Why Take the Leap to Working With Influencers.

Influencers. You’ve heard the hype, surely even seen them yourself, in the headlines or through your own time on social media. They’ve become the speakers for different generations, different demographics, or even micro- or nanodemographics. Their reach may vary by follower number and platform, but one thing is for sure: underestimating or avoiding using them can be a costly mistake.

Why can’t we do what we’ve always done?

In the world of what many consumers see as marketing noise, using influencers presents a unique opportunity to meet consumers where they are, Daniel Passos, DAf’s Head of Digital, explains. Many markets are saturated, with many brands clamoring for the public’s attention, and while spending money on traditional marketing will never go out of style, leaving influencers out of the equation blocks an important part of the purchase funnel.

Influencers are uniquely positioned to speak to a certain demographic, and while targeted marketing can get you close, they can do things traditional marketing cannot, and also importantly, they do not do things that traditional marketing does.

Interrupt Leisure Time

Here’s an example of something traditional marketing does, that influencers do not do. Many ads are served to consumers who are, in truth, trying to do something else. They are looking for quick (or long-form) entertainment, to learn about something new, to keep up with trends. They feel that ads, even though they can be scrolled past or skipped over, are taking them away from the task at hand, which is their enjoyment of whatever platform they are on. In exchange, influencers are part of their entertainment to begin with, and listening to someone you already engage with talking about something you may or may not know about doesn’t feel like an ad, it feels like more of the content consumers were seeking out to begin with. It can pull the consumer into the funnel more quickly and adroitly than even the best-placed ad.

Savvyness Filter

So why not create content that looks like it was made by an influencer and use it for traditional marketing purposes? In short, consumers have a savvyness filter. They know within seconds (and this is true even in children, studies have shown), whether communication is coming to them from a brand or someone they already know and trust. This is not to say that they might not also engage with traditional brand marketing. But because they know it is coming from the outside, they take the message with a grain of salt, and the brand must prove itself to a greater degree than if a trusted messenger comes with the message.

Belonging

In a time of parasocial relationships, that is, those where content consumers not only project themselves as being like their influencer idols, but may even feel invested in them personally (sometimes to their own detriment), the feeling of belonging reigns supreme. For many consumers, it is not enough to be part of a team of people who all like the same thing, where they are all brought in by the same advertisement. Instead, brands that use influencers can bring consumers into the purchase funnel on a word-of-mouth level that feels organic, comfortable and believable due to its trusted deliverer.

In our next piece, in conversation with Passos, we will talk about two of a plethora of ways that influencers can be used, but will really drill down on how this user-generated content can drive conversion and brand awareness to new levels.