Brands and influencers: name a more iconic duo. There have been rumblings in the social media marketing world that influencers are falling by the wayside, but that just isn’t happening any time soon. With ever-changing algorithms and platforms, influencers may need to re-evaluate how to promote their content, but trust me, brands still want them, and influencers still want the collaborations. Keep reading to find out why influencer collaborations aren’t at risk for dying out any time soon.
Influencer Collaborations Are Still the Future of Social Media Marketing
People Are Busy, so in the Little Spare Time They Have, They Are Laser-Focused on Their Interests.
People follow the brands and influencers they are interested in on social media. Therefore, if brands want to sell to their target audience, it is a natural connection to reach out to influencers who have the same target audience. The overlap makes for a seamless marketing experience, and the brand is almost guaranteed eyeballs on their product because the influencer has a built-in engaged audience made up of the brand’s target audience profile. It’s the perfect storm for social media marketing domination.
Influencers Are the New Celebrity Endorsements.
From Britney Spears and Beyoncé promoting Pepsi to the Kardashians promoting QuickTrim, big brands have been using celebrities to endorse their products for years. But celebrities are often only available, financially and schedule-wise, to commit to a photo shoot and video shoot for campaign materials.
Influencers are the new hyper-celebrities. They’re seen as more accessible because they were once average people, so there’s an added layer of trust. Influencers are often very active on social media and very responsive to questions and comments. They are, in essence, the perfect spokespeople for brands because they have built their success by sharing things they love on social media. Authenticity and inherent trust are invaluable to brands, who can tap into these qualities by aligning themselves with the perfect influencer or mix of influencers.
Influencers Tell the Story from the Consumers Side of Things.
If a brand partners with an influencer for a campaign and they want the influencer to post an agreed-upon amount of content, the influencer is going to use the product or products and explain them to their followers. If it’s an eyeshadow palette, for example, the influencer would probably swatch the eyeshadow colors, talk about the texture and formula of the eyeshadows, and do a makeup look using the palette. Influencer marketing lets followers relate to and put themselves in the shoes of the influencer to determine what product recommendations of theirs they want to purchase. Following an influencer for a long time builds trust, and a lot of people make purchase decisions based on influencer recommendations alone.
What is your current favorite influencer/brand collaboration? Tweet me @lorenridinger.
