Introduction
Many people did not expect the online world to evolve as quickly as it has. The way we communicate, as well as how we consume information and are encouraged to believe in specific ways, is continuously evolving.
Celebrities used to be our influencers back in the day. Models were the movers and shakers before social media; they were featured in many television commercials and billboards, and they still are, but they were far-reaching and unrealistic.
Who in their right mind would want to appear like a supermodel? They were so far away that no one could possibly relate to them in ordinary life.
These influencers altered as blogging grew more common and social media became more essential in the day-to-day lives of millions of people across the world.
In recent years, marketers have become aware of the power of influencers and have capitalized on it.
Brands have witnessed the benefits of leveraging the power of influencers across all platforms, and have seen how partnerships with bloggers and vloggers have enhanced brand awareness and traffic.
So, who exactly are the influencers? ‘Influencers,’ according to Fashion Monitor, are defined as:
‘People who have built a loyal and engaged online following through the information and ideas they offer on social media.’
Remember how we said that marketers were flocking to this really clever type of information distribution?
According to Econsultancy, nearly 60% of fashion and beauty firms now have an influencer marketing strategy in place, with more than 21% planning to invest in this vast industry in the next 12 months.
We’ll walk you through three brands that have risen through the ranks of influencer success using three different methodologies, and then provide you with some actionable suggestions and tactics.
Is the influencer marketing landscape shifting?
In comparison to the ocean that it is now, blogging was a small paddling pool in the early 2000s.
Bloggers were merely seen as online users who posted product reviews, spoke briefly about their days in snatches, and photographed their ensembles with a camera mounted on a stack of large coffee table books that didn’t allow you to be fully in the image.
Despite this, readers found bloggers to be relatable, and they trusted their word over that of many others.
They were trustworthy and honest; you could tell if they weren’t thrilled with a product since there was a true message behind it, and they finally said that they would only work with companies and items that matched their niche on the internet.
Bloggers have started to become a lot more business savvy, similar to celebrities who make sure their integrity is maintained.
The only change is that celebrities are still regarded as the most effective means of reaching a large number of people, and while you’re still more likely to see Karlie Kloss or Gigi Hadid on the cover of Vogue or promoting the latest Rimmel mascara, it’s not a review from a ‘regular’ person.
But what sets bloggers and vloggers apart is that they don’t just give a 30-second pitch for why a product is “wonderful.”
It’s the actual use, the experience someone has had as a result of being gifted, and how that experience has impacted the user, as well as the personal review, where you know you’ll get an unbiased opinion.
So, who are micro and macro-influencers, and what do they do?
With under 100K followers across all platforms, they are regarded as the most relatable, and while their following is small in contrast to others, their reach and influence are significant.
Audiences follow these micro-influencers not because of their celebrity, but because they can be trusted and their perspectives are highly valued.
This is critical for brands because it means they can continue to promote their products while also being real and heard.
Consider it this way: huge influencers throw a wide net, but they never know what they’ll find. Micro-influencers cast a smaller net, and their followers are more likely to be truly interested in what they have to say.
The issue with macro-influencers appears to be that many people are suspicious of them. Despite the fact that people continue to follow them on numerous channels, material may get diluted, and engagement may decline.
According to reports, life-changing sums of money have been promised to alleged macro-influencers, therefore whatever is stated arguably has no bearing on the blogger/vlogger.
When social influencers promote detox teas or teeth whitening goods without knowing if they are safe or not, and possibly without considering whether their audience is younger than they think, this is a wonderful example.
Traditional media
It may be claimed that millennials who grew up on the internet are dissatisfied with the “traditional” media that many of us are accustomed to. A connection to the brand or product is required, which is frequently achieved through the use of a micro-influencer with an authentic voice.
Micro-influencers have up to 22.2 times more buying conversations surrounding product recommendations per week than the average customer, according to Experticity data, and 82 percent of consumers are more likely to follow a micro influencer’s recommendation.
This compares to 73 percent of those who are more likely to trust advice from a regular person.
Is it possible that targeted micro-influencer efforts may lose their value or become untrustworthy? Because they are in such great demand, the sheer volume of work required for marketing campaigns may jeopardize any micro influencer’s credibility because they require the work.
Lifestyle/fashion blogger
Although the ‘everyday influencer’ is commonly thought to be a lifestyle/fashion blogger, it’s important to note that influencers should never be pigeonholed into a single industry. Many influencers may not have blogs, but rather Instagram accounts or YouTube channels; they may be actors or artists.
Take, for example, Hobbie Stuart, who is well-known for his YouTube covers. The artist was previously signed to a record label, but he continued to publish on his YouTube channel and reaped the benefits.
It displays him in a far more three-dimensional perspective, like a normal person rather than an untouchable celebrity, via covering songs and vlogging.
This entails reaching out to a completely another group of people. If that’s the type of reader you’re after, this could be quite advantageous depending on the product.
While fashion, lifestyle, and travel bloggers are in high demand, other niches may be more advantageous to what you’re trying to do with your brand.
Source: influencer marketing Singapore
