(Image Source: Adobe Blog)
Did you know that Singapore has the highest smartphone penetration in the WORLD? (Yes , you heard it right!) . 9 out of 10 Singaporeans have access to a smartphone, and with a population of 5.54million people, I’m sure you can do the maths on the actual numbers!
This ‘smartphone’ addiction hasn’t just hit the little red dot alone. Many of the other major cities in the world are experiencing a similar upward trend and marketers are fortunately/unfortunately being opportunistic about it.
These days, our client briefs are never just about pitching to traditional media titles or embarking on a social media campaign. Developing a social media influencer programme has very much become an integral part of the whole communication strategy.
Is this a good thing? Maybe. Maybe not.
Why influencer programmes are AMAZING :
- Most influencers have a good social media reach (high fan numbers)
- The ‘one glance’ challenge works wonders in this instance
- Followers are genuinely interested in what brands/products their influencers support, especially if the post was co-created between the influencer and the brand
- Your brand name is ‘endorsed’ by the biggest names on instagram! (That’s a big deal)
- For the amount of money you invest in per post, the reach that a brand gets is actually pretty worth it, and its immediate too!
Why influencer programmes may not be the BEST:
- Credibility has been hurt, many products/services are being endorsed by influencers for income, and not because of their passion for the brand
- There is no real method of calculating your return on investment (all the numbers relating to an influencer post on social media are based on probability or ‘opportunity to see’)
- Consumers are getting better at social media sensing and listening (and will happily scroll past a post if the visual isn’t captivating!)
- Short engagements (1 post) may not be as effective as an editorial feature in a magazine (especially if the maximum ‘contact’ time with a post is less than 10 seconds!)
Until the day we can properly measure the effectiveness of these influencer programmes, we’ll have to collectively do our best as marketers to maintain the credibility of this precious marketing GEM!