Instagram influencers have grown to be one of the most popular and effective advertisement methods of the 21st century. One major factor that contributes to the influencer success is the fact that they are real people who have amassed a huge and loyal following. Therefore, their tens of thousands of followers believe authentic influencers to be a trustworthy and reliable source of information.
According to a survey conducted by The Collective Bias, it was found that the buying decisions of as much as 70 percent of millennials are influenced by their peer’s recommendations. Moreover, it was also reported that a whopping 60 percent of consumers, while shopping at stores, have been influenced by posts on social media or blogs. These statistics show the huge market influencing has.
Perhaps one of the most important qualities expected from any influencer is authenticity, and it’s not difficult to understand why. The entire strategy of social media influencing is based on a bond or rapport of sorts between the influencer and his or her audience. If the audience is not convinced that the influencer has actually tried and tested the product or service they are endorsing, the marketing campaign is likely to fail. In other words, an influencer marketing campaign is dependent on how authentic the influencer is believed to be by the audience.
If an influencer has established their authenticity among followers, they will automatically gain their followers’ loyalty. At the same time, they are also required and expected to an extent, to be loyal to their followers as well. This means that the larger their audience is, the more careful they have to be in the different brands they endorse.
That said, here are some of the top reasons why influencers must be authentic and loyal to their audience for a successful influencer marketing campaign:
- Brand reputation of both parties are at stake
Any influencer marketing is an agreed partnership between businesses and influencers with a huge social media following. As is the case with any business partnership, the brand reputations of both parties are at stake here. Any move that is made in relation to the campaign – a post, a comment by the influencer, etc. – can have serious consequences on the campaign.
Therefore, it is essential that influencers only work with trusted brands, and vice versa. Well-known influencer marketing platforms like iFluenz make sure that, whether you are a brand or influencer, you only work with trustworthy partners.
- They help to establish a sense of trust and quality
The truth is that modern consumers are smart and savvy. They know that influencers are paid to do what they do – influence. Often, they can tell the difference between an influencer who wants to be paid and does not care about authenticity and loyalty, and influencers who genuinely believe in valuable and meaningful exchange of ideas so their followers can benefit too.
This implies that when consumers go on social media and see posts from influencers endorsing certain brands, they decide whether the influencer, as well as the brand, offers them something of quality, and if they can really trust their endorsements to affect their buying behavior.
- Millennial consumers prefer authenticity over content
According to the findings of a survey conducted by Forbes, 43 percent of millennials prefer authenticity over content. The participants said that they first need to know that a news site or company is trustworthy even before going through their content. And with a majority of Instagram users being millennials, authenticity is a priority. So, it does not matter how great your product is, or how big of a discount you offer. If followers see a brand they don’t trust when they see a post, they are not going to be influenced by it.