance doesn’t take away from the value that comes with using celebrity influencers. AXE reminded us of this in 2017 when they announced an all-male team of 30 social media influencers. Most of them, including Josh Peck, Tyler Ward, and Melvin Gregg, are well-known on the big screen. In a field mostly dominated by women, this hair styling campaign is sure to do more than just drive traffic.

7. HelloFresh

Most brands decide to include different influencer campaigns and approaches into their general marketing strategy. Some companies, however, like HelloFresh, have elected to make influencer marketing an integral part of their approach. They rely on food bloggers, Instagram influencers, and other popular social media users to gain the attention of millions. HelloFresh also provides each influencer with their own promo code. Not only does this allow them (and their referrals) to save on the service, but it also tracks the effectiveness of each collaboration.

8. Undercover Lyft

In one unique and fun celebrity-influencer campaign, the rideshare company Lyft is generating lots of talk and traffic. Their YouTube Series “Undercover Lyft”, features celebrities like Joe Jonas, DJ Khaled, and Alicia Keys, who surprise unsuspecting riders by being their driver. Not only did Undercover Lyft generate lots of buzz around the company, but it also brought the customer experience to a whole other level.

9. Liquid-Plumr and Will it Clog

In a combination of influencer marketing and knowing their target audience, Liquid-Plumr launched a widely successful YouTube campaign known as “Will It Clog.” The chemical drain opener company collaborated with Vat19, a channel with more than 7 million subscribers, to answer the commonly Googled question “will it clog?” The duo tackle clogs created from bacon grease, fast food, and even a whole Thanksgiving meal, and generated so much traffic that they trended in the Top 11 Videos on YouTube.

10. Honest Tea #RefreshinglyHonest

While the Internet can help connect people and increase the reach of a brand, it can also be a place full of deceit. That’s why Honest Tea, a brand dedicated to honesty, launched their #RefreshinglyHonest sweepstakes. The company encouraged lifestyle and mommy bloggers to share authentic, unfiltered, sentimental moments from their daily lives. Celebrities like Trista Sutter and Lauren Bushnell even joined in on the fun, revealing truths about their lives. The campaign was a huge success and helped the brand increase its social following by 15.6%.

Influencer Marketing Yields Engagement Like Nothing Else

As we can see, influencer marketing is unmatched. It doesn’t matter if a brand uses celebrities to push their products or everyday social media users, gains can be seen from this approach. This is because the influencers have already done the work for you: building an engaged and targeted audience. 

When done properly, this type of marketing can take your brand from unknown and untrusted to highly reliable, relatable, and successful. Which brand strategy was your favorite?