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One of the core reasons brands use influencer marketing strategies is the potential for campaigns to feel entirely authentic and genuine. Because audiences commonly trust their favorite content creators, influencer marketing has the potential to be highly effective when executed correctly and with the right individual.
However, authenticity in influencer marketing campaigns cannot be an afterthought for brands—it must be at the forefront of your influencer marketing efforts. Because authenticity is essential, marketing teams must learn how to prioritize authenticity in their influencer marketing campaigns. This article will cover why authentic influencer marketing is essential and how brands can achieve authenticity within their content.
What Does Authenticity Really Mean?
Authenticity is an essential asset for any career path, but it is also the key to true happiness and contentment. Even outside of influencer marketing and social media, people make the best connections with one another when they practice authenticity.
Many people feel the need to be inauthentic and present a masked version of themselves in professional settings such as the workplace. You may have done this in the past without realizing it. Saying what you think other people want to hear and letting the desires of others influence your own life seems to come naturally to some, but it is far from a healthy way to live.
Ultimately, authenticity means that you can freely live your life and express yourself. When you are authentic, you live your life according to your values and desires instead of what other people expect from you. Because authenticity is vital in every aspect of life, the need for authenticity extends to campaigns and influencers for your brand.
Modern Audiences Crave Transparency and Authenticity
Influencers engaging with their audience are most successful when their content is genuine and authentic. Modern audiences feel connected to their favorite social media influencers, and long-term followers can detect when their favorite influencer is inauthentic when promoting brand content.
Young people especially value transparency and authenticity from those around them, and they expect to see this authenticity reflected in the content they engage with. Your target audience will want their favorite influencers to have creative freedom in the partnership between your brand and the influencer. Influencers that prioritize authenticity tend to gain a more loyal following than influencers that create content that comes off as forced.
Seeing authentic content on social media and in advertising is a breath of fresh air to people that regularly check up on their favorite influencers. Because people are accustomed to inauthentic, flashy advertisements on social media, finding an influencer with a genuine passion for your brand’s product or service is essential to the success of your campaign.
What It Means to Have Authenticity in Influencer Marketing
Authenticity in influencer marketing campaigns is critical to a brand’s engagement rate on social media. Both brands and influencers must work hard to partner with those that genuinely care about their passions and have similar values.
Brands should consider their influencer campaigns not as a simple business deal but as a genuine partnership between parties with the same beliefs. In today’s digital world, audiences have grown more skeptical of social media advertising. As a result, brands must work to craft influencer marketing campaigns based on a genuine interest in a product or service.
When brands work with influencers, they want their promoted content to extend beyond forced product placement. Audiences trust their favorite influencers, and if your brand partners with an inauthentic influencer, this trust may waver. Therefore, your brand should seek influencers with similar interests and goals whose content matches your own.
Neither your brand nor the influencer you partner with should have to bend their morals or personalities for a marketing campaign. Influencers must be upfront with their audiences about your brand and the content they publish for your brand. Don’t force product placement or try to hide the nature of the campaign—if an influencer is transparent and genuinely enthusiastic about your brand, their audience will be able to tell.
Finding an Authentic Influencer
Now comes the real challenge: finding an authentic and dedicated influencer for your brand. With the plethora of influencers to choose from, marketing teams often get overwhelmed with their options. While challenging, there are some ways to ensure that your brand finds an authentic influencer genuinely interested in your brand’s message.
It is vital that your marketing team does not pick an influencer solely based on their follower count. A high number of followers does not equal instant success in an influencer marketing campaign. For this reason, many brands choose to work with micro-influencers, as these influencers typically post content with a common theme.
Influencers are a crucial component of a successful marketing mix for brands. As your brand ventures into influencer marketing, start by gathering basic facts. Look deeply into the content of influencers that you are considering partnering with. You should also browse the accounts an influencer follows and those that follow the influencer to determine if their audience is the same as your brand’s.
When choosing an influencer for your brand’s upcoming campaigns, take time researching. Ask influencers questions before entering a partnership to understand their values and what they stand for in their social media content. Instagram stories, posts, reels, and followers are all places to start when your brand wants to create a strong partnership.
Final Words
Researching to find the right influencer for your brand is essential, but your marketing team can also benefit from influencer marketing services like Markerly. Markerly is a platform committed to helping brands make strong connections with their target audience through authentic influencer marketing campaigns.
With Markerly, your brand’s influencer content is genuine and transparent. Markerly’s experts can help your brand avoid coming off as manipulative to audiences. Contact our team to start crafting an influencer marketing campaign that connects with your target audience!
