Importance of Authenticity in influencer marketing
The pandemic has made us all go digital with our marketing strategies, which makes it safe to say that it’s now an influencer-dominated industry. It’s no secret that influencers play an integral role in any successful marketing campaign. However, it’s always treated as a supporting strategy rather than a central one. With the events unfolding in the past year, there’s no room for traditional advertising- this is the way ahead!
Brands are incorporating influencer marketing to keep the conversations running with their audience. According to Smartbrief, “70% of consumers trust the opinions of influencers compared to word of mouth marketing by real friends.” But that’s only applicable when they truly find these influencers authentic, and by that, we mean influencers who practice what they preach. The conversion rates of such marketing are higher when products and services are promoted by influencers who are the right fit for the brand. Authenticity is not just a buzzword anymore, it holds value when audiences place their trust in a brand.
In simpler words, the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing comes into play when advocating for products is prioritized over simply endorsing a brand. So, let’s get to how we can find authentic brand matches?
Being Authentic with Influencer Strategies
From the initial planning of a campaign, outlining desired goals will help to gauge your performance. Influencer briefings should be geared towards specific personalities and personas that fit your niche and who can create content that fits within their established styles. It is preferable to partner with influencers for branding and lifestyle messages compared to product-focused ones. If you want to focus on certain brand USPs, allow the influencer to choose elements that resonate most with their style of deliverance. Here are some extra two cents- A longer campaign duration transforms an influencer into a true ambassador for your brand.
Swipe right in Influencer Matchmaking
While you may have a set database of all the best influencer-to-brand matches, it’s important to trust your gut feeling too. They may have the right numbers in terms of demographics, but can you visualize your brand’s association on their feed? An influencer’s authenticity depends on how their audience perceives them, and eventually how they look at your brand. While this matchmaking seems subjective, concerning your niche consumer segment try to find influencers that give their audiences glimpses of ‘real moments.’
Authenticity in content creation
If you’ve just started planning influencer marketing campaigns, this may seem like a daunting process, but don’t worry! Here are some practices that you can use for building authenticity during your campaign execution.
- Create a briefing that pledges loyalty to your brand story
- Go that extra mile and build connections with influencers on a personal level
- Put your trust in an influencer’s knowledge of their audience, especially when it comes to their content creation style
- Talk to them and peep into what they like about the process and areas that they’d like you to work on
To sum it up, just like outside the digital world, keeping it real can take you a long way ahead. Analyze your strategy from the point of view of your audience. When images used seem too staged, audiences see the post as inauthentic. Keep in mind that the end content should continue being relatable, while you give influencers creative freedom within your brand guidelines of course.
So remember, authentic influencer content creates a real online personality for your brand, which ultimately leads to a devoted customer base and a better brand image.
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Author:
Saniya has been in the field of writing for the past 2 years. While writing is a passion, her interests also lie in extensive reading and following up with what brands are doing digitally.
