The age of influencer marketing

Consumers are increasingly skeptical towards brands and their advertisement discourse: 40% of web surfers use an ad blocking software; and, according to a 2018 survey, less than a third of consumers indicate they give credit to advertisement, whereas 90% say they rely on peer recommendations.

To address this evolution, one response consists in practicing influencer marketing. Already in use well before the digital age, it is gaining further impetus with the development of social networks. It consists in relying on opinion leaders, the influencers, by building on their notoriety and on the relationships they have been able to establish with their followers. Through them, brands find a relay for their messages, capture the increasingly volatile attention of net surfers, and reinforce their proximity and sympathy capital among the latter. Being an “Internet influencer” has thus become a real job, while company investments are soaring: the most optimistic forecasts plan for 15 billion dollar spending globally in 2022.

But this keen interest also has its lot of disappointed people. First, results are not always as expected. When an influencer supports a brand with which he/she does not have a sincere affinity, net surfers are not fooled. Additionally, the image of influencer marketing has been clouded by several scandals: influencers who made money for reaching audiences that proved to be largely fake, success indicators falsified by algorithms, etc. This led some companies to completely reject it.

Yet, influencer marketing is still interesting, at a time when more than 60% of purchases are influenced by previous online information research. Many web surfers on such occasions consult content that is produced by different types of influencers: sponsored celebrities of course, and also expert “micro-influencers” or even standard customers. Developing a relational strategy towards these different ambassadors is thus totally meaningful.

In this synopsis:
– Build a high added value relationship with an influencer
– Set up your influencer marketing strategy
– Transform your fans into brand ambassadors