A new digital capital
As online platforms become overloaded with ads and campaigns, brands face the challenge of identifying new formats to connect with their audience. One growing trend they should pay attention to is "influencer marketing", which is the use of popular personalities to reach their target market and thus boost their reach.
Brands are quickly learning that instead of imposing themselves on their recipients, it can be preferable to let "influencers" - personalities that the public recognizes and trusts - share original messages about products and services in a voice that seems much more authentic. The influencer thus becomes a link between the brand and its consumers.
Why are influencers so much more effective in marketing than self-promotion by a company?
Influencer-generated marketing allows for targeted exposure to the right type of consumer, who is already interested in a category in which the brand operates and is likely to pay attention to. In a world where TV ads have become background noise and consumers are becoming immune to traditional digital advertising, being targeted is increasingly crucial. The proliferation of smartphonesVideo and social media content is turning influencers into constant companions for their audiences. To attract attention, brands have to work with those who are listened to.
Creativity and organic content are expected today. It's no longer enough to hire a spokesperson and promote the brand. Although there is some overlap between celebrity endorsement and influencer marketing campaigns, the latter are designed to address an existing community of highly engaged followers. Influencers are benchmarks in their niches and establish a high level of trust and two-way communication with their followers. They know how to incorporate a brand's products and services into content that audiences find relevant, and that's why they generate interest and continued reach.
Recent behavioral studies point to the fact that consumer attention is migrating to social media platforms at the expense of TV time. If in the past brands focused on buying prime-time spots, they now have to think about how to reach their audience in a wider contact space. The key word here is attention. The challenge is to win the consumer's attention and brands that don't know how to do this will lose an important competitive advantage.