The power of social media and the necessity of Influencer campaigns are undisputed. However, consumers are now exposed to thousands of advertisements on social media on a daily basis, and it is necessary to put forward different strategies in order to lead the consumer to purchase. The abundance of sponsored content on social media is causing people to become overwhelmed by the ads and eventually find them unattractive.
Consumers’ doubts about social media advertisements are, of course, reflected in brands. Although a consensus has been reached between brands in Turkey on the necessity of allocating a budget for influencer marketing, the efficiency of many campaigns remains below expectations. Let’s look at the state of influencer marketing in Turkey and the reasons behind its failures.
Unauthentic Campaigns
10 years from now, generation Z, which today constitutes the largest user base of social media, will have a greater purchasing power and will be positioned as the main target audience of many brands. Unlike millennials, these users will be more experienced on social media and it will be a breeze for them to separate authentic product recommendations from scripted content.
A study conducted in the USA shows that users can be exposed to up to 10,000 advertisements per day on social media. Given the sheer number of sponsored content, many fail to stand out from the rest and, as a result, don’t make a strong impact on the consumer.
It is very difficult to achieve success with only a few stories in which a phenomenon with a high following shows and praises the product. Such content only allows to practice traditional advertising on social media and does not prevent users from quickly scrolling through.
So the solution?
First of all, the product must resonate well with the influencer and his audience. Campaigns with big budgets and famous influencers are not always successful. When deciding on an ifluencer, the audience should be considered as well as the number of followers. There is a misconception among brands that influencers with large audiences will be more effective. However, sometimes even a micro-influencer with 10 thousand followers can provide much more returns, depending on the industry and area of interest. Considering that there are almost 38 million influencers in the world, we can say that choosing the right influencer requires serious expertise.
It’s also important for businesses to give influencers enough room to express creativity and expertise, as audiences can now easily distinguish between a genuine influencer recommendation and a brand-led campaign. Since influencers are the ones who understand their target audience best, brands should allow influencers to use their voice and style to create an authentic and creative tone.
This proves that influencers have a lot of work to deal with for each campaign. Those who only pretend to have tried and used the products, or who always stick to scripted content don’t pass muster and are bound to lose their credibility eventually.
Don’t measure success by sales
Before launching an influencer campaign, it’s very important for brands to determine exactly what kind of return they expect. Brands in Turkey are currently turning to influencer marketing for direct sales and profit-oriented results. However, in practice, influencer marketing has to have three main goals for brands, which are to increase brand awareness, reach new audiences, and only finally to achieve sales and conversions.
The first two of these are early steps towards the last. The more people are aware of a brand, the more familiar and trusting they will be with the brand. These feelings are the main drivers behind purchasing decisions and in the long run will increase the chances of generating leads and conversions.
What to expect
Influencer marketing will undoubtedly be on the rise in Turkey in 2022. Despite this, there are many brands that suspect that consumers have lost their trust in influencers on social media platforms. Small businesses, in particular, are still uncertain about whether to invest in Influencer marketing. In our opinion, the sky’s the limit when it comes to influencer marketing, but the multitude of possibilities comes with a price. In the upcoming period, both brands and influencers should expect a serious change in both the planning and execution steps of the campaigns. And as always, those who adapt quickly and continue to produce quality content will be the winners.
What do you think are the biggest mistakes brands make in influencer marketing campaigns? We have a report coming up with HypeAuditor soon for the Influencer Marketing in Turkey! Keep following us to keep updated.
