Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that involves endorsements and product placement from influencers, who are people and organizations with an established credibility and audience on social media platforms. These influencers have built up a high level of trust with their followers, and their recommendations serve as a form of social proof to potential customers.

Influencer marketing collaborations can involve co-creation of content or promotion of a brand by the influencer to their community. The goal of influencer marketing is to establish credibility in a market, create social conversations about brands, and focus on driving online or in-store sales.

There is a lack of consensus about what an influencer is, but they are generally defined as people who exercise influence over an organization and its potential customers, significantly shape the customers purchasing decision, have an impact, are well-connected, have active minds, and are trendsetters.

Influencer marketing can be highly rewarding if done right, but there are potential pitfalls to avoid, such as failing to define clear goals and KPIs, not targeting the right influencers, and not disclosing sponsored content.

In conclusion, influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that involves endorsements and product placements from influencers, who have an established credibility and audience on social media platforms. The goal of influencer marketing is to establish credibility in a market, create social conversations about brands, and focus on driving online or in-store sales.