Influencer Marketing To Enhance Social Commerce
Influencer marketing is not new, but the role of influencers large and small who can play for brands has changed since the start of the pandemic. That's why it's important for brands to rethink their influencer strategies and why, if they don't have them, they should implement them.
The digital landscape in South Africa, and e-commerce in particular, has changed a lot over the past three years.
According to the World Digital Outlook 2022 report, 66% of South Africans are Internet users. But more than that, we spend the most time online around the world — a whopping 10.46 hours online a day.
In addition, the report shows that 45% of South Africans are active on social media, South Africans are ranked sixth in the world in terms of willingness to follow social media influencers and we are ranked fifth in the world in terms of willingness to follow social media influencers. networks. social networks Social networks. networks. In terms of the daily time you spend on social media.
At the same time, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and increased access to advanced digital technologies, there has been a strong 66% increase in e-commerce, with Deloitte research showing that more than 70% of South Africans are currently shopping. Online.
The online e-commerce market is growing
Data from FNB Merchant Services shows that South Africa's e-commerce market is currently worth just under R200 billion per year and is expected to exceed R400 billion by 2025 thanks to over a billion transactions per year.
Along with all these changes, over the past three years we have also seen a huge shift in the role that influencers play in marketing, especially in the e-commerce space.
Brands should be mindful of changing the definition of "influencer". The influence landscape has changed and the role is no longer reserved for celebrities and social media figures with millions of followers.
Size matters
Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, everyone can now get their 15 minutes of fame, and having a large social media following is not necessarily a prerequisite for influencing peer-to-peer buying behavior.
While consumers initially gravitated towards social media platforms for entertainment, they are now using these channels to learn about new products and make purchasing decisions.
Users who can leverage their social media presence by sharing their thoughts, opinions, preferences, and experiences with their online community are truly the most influential, no matter how many followers they have.
Brands need to recognize and appreciate the fact that anyone who speaks their mind online can make an impact.
There is a huge movement towards commerce driven by peer-to-peer communication. Everyone can make an impact, whether it's thousands of followers or a small circle of friends."
Create an authentic connection
Regardless of the size of the impact, the most important message for brands right now is the importance of building real, long-term relationships with brand representatives, affiliates, industry professionals, creators, and loyal customers.
By creating authentic connections, brands are investing in long-term ROI, as the impact of influencer marketing shows up long after the campaign has started.
So future sales are generated from brand affinity built over time over years of influencer campaigns.
How do I do it right
Defining your brand goals is essential, and applying a long-term funnel approach to influencer marketing is essential to maximizing your ROI.
Visibility should be the main goal when a brand starts the buyer journey with awareness campaigns to reach new potential customers and introduce them to the brand or product.
You want them to identify with the brand so they feel a certain level of trust in it when it comes to peer review. Simply put, you want to increase your chances of getting leads and conversions.
At TDMC, we believe that most post-engagement metrics are indicators of selfishness, as the number of likes and comments a post receives usually doesn't correlate with the number of sales it generates, especially in an environment where influencers buy likes and followers and benefit . society. Tools and horns to enhance it in an unoriginal way.
What influencers don't realize is that by doing this they are cutting their content's reach with real followers, which is what brands really want. ROI should be measured solely by the number of people who took the calculated actions that led to the purchase intent.
Brands that work with micro-niche influencers can benefit from their highly engaged audiences and low-cost engagement when consumers are at the contemplation stage of the funnel, encouraging them to save messages or sign up for email newsletters or loyalty programs. .
Are you ready for 2023?
What changes await us next year?
Despite a slight delay in South Africa, we can expect more brands to work with affiliates and brand representatives, especially as platforms like Instagram and TikTok expand the in-app shopping experience, allowing products to be sold directly to consumers in in social networks. .
This is known as social commerce as the entire buying process, from product discovery and research to checkout, takes place on social media.
As social commerce becomes more accessible, it is imperative that ecommerce brands harness the power of influencer-led digital communities if they want to generate interest in their products, provide social proof, and drive conversions.
These online communities provide a space for real brand conversations and product reviews among peers, influencing purchasing decisions from the very beginning of the buying journey.
Influencer marketing, along with social media and the digital customer journey, is constantly evolving.
For brands to stay relevant and ahead of the curve, they need to meet their customers across multiple touchpoints online, which is a top priority when it comes to purchasing decisions and brand love. Influencer marketing remains the main way to ensure this.
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