In its simplest form, influencer marketing may seem like assembling a crew of influencers to sing your brand’s praises and waiting for the sales calls to ring. But, experienced marketers will tell you that this marketing terrain is more nuanced. Customers can spot a lack of authenticity in influencer marketing campaigns. Brands caught in the crossfire stand to lose customers and damage brand reputation. Yet, when done right, businesses are reaping impressive revenue from their influencer investments.
Data shows, on average, every $1 invested brings in a stellar $6.50 in revenue. Most companies (70%) see at least $2 in return, and some (13%) even score $20 or more. The truth remains: influencer marketing consistently proves its mettle.
As the ‘de-influencing’ trend rises, where content creators don’t shy away from rejecting products and brands, the significance of authenticity is undeniable—it’s no longer a bonus, but a must. In this blog, we will explore how brands can stay authentic without compromising on an influencer’s reach and still cater to the changing habits of online consumers.
Defining Authenticity And Reach In Influencer Marketing
Authenticity is an influencer’s ability to stay as genuine as possible while promoting a paid product or brand. Consumers are aware that sponsored content helps influencers earn money, which is essential for many creators. Research suggests they may be earning anywhere between $100 to $500 on average, based on their niche. However, people don’t appreciate content that constantly feels like a sales pitch or is blatantly promotional. They can sense when things are pretentious and feel let down if misled.
Vis-a-vis making money out of product promotion, influencers are also skilled at striking a chord with their niche audience. People want real connections with brands, and influencers hold the power to offer that authenticity. They gain trust by sharing relatable content, honest experiences, and genuine recommendations.
Understanding how brands can fit seamlessly into the influencer-audience connection should be the core of your influencer marketing strategy.
Reach, on the other hand, signifies the views, likes, and engagement that an influencer’s post garners. However, reach alone lacks impact, as it merely indicates the number of people exposed to the content.
An influencer’s reach holds immense significance for brands as it directly impacts the potential exposure and visibility of your products or services. While a broad reach can introduce your brand to a larger audience, combining it with authenticity ensures that the message resonates with an audience willing to meaningfully engage. Ironically, sans authenticity you may end up compromising your IGC’s reach instead.
In essence, authenticity serves as the foundation for profound engagement, which in turn drives content sharing and extends reach.
Tips For Expanding Reach Without Compromising Authenticity
Invest Time In Influencer Discovery And Research
Devoting time to this aspect brings valuable returns. Identifying the right influencers through thorough research not only ensures brand alignment but also establishes a strong connection with the relevant audience early on. By relying on an influencer marketing platform like AtisfyReach, you can efficiently plan, execute, optimize, and measure your campaign, simplifying your collaboration. Our platform’s strength lies in the AI matchmaking algorithm, which guarantees optimal influencer matches across diverse niches.
Create Collaborative Content
It is the best way to ensure your brand messaging is on-point while handing over creative power to creators. You can stay involved at every step and also ensure a creator’s authenticity is not compromised.
Let Influencers Show Their Skills
Keep in mind that influencers are storytellers, not press release distributors. Give them enough creative liberty to craft content that brings your message to life in a relatable way, resonates with audiences, and inspires action, rather than just gain passive attention.
Uplift Transparency At All Times
If you are skeptical that divulging a sponsored post discourages audiences, the opposite is true. Encourage influencers to be transparent about their partnerships. This doesn’t hinder reach but enhances trust and keeps you out of legal trouble.
KPIs That Measure Authenticity And Reach
1. Impressions
Impressions show the number of times an influencer’s content appeared in the viewer’s feed, regardless of interaction. Alongside authenticity and reach, impressions complete the picture by revealing how many opportunities the content had to make an impact.
2. Follower Growth
Follower growth reveals how well an influencer’s content attracts people to join their community. When growth is consistent and natural, it shows the influencer’s authenticity and skill in keeping their audience engaged for the long haul.
3. Engagement
At the core of successful influencer marketing lies a pivotal metric – engagement. It reflects the depth of user interaction with the content created by the influencer. This interaction encompasses a range of actions, from the classic likes and comments to more meaningful engagements like shares, saves, and reactions. Engagement serves as a bridge between the influencer’s creativity and their audience’s genuine interest. It’s a way to measure how much the influencer’s content connects, evokes emotions, and drives actions. The higher an influencer’s engagement, the more profound the connection they’ve established with their audience.
4. Audience demographic
You would also want to check the audience quality following any campaign that goes live. This information ensures that the messaging is reaching the right target audience who are likely to be interested in your brand.
Influencer Campaign On-Point:
67 Shades of Dior
The ‘67 Shades of Dior’ campaign stands out as a highly successful influencer marketing effort, focusing on micro-influencers for their responsiveness and engagement. The campaign aimed to boost awareness for the renowned Dior Forever Foundation and highlight its diverse shade range.
The strategy involved daily introductions of influencers on @diorbeautylovers’ Instagram stories, featuring their shade choices. This dual promotion tapped into existing Dior fans while reaching new audiences through influencers. The campaign was a smashing success and was the Gold winner in the ‘Best Beauty Campaign’ category at the ‘2020 Influencer Marketing Awards’. The outcomes included a notable 33% rise in audience reach, 1.85 million impressions (an 85% increase), and the creation of 290 pieces of content (up by 44%).
ABC Mouse x Mom influencers
ABCmouse, an award-winning app for early learning, teamed up with mom influencers who have kids. The influencers got ABCmouse accounts for their kids to try educational games and made posts about it. They shared how ABCmouse fits into their kids’ screen time. These mom influencers also told other parents to try the app. This campaign succeeded because it focused on a specific group – moms who care about early learning. The content felt real and connected with their followers, making it a great example of authentic influencer marketing.
Oreos’ Oreoverse
Oreo’s recent campaign, “The Oreoverse,” was a hit this year. They dived into the metaverse and created fun games inspired by their famous cookies. They even brought in Martha Stewart for a live stream on Instagram and Facebook. But Oreo didn’t stop there. They teamed up with both micro and mid-tier influencers to keep the buzz going. They knew that working with real people who genuinely love their cookies would get everyone excited and talking about the campaign. It’s a smart move, especially since micro-influencers pack the highest rates of engagement on their channels.
Figure 5: Oreo promoted a metaverse game through micro-influencers. Source Instagram
Create Ripples Of Connection With Authentic Influencers
Picture a future where every engagement is more than just a click – it’s a genuine connection. AtisfyReach enables you to seamlessly align your brand with influencers whose values mirror your own. Our AI-driven platform meticulously analyses all relevant data from social media platforms to identify creators who are not only popular but also genuinely influential. This data-driven approach allows the AI to match brands with influencers who have the potential to drive real impact.
