Welcome to the Influencer Marketing Era :

Have you ever bought a product because the influencer you follow recommended it? Before buying something, do you also go and watch a vlog about the pros and cons of the product? Well, that’s exactly what influencer marketing is.

Influencer Marketing is a marketing approach, in which brands use social media influencers to endorse their products. The greatest asset of an influencer is the loyal community of followers they’ve built over the years and brands leverage this through influencer marketing.

According to LinkedIn Statistics, 75% of people use social media for purchasing advice.

Source: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling

How did Influencer Marketing become a trending strategy?

Over the past decade, influencer marketing has become the mainstream form of online marketing. And the reason behind this is the rampant rise in influencers and digital content consumers. After the 2016 Jio launch, India became the top mobile data user, thus leading us to a new world where Social Media and YouTube became a part of our daily lives.

Soon enough, brands started to realise the potential of online creators and hopped on the collaboration posts bandwagon. At first, companies would collaborate with the most popular influencers, with the number of followers being the sole crucial element. Nevertheless, this pattern has shifted over the last 2-3 years. Brands are currently placing their attention on recruiting creators within specific niche markets, as that is where their desired audience can be found.

Influencers are often perceived as the experts in their field and their opinions are highly regarded by their followers, which is why they have become the go-to for brand promotions and product recommendations.

According to a survey conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub nearly 60% of marketers intend to increase their influencer marketing spend in 2024.

Source: https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/#toc-10

Who is more relevant among brands? Celebrities or Influencers?

Companies in the B2B and B2C industries are moving from utilizing celebrities such as actors or professional athletes as their brand ambassadors to employing content creators as the faces of their brands. Including a well-known celebrity in your social media campaign can create buzz, but viewers may question the credibility of the advertisement's claims.“Does this famous personality even use the product?” Will be their major concern.

In the age where consumers come across sponsored content and ads every other second, the only factor that helps them take action is authenticity and that’s exactly what a social media influencer brings to the table.

According to Matter Findings, 69% of consumers trust influencers, family, and friends over information directly coming from the brand.

Source: https://www.matternow.com/blog/consumers-seek-influencers-who-keep-it-real

Indian brands that are going viral with their Influencer Marketing strategies :

Some of the most successful brands today have unlocked their true potential because of their compelling and creative social media campaigns. Right post at the right time with the right influencer can truly help you acquire a wide range of customers and these brands are a testament to it.

Mama Earth :

When Mama Earth entered the Skincare space, there were already several established players in the industry. But, what made them stand out was their social media marketing. Mama Earth has partnered with 100+ content creators, who don’t just advertise but use their products as well. And that's exactly why the viewers were able to trust the brand too.

Boat :

Yet another brand whose brilliant social media marketing paid off in huge numbers. Every time Boat comes out with a quirky new-age design or product they make sure to partner with the most relevant Gen-z influencers, which compels their target audience to buy the product.

Nykaa :

Over the years, Nykaa has had several mainstream and digital marketing campaigns. However, what truly helped them gain a wide range of loyal customers was the PR boxes they sent to multiple influencers. Word-of-mouth beats vanity when you want the audience to trust your brand and that's exactly what Nykaa has done.

My Protein :

They identified the most trustworthy and established influencers in the fitness and lifestyle category and collaborated with them. Imagine the person you look up to the most for fitness advice, the person whose workout tips and tricks suit you, the person who you think has the perfect gym body starts using a certain peanut butter and protein powder every day. Wouldn't you go and buy the same products? Well, that's the thought that went behind My Protein’s social media marketing strategy.

Conclusion :

Influencer-led advertising approaches will definitely increase as the lines between social and conventional marketing become increasingly blurred. Due to the fact that brands are seeking authentic relationships with their followers, there is a higher demand for micro and nano influencers. Furthermore, brands are shifting away from single influencer initiatives and prioritizing extended partnerships to create a stronger bond with their audience.

During a global 2024 survey among marketing agencies and brands, 22.4 percent of respondents stated they invested 10 to 20 percent of their marketing budget into influencer marketing. This number is likely to double in the coming year.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/268641/share-of-marketing-budgets-spent-on-digital-worldwide/

Moving forward, influencers are going to play a pivotal role in brand promotions, social media marketing will overtake main-line advertising. However, as more brands shift to the digital marketing space, it might get difficult to gain user attention, so the key to staying relevant in a sea flooded with branded posts is to pick the right influencer, and convey your brand message in the most creative and unique way every single time.

Brands become top brands when a top advertising and digital marketing agency puts efforts into a planning strategy and deriving ideas that will flourish with time. Tempest assures the same and hence is regarded as the top advertising and digital marketing agency in Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore.