With the whole world being forced to stay at home, people spent more time on social media than even before. They were looking for any kind of entertainment that would be a loophole to this health/economic crisis. Yet, brands working hands in hands with influencers on social media had to cope with this situation in a way that won’t arm neither their sales nor reputation.
Here’s 3 lessons all brands should consider taking to successfully survive this pandemic.
Simply consider influencer marketing
The first lesson is as simple as considering influencer marketing as one of the main marketing strategies. Indeed, 92% of consumers trust influencer marketing over traditional marketing. The reason why influencer marketing is so successful nowadays lies in 3 worlds: authenticity, engagement and trust. Influencers, whether they have 2K or 2M followers, build strong relationships with their audience.
Look up THIS article to learn more about the advantages of influencers marketing.
Work on multiple channels
Indeed, a major pro of using influencer marketing is that they often operate on multiple platforms, which means that the product or message a brand wants to convey can be seen by different audiences on different platforms, all at the same time! Moreover, each platform can be used to communicate with a specific audience in a way that will be the most suited for it. For instance, TikTok speaks to a younger, more involved audience, in a fun and creative way, whereas Instagram is used by a wider audience, looking for more aesthetically pleasing content. Therefore, influencers are expected to create tailored messages for each platform. Engaging in a cross channel influencer strategy is the way to go, especially during the global pandemic as people spend more time online and on different platforms.
Moreover, influencers are a whole production team by themselves! They adapt to every platform without huge production costs, as they create, edit and manage all the content. In times where every penny is wisely spent, working with influencers is also financially more appealing.
Create long-term relationships
Influencers create long-term relationships with both the brand and the audience. In case of a successful collaboration, some brands might decide to continue to work with the influencer and opt for a long-term partnership where the influencer would be more involved in the campaigns. Influencers know best what works with their audience, so engaging them in the project will only yield positive results and will be seen as legitimate advocacy. Especially now, engaging in long term partnerships is extremely important as the audience trusts now more than ever the influencers, seen as a source of entertainment and good advice.
Be careful when choosing your long-term partnerships as sometimes the influencer’s opinion on certain subjects might be different from the brand’s and might cause some reputation problems for the brand.
In conclusion, the global pandemic is definitely changing the world and its perceptions on many subjects and practices but there is no “perfect” way to react on social media. However, one must react as no one can act as nothing happened. As a rule, influencer marketing should always be about posting the right content at the right time.
