The sheer volume of digital content that is readily available to us at any one time, has reached the point where we, the consumer, have become desensitised to the very content that would have held our attention just a few years ago.
Our progressive desensitisation to content, especially on social media, has seen a significant rise in authentic influencers across social media platforms.
Young audiences, in particular, are less likely to engage with content deemed ‘too fake’ or ‘too polished’ and are very aware of when an influencer is being paid to promote a product.
Because of this, audiences are turning to influencers they feel they can trust and relate to, also known as authentic influencers.
With the rise in authentic influencers, there isn’t one influencer that will be seen as authentic by everyone, and that is the point. An authentic influencer won’t work with just any brand, they are cautious of which brands they choose to align with.
Influencer marketing has been a staple for brands for over a decade now, but the social media landscape is ever changing, and brands need to adapt.
To have successful influencer marketing campaigns in 2022, brands need to understand the importance of authenticity and choose to work with influencers that represent the people that they are trying to promote their products to.
A true sense of partnership between an influencer and a brand creates the most impact on authenticity in an influencer marketing campaign. A way to create an authentic partnership is to allow the influencer creative control over the content. Providing a flexible brief to the creator, yields more authentic content.
Forbes recommends brands balance guidelines that safeguard the brand whilst providing space for influencers to exert their unique creative vision and ensuring that any partnership makes sense for the influencer’s audience.
Bigger isn’t always better, and when it comes to influencer marketing in 2022, it’s important to not overlook the micro-influencers. With follower counts ranging between 10-50k, micro-influencers can produce great ROI, receiving higher engagement and click-through rates.
When choosing which influencers to work with, it is important to also consider the long-term strategy, and that is why authenticity is much more important than follower counts. Audiences that are interested in a product or service will turn to a voice they feel is trustworthy, which is who brands should consider.
The influencer economy is growing rapidly and will only continue to grow as the new generation aspire to be influencers themselves. As the industry grows, the landscape will change as influencers continue to find new ways of monetising their content.
New avenues for monetisation, outside or brand partnerships are not new to influencers. Patreon and Only Fans have existed for some time, some influencers are now turning to monetising ‘Close Friends’ on Instagram or platforms such as Sunroom.
These avenues present a great way for influencers and content creators to earn more money for the work they produce. However, it could see a change in how audiences perceive the authenticity of influencers, and how brands might be able to work with influencers when the ‘real’ content is behind a paywall.
