Is your brand having trouble getting noticed online? There’s no denying that online branding has become increasingly challenging as consumers have become less trusting of any marketing content posted across social media channels.
It used to be that consumers wanted to interact with brands after viewing advertisements they actually enjoyed. Nowadays, consumers don’t even want to communicate with companies anymore. Instead, they want to communicate with real people with strong personalities.
Social media’s constant influx of content is a problem most brands have to sift through in order to reach a target audience authentically. The surefire way to build your brand online is through trust.
For example, Nike conducted a study and found that less than 25% of consumers trust advertisements online. Thus, its evident that the level of success of a brand’s marketing campaign online is centered on its ability to build trust.
While the advertising industry, overall, has been slow to adapt to the changing media landscape, newer opportunities are available for brands to influence their consumers. Welcome, influencer marketing.
Influencers are a great way to connect your audience to the ever-changing media channels. Yet, it’s important to utilise the most relevant influencer specific to your brand and audience in order to produce high-quality content that resonates amongst your followers.
Marketing content cannot reach its intended audience, no matter how creative, without trust, which is why influencer marketing remains a powerful tool for marketers. Influencers are essentially relationship-builders. They genuinely combine brand messages into their personal narratives which effectively leads to building consumer trust.
Why do you need a brand influencer?
It’s fair to state that most brands face an uphill battle in the digital world. A report from The Guardian saw that 69% of customers use the Internet as their main source of information.
Influencer marketing is powerful because your brand has access to a tailored audience. When carried out appropriately, marketing content appears more genuine and authentic. So, it’s time to move away from the banner ads and move towards implementing a strong influencer for your brand.
A study conduct by McKinsey discovered that online word-of-mouth advertising produces twice the number of sales than paid advertising, while also leading to a 37% higher retention rate. The optimal way to drive sales is to clearly identify influencers in your specific industry and leverage their voices to promote and communicate your brand’s message.
Benefits of Brand Influencers
1. Grow your brand equity
Influencer marketing does not only increase brand awareness, but also your brand’s true value. In addition, personalised campaigns can grow your follower base and increase overall engagement with your audience.
2. Gain customer trust and loyalty
When there’s an increase in consumer activity on social media, your brand grows. Consumers want to be reached with marketing content at the right time with relevant and applicable messages. Thus, trustworthy influencers can reach this audience and generate genuine engagement that could possibly go viral on the Internet. Moreover, they can also generate customer acquisition and nurture new leads.
3. Influence consumer buying behavior
We all do it. We’re all influenced by other people’s opinions and actions. But it’s important to note that we tend to admire people who we trust. More than 81% of consumers begin their buying journey online and 70% trust and follow the recommendations posted by others.
So, start implementing influencers for your brand today! The authentic messages they create and share on behalf of your brand will only result in a surge of consumer behaviour and an overall increase in your brand equity.
Since consumers are less trusting of marketing content online, branding has become increasingly challenging. Consequently, brands have to work carefully to build the trust needed for their target audience. If your brand takes the time needed to identify a specific influencer to highlight your brand to their audience, then earning that trust is relatively easy.
Does your brand currently work with influencers? Has it worked for your brand and built trust amongst your consumers? Let us know in the comment section below!
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LUC Marketing 399 