Influencers: Why They Deserve More Recognition
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Most employers provide recognition awards to staff for reaching specific goals or working for the company for a certain length of time.
Employers do this because they appreciate the hard work and time their team put into the company and want to give something back.
Some people put in hours and hours of work and don’t seem to get much recognition in return: these people are influencers. Most of us follow them on social media and view their creative content. They work with brands and help increase their revenue. So why do they not get more recognition? It’s a job not always taken seriously, but with the rise of the influencer in recent years, this needs to change.
What Is An Influencer?
People who have built a reputation and following on social media. Influencers often know a niche subject, and therefore have followers with similar interests. Because of this reputation and audience, they have the power to affect (influence) the purchasing decisions of their followers.
So you know what an influencer is, but why are they such a big part of modern marketing? According to a report by We Are Social in 2019, 3.484 billion people actively use social media worldwide, 45% of the world’s population. Looking at this statistic, it only makes sense that brands target social media for their advertising.
What Is Influencer Marketing?
The way brands advertise on social media has changed. Most social media users will scroll past paid advertisements without reading the post. A survey showed 36% of people in the UK use Adblockers on their phones. People like genuine content rather than over staged, glossy, forced advertisements.
Influencer marketing is where a brand collaborates with an online influencer/creator to market one of its products. The process involves the influencer posting regular photos or videos about the product and the number of posts depending on the agreement. Essentially, a brand will exchange money or goods for a certain number of posts about their product. They want access to the followers, and paid advertising isn’t the way to do this anymore.
New rules state that anybody on social media advertising a product for a brand must declare this to their audience. Under the CAP Code, ads ‘must be obviously identifiable as such’. This means the content creator must include a statement such as ‘ad’ on the post itself.
What Makes Influencers Great Marketers?
They Understand Their Target Audience
Influencers have spent a lot of time and effort creating their own communities on social media. They understand what people like to see and what content gets the most engagement. Influencers know the difference between authenticity and forced advertising; they will only post about products they know their audience will love.
They Give Brands Access to a Wider Audience
Working with influencers gives brands access to thousands, even millions, of people they may not otherwise be able to target. This audience can be pretty niche. For example, if you want to advertise a tech product, you find an influencer with a keen tech-based following. This gives you access to the perfect target audience that otherwise may be difficult to narrow down.
Can Be Cheaper Than Traditional Marketing
Influencer marketing changes in cost depending on the types of influencers you choose to work with. The fewer followers, the lower the price. If a brand is short on money for advertising, targeting influencers with a smaller following, but having a keen audience, can be highly cost-effective. You reach an ideal audience for a small cost. Perfect for small businesses.
They are Trusted By Their Audience
As mentioned above, influencers have built a trusted, close community. This means their followers are aware that if they post about it, they genuinely love the product. Traditional advertising isn’t personal, like a review from a natural person is.
Ways to Support Influencers and The Work They Do
Reward Them For Their Work
If you work for a brand that has worked alongside an influencer and wants to thank them, do so! Consider a bespoke product or recognition award. YouTube currently provides plaques to creators who reach a certain number of subscribers, so why should influencers on other forms of social media not receive the same?
Interact With Their Posts
If you like something an influencer has posted, comment, share, save, like! The more interaction on their posts, the more attractive their page is to the Instagram algorithm and potential brand deals.
Understand That Paid Work is an Essential Part of The Role
Some people look down on influencers posting advertisements, but a lot of the time, this is their job. Without paid advertisements, influencers wouldn’t be possible! And most of us enjoy following them, so be understanding and support them.
If You Want To Work With Them, Ask!
If you are a new small business and want to spread the word about your new service, reach out to some smaller influencers. You don’t always have to offer money. Most people with a smaller following will exchange social media posts for a product, as long as it’s authentic to their content. Reach out to people who you think will genuinely love your product!
Hopefully, you now agree that Influencers deserve a lot more recognition! So much hard work goes into nourishing their career and following, so it only seems apt to put more effort into recognising this work. The future of influencers is exciting, and this new form of marketing is going away at any time soon.
If you do like the idea of providing a recognition award to somebody you’ve recently worked with, contact us at Midton. We create bespoke mementoes and awards, let us know your ideas, and we will do everything we can to make them come to life.
