Why influencers are taking over the world

You would have to be living under a rock, or not be on any social media (same thing really) to not be aware of influencer marketing. You would have to be under that same rock to not realise nothing is consistent when it comes to marketing. Something that was all the rage last month is old hat today. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

So there is no real surprise when we can across some interesting research, implying people aren’t responding to influencers like they once did.

Internet Retailing reports 52% of people are watching influencer content regularly, 47% think the content is repetitive and boring while 23% think the quality is dipping. 62% think content takes advantage of impressionable consumers, by being too materialistic and misrepresenting the real world.

We are not saying influencers don’t work, they have been proven to drive brand awareness and emotional engagement on an unprecedented scale. While allowing brands to target niche audiences through partnerships, sponsorship and content co-creation. It is no secret marketing strategies are using influencers as their WMD (weapon of market domination) – and doing it well. For example, Gymsharks influencer based strategy which has raised revenue above $41 million and Daniel Wellingtons focus on micro-celebrities has generated over 3 million followers and 1.3 million Instagram tags.

Influencer marketing is a hugely successful tool; but if you cast your mind back to when you last scrolled through Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, how often are you bored by the content and think it offers no trustworthy advice?

It is hard to differentiate between influencer content and traditional advertising, when we know these people are getting paid. The line between celebrity endorsement and influencer marketing is beginning to blur.

Has the nation’s most trustworthy consumers become another inauthentic promoter, and the power of influencer marketing dwindled?

Not entirely. Word of mouth is still the most effective method of spreading brand awareness, and influencers are able to do that in a way other tactics simply cannot achieve. But like with the £9.99 pricing strategy, consumers will eventually see through the charade of paid advertising. We know influencer marketing is sketchy, and we are beginning to take what these semi-celebrities say with pinch of salt. We all know it lacks some credibility and can come across inauthentic. But it is the most lucrative marketing industry.

Is it because we have nowhere else to turn? Are influencers saving the world from an apocalypse or something?

The influencer novelty hasn't wore off yet, but something marketers often forget is we are consumers too. Before throwing money at lifestyle blogger to promote your teeth whitening strips, think about how you would like to see them advertised. And it might not even be with an influencer.

There has never been a more important time to become a trusted, credible and quality brand who is able to wade through the ‘guff’ found on news feeds and use tools which complement the brand image. It is time to ask, is this the right influencer? Do they actually influence? Is this the right platform? And do I even need to be investing in this?

Try not to get caught up in this fashionable, bleached teeth bubble. Putting all of our eggs in a young and charismatic basket – just because everyone else is – might not be the best idea. We must remember the premise of marketing is to influence; we don’t exclusively need influencers to do that.

Let consumers experience a product, rather than scroll past it.