Influencer Marketing: A Musthave In The Marketing Mix For D2C Brands
Swagat SarangiD2C brands have become the most popular malls in India for GenZ consumers. This space has revolutionized online shopping and changed the dynamics of consumers who are turning to online shopping and expecting a seamless, convenient, authentic and innovative brand experience. The advent of smartphones and social media has democratized information to the point where anyone can create and share information. Enabled access to consume active content across multiple platforms.
According to a new report, the Indian influencer market is on the rise with an annual growth of 25%, which is expected to become a Rs 2,000 crore industry by 2025. Influencer marketing has played a significant role in the growth of D2C brands in the country .
These brands manage to increase brand awareness and attention by partnering with the right influencers. The rise of influencer marketing can be attributed to the rise of creative and brand partnerships to deliver relevant, accurate and engaging content to the target audience. Here's how influencer marketing is changing the D2C landscape for brands in India:Enhancement of the brand image:
Influencer marketing is a trend that many D2C brands and eCommerce companies are investing heavily in these days. Brands are turning to a variety of influencers to influence the buying decisions of their followers.
Brands work hard to build communities of people to increase sales, reach and retain customers for the long term.These influencers shape brand image and positioning by creating credible content for the general public. Compared to celebrities, these influencers indirectly become brand ambassadors. Thus, by creating a brand, you become an icon in the public eye.
Connecting with Millennials and Generation Z consumers:
Influencer marketing helps D2C brands reach directly the Millennials and Gen Xers who are spearheading online marketing in the country. People's needs are more diverse than ever, so it's time for brands to take the lead and build a community of creators around their products and services to reach an engaged and eager audience. These consumers tend to like content created by influencers because it is more realistic, understandable, and believable.
Use a diverse range of influencers;
The Indian influencer community is extremely large. Each creator has their own niche, subscriber base, and regional presence. Since the subscriber profile varies, brands cannot follow a single strategy. A fantastic nano-influencer community engagement rate (less than 10,000 followers) tops out at 10%. Brands are seeing higher levels of engagement after partnering with regional influencers who can effectively communicate with their target audience in a growing number of local languages.
Increased return on investment:
Influencer marketing isn't just about building brand awareness. It affects the mids and bass equally. When properly tracked with UTM links and custom discount codes, influencer marketing can increase traffic and conversions. With affiliate models and tracking, brands can strategically "influence" their marketing budgets and target influencers that lead to sales/conversions.
Instead of just looking at follower count, brands should focus on the quality of engagement associated with influencer activation. Implementing due diligence to better monitor campaigns and prevent fraud should be a top priority for D2C brands.
(Author is co-founder of Smeaton. Opinions expressed are personal.)
While everyone and their aunt or uncle wants to be a social media influencer, the profession has its pressures and pressures.
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