The way people are using the internet is changing. Almost two-thirds of the 8 billion people on earth (64.4%) are now internet users, with 4.76 billion of them active on social media. At the end of last year, people were using social media almost 40% of the time they were online—up from 26% in 2013, according to Meltwater’s Digital 2023 Global Overview Report.
How they are spending time on social media is also changing. People are no longer just using it to communicate with their friends, they are also using it for a host of other online activities, from shopping to education.
“Consumer behaviours are constantly changing based on the way digital is changing,” says Antonia Barchenko, senior client success executive for Klear. “Gen Z, for example, prefers to use TikTok rather than Google to search online. So people are just turning to social media more for whatever it is they are doing.”
That is also being driven by how people are connecting to the internet. More than nine in 10 internet users (92.3%) go online via their mobile phone, according to Meltwater’s report.
“There are some people who still predominantly use their computer, but for many people, the phone is seen as the one stop shop for literally everything that you do—and by extension, social media,” says Dana Benami, a product specialist at Klear.
Understand your audience
All of that means brands are eager to boost their presence on social media. The problem is they don’t spend enough time trying to develop a strategy that is coherent with the audience they are targeting, says Benami.
“They might say they want to use influencers but they’ll just go about it in a very high level way without really trying to understand who it is that they’re trying to reach,” she says.
Many may think they know who their audience is, but few are doing the work necessary to properly test that hypothesis, Benami says. This means they may not be speaking in a language that will resonate with their intended audience.
“It’s not just about getting in front of as many eyes as possible, it’s about being really smart about who you are reaching and how you’re reaching them,” she adds. “This is what makes the difference between brands that are doing this successfully and brands that are not.”
Reaching audiences online is also getting harder. Traditional digital advertising has less impact, not least because more than a third of consumers (35.7%) say they use ad blockers, according to Klear’s State of Influencer Marketing 2023 report. Klear pricing research also found that influencer marketing is six times more effective than paid media.
“Where influencers can add a lot of value is that they really are everyday people and they are seen as relatable and authentic,” says Benami. “Irregardless of their follower count, the influencers that are really successful are those where they’re sharing more of a lens into their everyday life and people feel like they know them on a personal level.”
Authenticity helps brands to scale
By tapping into that authenticity, influencer marketing can help brands scale and grow by reaching audiences they otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach if they were relying on their own social media channels.
“Influencer marketing is the strongest way to get your brand in front of the right audience,” says Barchenko. “They help you authentically connect with the right consumer, so you can expand your reach and enhance your presence, which is ultimately the most important thing to drive your business growth.”
Brands that are not using influencers are potentially leaving growth on the table, says Barchenko.
“Every brand should be at least evaluating if it could potentially get them in front of the correct consumers,” she adds.
It also doesn’t matter if it is a new brand that is trying to raise awareness or an existing brand that is trying to enter a new market or a different segment than they have historically targeted.
“Influencer marketing can help brands grow and scale regardless of where they fit in terms of their maturity,” says Benami. “The first step is always understanding what your goals are and then building a strategy around that.”
Brands also need to recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all influencer marketing strategy—it will depend on a brand’s individual circumstances and the audience it is trying to connect with.
“An influencer strategy is about matching your customers’ energy,” says Benami. “When deciding which influencers to work with, it’s about picking people that will resonate with your target audience because it’s all about authenticity.”
Brands also need to be flexible if their strategy is not working as hoped and not be afraid to adjust on the fly.
Be ready to pivot
“That’s where being able to measure the impact and understand what’s working and what isn’t is going to be really helpful,” says Benami. “The way people use these platforms is constantly changing, so being nimble and ready to pivot is essential.”
There are different ways brands can measure the impact of their influencer marketing campaigns according to what goals they are trying to achieve. For instance, brands can use coupon codes to directly link sales to a particular influencer or embed tracking links that will flag if an influencer’s content has later resulted in a sale. But sales may not be the only metric brands are tracking — if they are seeking to raise brand awareness, reach and engagement are important data points to measure.
How brands are seeking to grow and scale will also dictate which influencers they should use.
“Larger influencers are going to be better for things like brand awareness while micro influencers can potentially create more conversion because they have a trusted community that tends to be more engaged,” says Barchenko.
By ensuring influencer marketing is a key part of their overall marketing strategy, brands can ensure they have the reach and impact to scale and grow their business.
- Ensure content is scalable – the most valuable influencer marketing content can be used for various channels, giving you flexibility and opportunities for growth. Tap into your audience’s hunger for genuine content and establish a deeper connection to your brand – watch webinar here.
- Use technology and analytics to track performance and the results of influencer marketing campaigns.
- Influencer marketing platforms can take your influencer marketing campaign to the next level, enabling you to find and manage the best-fit influencers who will resonate with your target audience in an authentic way that sparks action. Klear commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying the Klear platform. Learn more.
Learn how to be successful at influencer marketing:
