Recently I read in Business Insider that influencer marketing set to become a $15 billion dollar industry by 2022. 63% of marketers are planning to increase their influencer marketing spending in 2021. Are you surprised?
Although Greg Norman is not an active tour player since 2001 but his other business activities – among the golf course design – are making headlines and attract thousands of followers on social media. He is a real celebrity influencer:
- 204K – Instagram;
- 148K – Facebook;
- 108K – Twitter.
When we are talking about social media communication (including influencer marketing). We should strive to build relationships and engagement with our followers and the selected influencers’ communities.
Therefore, it is dubious how successful can be cooperation with mega and celeb influencers. There is no doubt they can be helpful to generate awareness in their communities. What I am doubtful of is the level of connection and engagement to their audiences.
I’m not even talking about today’s empowered golf tourists who know exactly Sandals Resorts International is paying for Greg Norman to represent worldwide its luxurious golf destinations.
I am sure Greg Norman has a marketing team or even a social media agency that manages his businesses’ social media communication and he will not respond personally.
My recommendation: healthy mix of influencers
Therefore, my recommendation is to create a healthy mix of influencers that includes, in addition to mega influencers, micro-influencers (10-50K followers), and nano influencers (less than 10K followers) too. I have got over 60,000 followers. Thus, I am considered a mid-tier influencer.
Sandals Resorts International and other marketers should look for ongoing partnerships with influencers instead of one-off projects.
We can see many marketers are cooperating with less generic influencers and more with niche-specific influencers. For e.g. Ritz-Carlton has worked with notable travel influencers such as Jack Morris @doyoutravel and Travel Awesome @travelawesome.
Today there are 9x more nano influencers than macro-influencers (500K – 1M; Source: Social Media Today). What I value in micro and nano influencers are
- They are deeply connected to their audiences;
- They are trustworthy;
- They are cost-effective, etc.
According to a 2019 report from Later and Fohr, micro-influencers, particularly those with fewer than 25,000
followers have the highest engagement rates at around 7%.
Sandals Resorts International & Greg Norman influencer marketing cooperation
Greg Norman will serve as the Global Golf Ambassador for all of Sandals Resorts International’s premier golf destinations spanning 3 islands including
- Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma, The Bahamas (see picture above);
- Sandals Golf Club at Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia;
- Sandals St. Lucia Golf and Country Club at Cap Estate in St. Lucia and
- Sandals Golf and Country Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
In his new and expanded role, Norman will
- appear in strategic marketing campaigns for Sandals Resorts across print, digital and social media, as well as
- through personal appearances and special events for the Luxury Included® resort company and its golf destinations.
He will also serve in an advisory role and provide tactical direction for the niche golf and travel market to bring world-class golfing experiences to Sandals Resorts for players at every skill level. This role can be really beneficial for Sandals Resorts International.
Most recently, Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) has collaborated with Sandals Resorts to completely redesign Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate in Gros Islet, St. Lucia.
The remastered 18-hole, par 71 championship-caliber layout boasts 7,000+ yards of dramatic elevation changes with undulating greens backdropped by the lush Caribbean vegetation of St. Lucia and the island’s remarkable natural beauty.