Celebrities who?… Celebrities are no longer taking the lead in influencing young audiences. In fact, 70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. This alarming statistic makes you want to take a seat and re-evaluate your marketing plan. So what makes influencers so strong? How are they changing the marketing world in 2020? Let’s check it out.
Influencers vs Professional Marketers
If you haven’t already read our blog on TikTok, then here’s the gist. TikTok is another rising social media platform, and as with all social media platforms, influencers are born. This one, in particular, is similar to Vine, where users record themselves lip-syncing to music or voice-clips. The more TikTok has developed, the more professional marketers are scrambling to put their paid advertisements on the platform. But is it working?
If anything, paid advertisements are probably driving a slight bit more traffic than if they weren’t there in the first place. However, it’s just lazy marketing. Instead of brands developing their content and outputting organic videos, they’re wanting to pay influencers to sponsor their products in paid advertisements.
Luckily they got one thing going for them. Using Influencers. But alas, Gen Z’ers and Millennials are quick to swipe past paid ads and are more inclined to listen to an influencer who endorses a product organically instead. The power of being authentic on TikTok is becoming more prevalent and I’m liking it. Professional marketers are having to abandon their Instagram ad ways and think a bit more creatively if they want their brand to be respected among younger generations.
So where does this put influencers on the spectrum of marketing?
The Power of Individual Influencers
Ready for another statistic? 92% of consumers trust the recommendations of people they follow on social media rather than advertising from brands. That doesn’t mean advertisements are all bad. In fact, they’re still a great way to gain visibility. Take PPC for example. Using pay per click advertising on Google can help increase awareness for companies where the market is more competitive. But how do advertisements fare in the social media world?
It feels good to know that influencers are being a little bit more picky about what they promote. In any circumstance, they may be paid some amount of money, but the growth of promoting brands they just believe in is rising, paid or not. What’s great about it all is that no matter how silly or serious an influencer is, they’re still an important figure groups of people look up to and trust. Start doing that with your own company and stop with the cheap marketing tactics.
Companies as Influencers
In 2020 I will gladly watch the marketing world shift into a more honest and raw form of content creation. Instead of relying on paying individual influencers, brands should be building an audience around their own image and philosophies. This means taking the extra step of doing some in-depth audience research and formulating a brand message that is consistent and unforgettable. After building an audience that trusts your brand, get in the habit of communicating with them consistently. It’s the same as a business relationship. You’ll get back what you put out.
2020 Influencer Marketing
It’s predicted that in 2020, Influencer marketing is going to become a $5-$10 billion dollar industry, and why shouldn’t it be? It’s no surprise that businesses are jumping on the micro-influencer train. It’s a great way to save money and focus specifically on a niche area that aligns with the company’s brand. To stay in the know, you need to be ready for influencers making heavy use of podcasts and videos in 2020. This opportunity is huge for brands wanting to build a business relationship with influencers.
Video Production & Branding
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