We see influencers everywhere, brands love them, and they would eventually invest billions of dollars in becoming the face of their campaign on social media. It is a calculated risk since brands benefit from millions of subscribers. However, do influencers still possess the same marketing power or are they dead?
Who are influencers?
Suppose we limit ourselves to the digital definition. In that case, an influencer is a person who will publish content on social media, in his name, to highlight a service, a brand, by making people change their gaze on these offers. In reality, today, everyone is an influencer, whether online or in real life. For instance, a satisfied customer is a potential influencer in his relational circle. The difference is at the level of scale of the audience. Moreover, for a complete definition of influencers, we should also include celebrities and other public figures.
What was the interest of a brand in using influencers until now?
An influencer represents a different point of contact for a brand. Initially, working with an influencer was cheaper than buying space in traditional media. Today, people are more reluctant and suspicious when a brand publishes its promotional content on social media. Much less when it’s influencer content. This communication method has the merit of being personalized and authentic. An influencer is a person who speaks to another person, therefore, there is more confidence. A bit like the opinions or comments left online about a product, a restaurant, etc. Prices have since changed, and public perception is no longer the same.
Are we witnessing a crack between brands and influencers?
Today, it’s not just the relationship between influencers and brands that is not going well. It’s also that advertisers aren’t mature enough on the subject. Advertisers require agencies to work with influencers. They think that’s going to be enough to make their brand cool. But now people know that in the case of brand-sponsored influencer content, the message is biased. Collaboration only works with a real idea.
Then comes the question of profitability. When some ask outrageous amounts of money for a lousy, 3-line Facebook status that doesn’t fit well into the influencer’s organic editorial, one wonders what brands end up getting. Especially since it is common to give the influencer freedom concerning the content, this is explained by a need for consistency in its medium. However, it can be very worrying for an advertiser, and recent slippages have not been lacking.
Are influencers dead?
• Influencers aren’t dead. The very definition of an influencer will not change. On the other hand, the status will evolve and only great content creators will survive. Additionally, the influence will not die; however, YouTubers / Instagrammers will have a hard time renewing themselves if they’ve been doing the same content for ten years. People will get bored eventually, but others will emerge and so on. As we can see, some YouTubers are struggling to revive their YouTube account, they become journalists, watch TV, make films, etc.
Influencers will still thrive because first of all new social media explodes. However, if influencers want to keep their privileges, they must not rely on their influence power but more on their content. Today, it is all about creating new and innovative content rather than having a huge fan base.
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