Nearly everyone experienced lockdown at some point in 2020, and the upshot from that is that consumers went online in their droves. A staggering 82% of people increased their social media consumption while at home during the pandemic, 63% of whom use these platforms for shopping. It’s never been such a crucial time for brands to get their message and marketing right.
However, that’s precisely what many brands are failing to achieve with their influencer marketing strategy. Almost half (47%) of consumers are already feeling “fatigued” by repetitive influencer posts, and another half (49%) want to see stricter regulations around what can be shared and how often.
The key to cutting through a noisy marketplace is authenticity. Influencer marketing is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, and brands now strongly opt for influencers over celebrity sponsorships. Businesses need to adapt their influencer strategy to keep pace with consumer preference for organic, authentic content to maximise the ROI of influencer marketing... all of which begs the question: what is “inauthentic” content?
Staged, obvious content
If the product placement is too obvious or unimaginative, audiences immediately see the post as inauthentic. Critically for brands, 71% of consumers report being able to tell when an influencer is “performing”.
Mis-alignment between influencer and brand
It is essential to balance brand-match, demographics, engagement, and the “feel” you get from the influencer when selecting influencer partners. Audience statistics are the key here! Let’s say your choice of brand ambassador content creator has 100 million followers. If their audience demographic is 67% female aged between 24-34 and largely based in the US, but your campaign is targeting 18-24 European males, then months of planning a fantastic product with a great campaign concept might fall flat at the last minute.
Content doesn't feel authentic, nor relatable
This usually happens as a knock-on consequence when mistake #1 or #2 has already occurred. If your product is an at-home easy-preparation healthy meal kit, don’t choose a high-profile celebrity that undoubtedly has a professional live-in chef and clearly won’t use that meal kit.
By working with influencers that fit your brand values and resonate with the target audience, your brand will have an easier time creating successful, organic content that resonates with consumers and drives more meaningful engagement. We’ve been building flourishing relationships between businesses and creators for years, reach out to us to ensure robust, long term collaborative relationships.
Comments