Are your influencer marketing strategies failing and not giving you the desired results? It can be the case that you're ignoring two very important components of influencer marketing: Authenticity and Connection.
For a minute, just think of how many ads you see on your phone in a day and if you can identify an ad. Now, don't you think a customer also goes through the same, that too repeatedly, every day? Consumers are shown advertisements and sponsored content every day on their screens; they know they are being sold to.
As a result of watching so many ads, consumers have become very picky - they only engage with brands that don't seem too salesy to them. Consumers are no longer satisfied by watching a high-budget, high-resolution ad featuring a famous celebrity. They want to connect with brands on a personal and human level.
What can be the solution in such a case? Being authentic with your audience.
Authenticity is about forming a connection with your audience. It can be done by showing your personality, your quirks. It's about creating content that will resonate with your audience and communicate your brand's values and personality to them. Would you connect with a real person more or a brand? Of course, a person, hence we try to integrate a personality to make the brand easier to relate to.
Influencer marketing makes it easier to deliver your message to the audience. Influencers have already established a connection with their audience, all because they were their authentic selves in front of the audience from the start. The audience trusts them. When an influencer chooses to promote a brand that aligns with their tone and integrates seamlessly into their content, their followers are more likely to trust and engage with the brand as well.
However, when an influencer promotes a product or service that feels like a mismatch or forced, their followers can sense that something is off. This can lead to a loss of trust as they feel betrayed. Both the influencer and the brand may lose credibility in the eyes of the audience.
In such a scenario, it is crucial as a brand to be particular about the influencers you work with. Here are some steps you can take to overcome such problems:
- Ensure Alignment: Work with influencers who match your brand's values. This will help in leveraging the connection and trust they have already built with their audience.
- Encourage Authentic Content: Encourage influencers to create content that is authentic to their own natural style and voice. Give your influencers creative freedom to integrate the brand within their content instead of forcing them to stick to briefs and mandates.
- Be Transparent: Collaborations and partnerships are visible to the customer, they can figure it out. Hence, it's better to own it and be transparent about collaborations.
With every coming collaboration, authenticity is becoming more important than ever, not just in influencer marketing but in all areas. In the world of influencer marketing, authenticity and connection go a long way, and that's where we come into the picture. At Ment Internet Works, we guide you in maintaining authenticity and connection with your audience, choosing the right influencers who can do that for your brand, and making the best out of influencer marketing for your campaigns. Reach out to us and let's create something exciting together!