As we continue our series on identifying the best social influencers, we look to finding authentic influencers. Authenticity can mean the difference between a campaign selling or falling flat. People are moving away from traditional advertising with the use of ad blockers or premium subscriptions to find authentic content.
A recent study by the American Marketing Association reveals the second largest consideration for a social influencer is the authenticity of their content. This is what separates an influencer from a celebrity. It’s what gives them the authority in their space that makes them, well, influential.
Why is authenticity so important? What makes it so vital to the success of your next influencer marketing campaign?
Authentic Influencers Are Your Audience
Read nearly any content marketing blog post from this year and you’ll see a point to “put yourself in your audience’s shoes.” Partnering with a social media influencer makes this job much easier, since they are in your audience’s shoes. Their sole job isn’t to make content for your brand, providing a fresh perspective for your brand.
In a recent Forbes article, 43% of millennials place more importance on the authenticity of a social media influencer over their quality of content. Does this mean you shouldn’t work on having great content and partnering with influencers who will do the same? Absolutely not. In fact, when working with an earned influencer who is truly a fan of your brand, their authenticity will show in the quality of their content.
Authentic Influencers Create High-Quality Content
Think of your best pieces of UCG. There’s a quality difference when someone does something they have to do and something they want to. Influencers create some of the best long-form content and need next to no direction. Authenticity shines in content creation; you’ll know if someone cares about what they’re talking about or not.
In an age where the FTC is cracking down on paid influencers, earned influencer marketing is the safest move for your brand. Working with these avid fans of your product and industry guarantees a level of authentic content that can’t be matched by paid influencers or your own ads.
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