The Press — Although Traditional Advertising Remains a Universal Marketing Tool, New Methods of Marketing Have Proven to be Unprecedentedly Effective and Relevant
In a context marked by an increasingly pronounced aversion to commercial operations, new channels have emerged as intermediaries between consumers and brands, which now resort to mixed strategies to reach a wider audience. Even digital advertising is experiencing setbacks today, as evidenced by the massive use of online ad blockers. Thus, faced with increasingly young, connected, and active consumers on social networks, brands are turning to influencers, considered trusted third parties.
The Rise of Influencer Marketing
Thanks to creative, authentic, and theme-based content, such as lifestyle, beauty, fashion, or travel, influencers manage to build strong relationships with their communities while fostering dialogue and permanent communication. Through the bond they strive to maintain, as well as the passion they share for a given domain and the quality of the content they produce, influencers remain in tune with their subscribers and possess persuasive power capable of engaging them. In fact, influencers are a real boon for brands, as the content they generate is perceived as more reliable than advertisements broadcast directly by the latter.
The Phenomenon of Live Videos
The phenomenon of live videos has reinforced this trend, as it allows for maintaining proximity with communities and guaranteeing the transparency of shared experiences. However, like any marketing method, influencer marketing must be carefully crafted to effectively achieve its objectives.
Understanding the Challenges of Influencer Marketing
To understand the challenges of these new mechanisms and professions, it is essential to distinguish between several categories of influencers:
- Stars
- Macro-influencers (between 100,000 and 1 million fans)
- Micro-influencers (between 1,000 and 100,000 fans)
- Nano-influencers (less than 1,000 fans) This classification is crucial, as it determines the method and approach adopted by the brand.
The Importance of Expertise and Community Engagement
The size of an influencer's community is not necessarily a guarantee of notoriety for the product. What truly matters is their expertise in a particular field and, above all, the strong bonds they maintain with their subscribers. Studies have shown that the level of engagement is not correlated with the size of the community. Specialists even indicate that it can be particularly interesting to collaborate with micro-influencers, whose communities are smaller but more engaged. The power of persuasion increases when influencers work on niche topics while regularly dialoguing with their fans.
Collaborating with Micro-Influencers
Marketers also recommend prioritizing collaborations with micro-influencers, as they are generally less motivated by money than by the values conveyed by the brand, which they ensure are aligned with their own DNA.
The "3 R" Rule
In general, before engaging in an influencer marketing strategy, a brand can rely on the "3 R" rule, defined by sociologist and futurist Brian Solis:
- Reach (the scope): measures the size of the audience and evaluates how many people the influencer can reach.
- Relevance (pertinence): verifies if the influencer is in tune with the brand's DNA.
- Resonance: determines the power of virality and the level of engagement generated by the influencer.
By following these guidelines, brands can effectively leverage influencer marketing to reach their target audience and achieve their marketing objectives.
