What are authoritative influencers?
The power of authoritative influencers
Authoritative influencers have to have it because of their expertise. They are people who really know what they are talking about. For example, they are great cooks, know all about the latest fashion, are real tech experts, or can tell you all about marketing. People follow authoritative influencers because those influencers know more about a particular topic or subject than they do.
Thanks to their expertise, authoritative influencers have great influence over the followers in their niche. This is exactly what makes authoritative influencers so powerful. You can use them to reach people in your niche. Then you are almost certain to reach a relevant audience that is interested in your brand, service or product. But you can also use authoritative influencers to reach a completely new niche.
Another advantage of authoritative influencers, is that they can be found on almost every platform. Many of them share their knowledge in the form of blogs, but you can also find this type of influencer on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. You can also find them on less mainstream platforms, such as Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch and Strava.
The disadvantages
Because authoritative influencers focus on a niche, they sometimes have fewer followers than, say, aspirational influencers. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, but it makes authoritative influencers less likely to generate massive brand awareness. Of course, you might wonder how much that matters. Ultimately, you just want to reach your target audience, right?
In addition, authoritative influencers (and their followers) have a sharp bullshit radar. They immediately sense when the match between brand and influencer is not perfect. Therefore, an influencer marketing strategy focused on authoritative influencers requires a little more preparation. Which influencers are you going to use? And how can they promote your brand to their followers as naturally as possible? This is extra important with these types of influencers.
Examples of authoritative influencers
Authoritative influencers can be found in every niche. There they are seen as authority, which gives them a lot of influence. Not sure yet what to imagine by an authoritative influencer? Then take a look at the following examples:
Andrew Rea (Binging with Babish)
Always wanted to know how to make the Crabburger from Spongebob? Then Andrew Rea is the place to be. Under the name Binging with Babish, he makes YouTube videos in which he tries to recreate food from movies and series. A super original concept that immediately makes him stand out in the huge food niche. Many of his videos are made in collaboration with commercial partners. For example, he uses the products or ingredients he receives through sponsorships. That’s another good match between influencer and company.
On YouTube, Andrew Rea has over 8.5 million subscribers, on Instagram nearly a million.
PCR GRAVIER
PCR GRAVIER is a French collective of gravel cyclists. Together they roam the world in search of hidden gravel paths. With a couple of cameras in their pockets, this results in bizarrely beautiful videos. And of course: impressive Insta posts tagging the bike and clothing brands that sponsor them. In addition to posting as a collective, all members also post content on their own accounts. This is how they manage to reach many followers in and outside France in the ever-growing gravel niche. PCR Gravier’s gravel adventures are followed on Instagram by some 116,000 people. In addition, you can follow the rides of individual members on Strava.
Christian Villanueva (Frugal Aesthetic)
Fashion can no longer really be called a niche. But in the fashion community, of course, all sorts of niches can still be identified. Christian Villanueva focuses on the niche of streetwear. On his YouTube channel Frugal Aesthetics, he jokes about the latest trends, his favorite brands, and the clichés of the fashion industry. The collaboration with shopping app Shoptagger was, of course, a match made in heaven. He also has his own clothing label and fills his Instagram with his favorite fits.
On Instagram, Christian Villanueva has more than 130,000 followers. On YouTube, he has more than a million subscribers.
Other types of influencers
Authoritative influencers are certainly not the only kind of influencers. So are “aspirational influencers” and “peer influencers. The best influencer marketing campaigns deploy all three of these types of influencers. Therefore, let’s take a brief look at those other two types as well.
Aspirational influencers
Aspirational influencers live the life everyone dreams of. Expensive clothes, distant travels and toned bodies fill their social media and blogs. They are often macro or mega influencers. Everyone wants to be them and wants to have what they have. That’s what makes aspirational influencers so powerful.
Because of their huge follower numbers, aspirational influencers are perfect for generating more brand awareness, or for boosting your brand’s reputation.
Peer influencers
Peer influencers are usually nano influencers with relatively few followers. After all, they are “regular people. Our friends, family and colleagues can all be peer influencers. People who are close to us have the greatest influence on us. You reap the benefits of that with peer influencers.
So you’re not going to reach many people with peer influencers, but the chances of conversion are all the greater. For example, use peer influencers to convert people who already know your brand or product into paying customers or loyal followers.
Finding influencers through Hulc
Whether you’re looking for authoritative, aspirational, or peer influencers: you’ll find them through Hulc. We have over 3,700 bloggers and influencers in our database waiting to promote your brand, product or service to their followers. Want to know how that works? Then take a look at Hulc.io. There we will further explain how we can help you find the perfect influencer for your campaign.