The world won't be getting back to a complete normal anytime soon. Everything from the dining out to ... [+]
While it would be easy to assume that the global novel coronavirus pandemic would make influencers seem a lot less relevant, the fact that so many people have had extra time on their hands has proved to be a good thing in many ways.
According to research from Matter Communications, 63% of consumers have actually spent a lot more time over the past two months viewing and/or posting on social platforms, and as a result many are seeing more content from influencers. This has also increased the level of trust among influencers – along with recommendations from friends and families – from a brand itself. The study also found that influencers have not been tone deaf to the situation. And only 19% of respondents say they felt that influencer content has become unhelpful in these difficult times.
Most surprisingly, even during the global pandemic influencers have continued to drive the conversation about brands, and continued to drive sales from their social media platforms. The study found that 82% of consumers have said that influence have even impacted their "buying journey," especially with interests in food & beverage, health & wellness and personal technology.
"Brands of all sizes are grappling with how to shift or amplify their marketing, PR and social media strategies to adapt right now, and a challenge for many is how to authentically connect with consumers," said Matter President Mandy Mladenoff. "Our data makes one thing clear: influencer marketing presents a unique and timely opportunity for companies to engage with a thoughtful, nuanced approach."
Another study, which was conducted by Influence.co, also found that 60% of people believe physical appearance is one of the leading contributors to influencer success, yet only 51% of influencers echo the same sentiment.
As we enter a post-lockdown world – one where the pandemic could return – many still think that being a social media influence remains a viable career.
"61% of influencers view social media influencing as a long-term career option," said Niel Robertson, CEO of Influence.co.
"Though shifts in direction may be necessary in times such as this, influencers are positive about the future outlook of the job and, as long as they're willing to adapt, may continue to see success despite economic uncertainty," added Robertson.
Influential Changes
The world won't be getting back to a complete normal anytime soon. Everything from the dining out to a trip to the shopping mall will be dramatically different, and influencers will have to adapt.
"If I ever had days where I questioned my value as a content creator/influencer, Covid19 really put a spotlight on that value and showed me that what I do matters," said Valeria Lipovetsky, CEO and creative director at VALERIA INC.
"These uncertain times and its effects on my online community inspired me to really come out of my own head and ego and sit down and brainstorm how I can help and bring some positive light to people through what I do," Lipovetsky explained.
She said it started by creating from a clearer and more genuine headspace, which enabled her to truly feel the community and what they needed while she then adjusted the content based on that accordingly.
"Today more than ever we want to feel connected and part of something bigger than ourselves," added Lipovetsky. "We want to know and see that we’re not the only ones who feel a certain way. We want to be surrounded with expenders – people that show you what's possible rather than focusing on everything that's not – and that was my calling during this time, to become that expender for my community and my family and create that space for myself and my followers to make this time have a positive impact as much as possible."
It also allowed this content creator/influencer to start sharing what she had wanted to share for so long but never found the time or the courage to shift the content. Lipovetsky started focusing on content that could educate about different topics including mental health, women's health and fitness; but she said it was important to keep it fun and light.
At the same time influencers need to remain transparent and real.
"Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of influencers were losing that close relationship with their audience, which is really the base of this industry as a whole," Lipovetsky warned.
She said that disconnection in part was due to a couple of reasons:
1. Audiences are bombarded with so much information on a daily basis that they don't have the time or don't prioritize engaging with it. They're also so used to all this content that a lot of it doesn't really penetrate them emotionally which as a result makes them indifferent to it.
2. As creators it is all too easy to sometimes get stuck on autopilot with content due to not being inspired and being too busy with the business demands and other content as influencers are now active on multiple platforms.
"As scary and unfortunate as this times have been for all of us, it also gave us the opportunity to stop, reevaluate and reconnect. And as a content creator/influencer it gave me the chance to provide my community a lot of value and to hopefully get their long term attention," suggested Lipovetsky. "As for the future, it's going to be another opportunity for content creators to listen closely to their audience and see how we can shift our content to better align with the new reality. The goal is to keep this tight relationship with the audience that translates into engagement and value as an influencer."
