Do Influencers Still Have Influence?
Rewind to 2019 and influencers were gods and goddesses who could convince us normal people to buy anything, even a neon eyeshadow palette for €60 that you’ll use once at Halloween. Nowadays, we’re not so easily swayed. Some of the reasons for this are:
Our audience now knows influencers make a lot of money to promote products. This makes their content feel less genuine as they are paid to hype up the brand whether they truly love it or not.
The influencer market is so over saturated and so our audiences are being bombarded with salesy content on social media. This is quite fatiguing for users and makes them tune this type of content out.
Influencers years ago felt like normal people that our audience could relate to, however today they are celeb-like figures who’s lifestyle feels very unattainable for many.
So what methods should brands be using to market themselves on social media? UGC! A.K.A User Generated Content. Today UGC is working better than influencer marketing.
When UGC is done well it shows real fans of brands using real products. This is genuine and relatable for the audience who can see themselves in the content.
This is a very cost effective way for brands to create valuable content. Many content creators are happy to receive free products in exchange for content or if they require a payment it is a small fee.
Smaller creators usually have a very loyal and engaged following. The opinions of a friend or someone you may know on a more personal level matter more over a celebrity figure.
Not to forget Employee Generated Content! This shows employees of a business getting involved behind the scenes to make relatable content. This again is a very cost effective way of creating content that shows the brand's personality. It builds trust and reputability in the brand by giving their audience an insight into their inner workings.
I think there is a place for each of these marketing forms when used appropriately. Influencers are great for large campaigns that deserve a spotlight as they can introduce large new audiences to your business. But it is important to choose an influencer that aligns with your brand and who may already be a fan of the business.
For more everyday content try out UGC and EGC. These content forms have risen in popularity and are not going anywhere. Your audience has become much more social media savvy and want to relate to what they see online. Adapt with them and make your content enjoyable for them.
