3 reasons influencer marketing makes your brand more authentic and relatable
The Influencer Takeover in Marketing
Influencers have taken over the way companies view marketing. In a recent Forbes article, Why Is Influencer Marketing Such A Big Deal Right Now?, 93% of marketers say they’ve used influencer partnerships in their mix. And, unsurprisingly, the same article notes that 92% of consumers surveyed for a Nielsen’s Consumer Trust Index say they trust influencers over traditional marketing strategies.
Why? Because it feels more authentic to them. Which breeds trust and credibility. And as we all know, people buy from those they know, like, and trust.
In this article, we’ll dive into why people are taking a new approach to how they make purchase decisions. And you’ll be able to leverage this information to get in front of the right people… the right way.
Reason #1: The Truth Counts
Unless you were living under a rock, you know how stressful 2020 was. There are many different reasons people have lost faith in traditional information sources. Fake news, contentious elections, and mis-quotes have all contributed to social media burnout.
And yet, 93% of marketers still chose to invest in their influencer marketing campaigns – which primarily use social media.
That’s because people are significantly more likely to believe their friends over a stranger. And the power of authentic social media influencers is that they talk just like your friend would. They treat you like a buddy and they just happen to be right in your pocket.
In a time when consumers had to stay home more than usual, screen time skyrocketed. Which means relatable influencers became that much more powerful – and valuable to brands.
Reason #2: More Influencers + More Platforms = More Reach
In 2020, personal connection became even more important as many people shied away from the news and looked for entertaining distractions. And much of that entertainment came via social channels – with influencers leading the charge of creating fresh, relevant content multiple times a day.
Statistics indicate there are over half a million influencers on Instagram alone. And that’s three times more than there were just a few years ago. In 2020, influencer marketing had an estimated market size of $9.7 billion – and is expected to reach $13.8 billion in 2021.
In the last year, we have also seen the rise of previously-underrepresented communities come to the foreground. Instead of the glossy, professionally-styled models, celebrities, and mega influencers from the past, micro- and nano-influencers are having their turn. They tend to have more niche audiences and address causes and cultural shifts the big players often ignore – everything from body positivity to modern-day spirituality to gender identity.
This trend means that when done correctly, authentic influencer marketing campaigns are gaining even more traction. In fact, these kinds of influencers are influencing brands themselves. Not only have companies pivoted to market to these niche communities, they’ve actually started creating custom collections and products for their star influencers. These voices are being heard from the consumer all the way to the brand.
Forward-looking brands quickly establish themselves as trusted partners when paired with the right influencer. As a result, in the 2021 landscape, influencer marketing has become synonymous with building trust and authenticity around your brand, products, and offers for more consumers than ever before.
Reason #3: Meet People Where They Are
While most digital retargeting ads are relevant to previous searches and landing page visits, they don’t always get to the core of why people are visiting. And besides, consumers are served between 6,000-10,000 ads a day – leading to banner blindness. They literally no longer see these ads, despite having visited the brand’s site recently.
On the flipside, an authentic influencer knows their community well and can help a brand curate the right products and offers based upon the needs of their followers. So far, banner blindness has not become a problem for social influencers. This means influencers have a better direct connection to what your desired consumer groups want and need. And they have an effective way to get through to them.
Of course there can be flawed attempts at this level of synchronicity between follower and offer, but for the most part, a good influencer has a much more intuitive grasp of their consumer base. In addition, an authentic influencer will meet people where they are in terms of their goals, interests, and even current moods. This pairing creates a laser-style marketing approach that is hyper-effective when harnessed correctly.
An example would be if the community expressed interest in an influencer’s morning routine after seeing a photo of them getting ready. An authentic influencer can then take that feedback and use a polling tool to gain further knowledge about the kinds of products their followers are interested in. Then, the influencer partners with the brand to curate the perfect promotion that not only meets the desires of their community, but also the business goals of the brand. This kind of precision and immediate qualitative data is key for brands looking to create a successful campaign and link direct ROI to their efforts.
For marketers looking for this level of sophistication, one platform is the premier provider for authentic influencers and brands. Creatable not only plays matchmaker for influencers and brands, the technology is designed specifically to quantify brand-influencer metrics. This allows marketers to overcome one of the biggest challenges in current influencer marketing techniques: clearly measuring whether and how well the influencer marketing strategy is working.
This all-in-one software natively integrates into your e-commerce backend, ensuring you have all the real-time, accurate data you need to determine ROI and make smart, strategic business decisions.
As an added bonus, with Creatable as your partner, you’re also able to easily find and connect with the right influencers for your brand.
The simple-to-use platform streamlines your operations (and saves you time and headaches) by managing influencer payouts too.
To find out more about how Creatable can save you time and start making you more profitable, authentic influencer partnerships, schedule a no-obligation demo here. We’ll show you exactly how this will work for your company.
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