According to a recent survey, 70% of Marketers will spend more on social media Ads this year and Influencer Marketing is going to form a very important part of brands’ social media strategy.

Influencer Marketing

About a decade ago when I was in school, I was a big movie buff. Unfortunately, I could not go for every movie that came out on Friday with my meagre pocket money. That was the time when Multiplexes were coming up and going to one was a status symbol in itself. The only way I could check if going to a movie was worthwhile was through the critique ratings in Times of India. Time has flown fast since then and today even though I have the economic means , I am short on time. Today I rely on people I trust to give me recommendations for selecting movies to watch. I interact with these people in my social clout digitally. Welcome to this era of digital social influencers who are beating around testimony and subtle mention of the product , impacting you consciously or subliminally.

Who Influences You?

The other day I was watching the navratna oil TVC featuring Amitabh Bachchan. Mr Bachchan has won the padma vibhushan and is highly respected. But I find the commercial funny and he doesn’t influence me in my decision to buy a hair oil. It is the people whom I can relate to that have the power to influence me or my purchasing decisions. Back in the days when my friends suggested me something (WOM), I was more convinced rather than by seeing a TV or print advertisement. Now WOM has given way to social influence. The advertisers and marketers are investing more marketing dollars in original content and influencer marketing.

Companies are going through a strategic shift in the way they advertise. Digital spending will grow faster than traditional TV advertisement .  Today’s Millenials  and GenX will have a positive response to an authentic endorsement and not to traditional forms of advertisement.

It is Native

The best thing about influencer marketing is that it is native. It is part of what users already consume . The digital advertising space is very cluttered .Companies have a hard time deciding the correct mix of SEM, display ads etc. Currently 26% users are using Adblockers. This number is gradually increasing with more awareness and digital literacy. It makes sense strategically as well as tactically to make use of influencer marketing.

Some Cool Campaigns

Today companies have added an extra element of creativity and engagement in Influencer Marketing. The continuous effort is to make the brand stick to the users’ minds. Take this example from Tata Motors for the launch of their BOLT car. They launched a twitter race among the followers to support the influencers and got a huge response.

Mahindra made another interesting influencer marketing campaign. For the launch of its Gusto scooter , they roped in popular food bloggers. The food bloggers explored the popular breakfast eatery outlets in Mumbai and Bengaluru on Gusto. They shared the experiences with the hash tag #GoGustorides. Mahindra created a buzz with the influence of food bloggers and their followers. The campaign was a huge success!

Who would have ever wondered that a premium brand like Mercedes would make use of a dog as an influencer? But Mercedes surprised everybody! They made a campaign regarding the lifestyle of new potential segments and their influencer is Loki_the_wolfdog. It does not come as a surprise that Loki_the_wolfdog has a over a million instagram followers. Take a look at the campaign here.

While 60% of the advertisers are planning to increase spends on influencers, the governments are catching up too. The Las Vegas Visitors authority roped in DJ Khaled for their promotional campaign. With 6 million snapchat followers, DJ Khaled is called the king of snapchat!.  He showcased the various spots of Las Vegas to his followers and generated a buzz. The Indian government is not far behind either. The Agricultural ministry plans to rope in 100 twitter influencers to reinforce its work and spread the word on its programmes.

Which Platform to Choose?

With influencer marketing emerging rapidly , the social media platforms have to stay ahead in their game. The communication efforts of organizations always synergise the paid marketing and marketing from influencers. The more the influencers use a platform , the more a company’s efforts and money flows in that platform as part of paid Advertisement. Instagram is the most preferred platform of influencers. Facebook and twitter follow shortly. Snapchat and Pinterest are trailing in the race and have a lot to catch up on.

Beware!

Every marketer wants to capitalize on the booming trend of influencer marketing. But they have to be aware that it is laden with its own risks. There is a very fine line between influencing and direct advocating and you never know when it can backfire unless you are cautious. Things can go wrong and you must fix them quickly. There are definitely hygiene factors in strategies that brands must invest in before jumping on to results. Nevertheless, content still remains the king and marketers should give priority to content over size of audience and engagement.

In the future, we can see the synergy of marketer efforts in influencer communication across social media channels. Advertising across multiple social media channels is important. It will help marketers fill the gaps and limitations which sticking to one platform brings with it. Taking the best of each platform will be the success mantra for influencers and marketers.

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