INSIGHTS
In Brief
- Influencers as the latest marketing strategy that has been successfully used by thousands of brands and has experienced continued growth over the past decade.
- Most customers trust and value social media influencers more than television, paid social media ads, or celebrity endorsements.
- Credibility and authenticity in influencers marketing is more important than ever.
Influencers on social media now have a significant impact on how many different brands sell their products. Whether it be promoting instant food products, the newest local perfumes, a new style of bag or pair of shoes, or even brand-new accessories.
There is a digital influencer for every product, and more companies are jumping on the influencer marketing bandwagon to enhance their outreach and marketing efforts.
Influencers as Marketing for Business Growth, How It Helps You!
Brands in Indonesia are increasingly looking for influencers that can help them in creating social impact by persuading their followers to support a certain cause. It is the latest marketing strategy that has been successfully used by thousands of brands and has experienced continued growth over the past decade.
As a result of their high user engagement and reach, high-engagement accounts are becoming more and more in demand.
We took a look at millions of both journals and latest research, and we found out that most customers trust and value social media influencers more than television, paid social media ads, or celebrity endorsements. And we ourselves are admitting that this is really a “thing”.
The Power of Trust: Easy to Build, Easy to Break
When trying to work with influencers, keep in mind that trust is hard to build but easy to break. Most influencers have put a lot of effort into growing their following. Their followers have chosen to follow their content, and they can unfollow at any time.
The best influencers are consistent with their content and are careful to respect the trust they have with their followers.
We’ve looked at Gartner’s latest report and found out that 71% of consumers will unfollow an influencer if they find out they have bought followers. This data shows just how easy it is to lose trust in the industry.
Influencer fraud can take many forms, including the purchase of fake followers and the creation of false personas. However, big brands are becoming aware of the issue and putting pressure on social networking sites to do more to prevent fraudulent accounts and activity.
Unilever is one company that has made for changes to the way social media platforms handle bots and fake followers. They announced in 2018 that they will no longer work with influencers who buy followers and urged other brands to consider how they can avoid social media fraud.
Authenticity as the Key Benefit of Influencer Marketing
Besides being highly cost effective, another key benefit of using influencer marketing strategy is authenticity. Consumers trust user-generated content 2.4 times more than brand-created content.
In this case, a strong influencer marketing strategy may be exactly what is required for brands seeking to increase consumer trust, brand recognition, and a variety of other benefits.
Influencer authenticity does really matter! Consumers are looking for active interaction and genuine information. Monologues are now being turned into dialogues. But, the consumers are also becoming sceptical towards influencers. The main reason for the scepticism is their lack of authenticity and trust.
They want more authenticity from the influencer as opposed to sponsored posts. The relationship between an influencer and their follower is of trust. If you’re unauthentic in your content, then you shatter that trust.
Here’s why brands can’t view or treat influencers like another media buyer rather than an autonomous creative partner who knows their audience better than anyone else.
For content to feel genuine, it must “fit the feed” and complement the influencer’s content and personality in a natural way. Users regard influencers as important people in their lives in the same way that they regard friends and family.
They turn to these channels for connection, not to see yet another advertisement. Understanding how influencers interact with their audiences is critical because it should form the foundation of your influencer marketing strategy.
Which Influencers are Both Works and Worth?
If you are familiar with the relevant social media network, conducting your own research can frequently produce beneficial results. Therefore, it makes sense to look at social media to see who would meet your profile in terms of topic and style.
Other important factors include the quantity of interactions and followers. Do you already have influencers in mind? Have you ever collaborated on campaigns with any of them?
Then observe who they interact with. A lot of influencers collaborate with content creators who share similar interests. Additionally, they might make interesting candidates for partnership.
Not every big influencer is suitable for your brand. Anyone can easily buy thousands of followers in a couple of minutes. That’s why we don’t just look at the total number of followers. We consider overall interaction! Comments, live streams, and stories should never be overlooked.
Another crucial factor is the influencer’s reputation. It needs to be scandal-free and align with the brand. Of course, the influencer also needs to create great content. After all, it should inspire followers and ideally persuade them to make purchases.
Overall, including big, medium, and small influencers into your influencer strategy is a good idea. That typically works the best. Despite the huge reach that some big influencers may have, smaller ones frequently have more engaged followers and are closer to them.
Credibility and Trust are Talking Out Loud
Influencers aren’t only great for branding campaigns, but also specifically helps in boosting revenue. They are passionate about the content they create and possess subject matter expertise that has earned them a loyal following.
That loyalty and authenticity translates into sales for brands that are incorporating influencers into their marketing strategy. Strong return on investment continues to drive growth in the influencer marketing space.
Working with an influencer to create and share an honest product review is an excellent way to influence purchase decisions.
Allow the influencer to share their experience, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of your product. A review like this is more likely to be credible than an advertisement touting how great your product is.
Aside from reviews, unboxing videos are a popular way to spread the word about a new product. You can boost the effectiveness of these campaigns by having the influencers include a coupon code or an affiliate link.
This serves as a call to action, encouraging the audience to buy your product. Furthermore, it makes it simple to calculate the ROI of your campaign
Here’s What Brands Must Know!
In Indonesia, the average daily internet time is eight hours and 52 minutes, mostly spent on streaming and social media. When you combine that with an 88 percent social media penetration rate, it’s clear that influencer marketing should be your top priority.
According to Statista, Indonesia’s total number of social network users will reach 237 million by 2026, accounting for the majority of the country’s 270 million population. We can use these statistics to create a strategy and engage users who are already online.
On the other hand, the global influencer marketing industry will have grown from USD 6 billion in 2020 to USD 24.1 billion by 2025. This implies that an increasing number of influencers will appear across all platforms. More than ever, you must maintain your authenticity and credibility as an influencer.
Whether you want to expand your brand’s reach, gain more followers, obtain unique curated content, or generate sales, the key is to align your business objectives with the proper influencer marketing strategies.
A well-executed influencer marketing strategy generates leads and drives conversions for your company. It raises brand awareness and strengthens customer loyalty. All of this contributes significantly to a high ROI.
Companies have a difficult time capturing the attention of their target audience. They pour a lot of money into their marketing campaigns. They also expect influencers to produce tangible results.
If the ROI of your campaign is high, it is a clear indication that your brand is profitable. However, if the campaign ROI is low, it indicates that you need to revisit and improve your marketing strategies. This is why it’s critical to track and assess your social media ROI.
Final Thoughts
“Nowadays, the world has provided various alternatives tools and solutions. The question is, how wide open our eyes to new methods, how much we believe in something that will work and how hard we try to finally find the right “click” according to conditions? This is the right time to explore!
– ANNISA, ASSOCIATES
