Is the social entertainment era reshaping influencer marketing? - MG Empower
image
04/08/2022
Written by - Daniel Shale

Is the social entertainment era reshaping influencer marketing?

Share

It’s no secret that social media platforms are constantly evolving; be that a new algorithm, platform feature, or update. But what does this mean for marketing strategies and content creators?

In our latest The Power-Up Series Session, our experts Steff Garrard – Senior Account Manager – and Edward Ogunrinde – Senior Creative Strategy Manager – dived into how these platforms are changing for an insightful webinar, reflecting on how this scenario affects influencer marketing and what brands can do to stay ahead of the curve.

What’s changed?

Over the past few years, there’s been a dramatic shift in how social media is used. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram had social networking at their core, primarily focusing on keeping in contact with friends and capturing social moments.

As a result, brands commonly focused more on ‘vanity metrics’, mainly valuing likes, follows and comments above anything else. However, as consumers have changed, so have social platforms. This means it’s now down to brands and marketers to adapt their approaches to not only keep up but to monitor these nuances and stay ahead of the game.

Not to say these [vanity metrics] aren’t important, but nowadays they’re the tip of the iceberg, and there are more meaningful ways for brands to capture ROI.

What we’re now seeing is a shift away from the norm. Platforms like TikTok have disrupted this familiar landscape, and have set themselves apart from the competition by putting entertainment at their core. There’s been a shift from the ‘perfect feed aesthetic’ to nurturing and celebrating real human content. Creators are making content directly from their bathrooms, bedrooms and everyday environment, connecting with audiences in a more authentic way.

On top of this, short-form content popularity has skyrocketed – this could be down to the fact that the average attention span is now 5 seconds. Either way, TikTok’s formula has been a catalyst for other social media platforms’ adaptation. Examples can be seen with Instagram introducing ‘Reels’ and YouTube introducing ‘ Shorts’. This isn’t to say long-form content isn’t relevant, but platforms are recognising this shift and are making changes to cater for their audiences.

“Short form content is hugely successful because people can digest so much content in such a short amount of time and which is generating great results for brands.”

What does social entertainment mean for brands?

Responding to this shift is mission-critical for brands, and with 29% of consumers more likely to make a purchase the same day of using social media and with 49% seeking guidance from influencers before making a buying decision, it proves that an entertainment-first storytelling approach surges both brand growth and revenue.

image

“If an audience is provided consistent exposure to a brand through influencers’ content, then that brand is eventually going to gain that loyal customer base – building that trust is crucial in generating sales.”

Adopting this change is a great start. But brands also need to strive to intertwine these new drivers with influencers’ natural feed narratives and start to monitor metrics like click-through rate, view-through rate, engagement rate, cost per engagement and sentiment.

Another approach to consider is building ‘shopability’ into content. It’s something that all brands and influencers should be thinking about and actually building into contracts for influencers moving forward, to make sure the investment is capitalised as much as possible.

Have you missed the webinar?

If you’ve missed our latest The Power-Up Series Sessions webinar and want to continue diving into the topic, click here to check the full conversation.

Interested in building an influencer marketing campaign?

Effective influencer campaigns can be a complex business. At MG Empower, we specialise in crafting bespoke campaigns that produce measurable results and can advise on ways to amplify any message across any channel in combination with digital, social, experiential and beyond.

Get in touch with our business development team today if you’d like to know more.

More stories.

HERO
Working with influencers 101: Respect, Reward, Re-engage.

Today’s brandscape is obsessed with influencers. From generating conversions and connections to creating cultural credibility in ever narrower niches, the value they represent to brands and businesses just keeps growing.

Read now

Untitled
De-influencing: why it’s not just another buzzword.

Unless you’ve been living on a desert island or under a rock, you’ll have heard the word ‘de-influencing’ flying around the social sphere...

Read now

Stories_Let’s talk about Dora Atim
Let’s talk about Dora Atim: Nike running coach, community leader, MG Talent.

Dora Atim, a rising influencer, Nike running coach, athlete, and mentor to young people in sports, sat down with us to share her story...

Read now

Stories_Fashion in focus
Fashion in focus: 2023 trend projections.

In fashion, life is often defined by the changing of the day, month, season and, most importantly, year. And as years go, 2022 was an interesting one to say the least...

Read now

tech in focus 1
Tech in focus: 2023 trend projections.

AI is coming. You know it and we’re a month late telling you about it. Here’s a summary of what every 2023 trend outlining AI has said...

Read now

social in focus 1
Social in focus: 2023 trend projections.

Where does one even start with social media in 2022? BeReal got huge, AI went mainstream & TikTok grew even bigger...

Read now

beauty in focus 1
Beauty in focus: 2023 trend projections.

In the world of beauty, 2022 was the year of juxtapositions and micro trends...

Read now

Avatar[1]
How can brands jump into direct to avatar [D2A] commerce?

Direct to avatar (D2A) commerce is a relatively new concept, having only emerged on the market in...

Read now

image
Is the social entertainment era reshaping influencer marketing?

It’s no secret that social media platforms are constantly evolving; be that a new algorithm,...

Read now

image
Sustainability and marketing: how do influencers amplify a brand’s impact?

In the age of social media, where consumers are more vocal than ever and transparent...

Read now

How can we empower your brand?

WORK WITH US

© MGEmpower 2023
Site by Deep
Get in Touch