Even today, the COVID – 19 pandemic continues to affect every aspect of our lives, including our everyday entertainment. Nowadays, we spend more time on our phones, research shows up to 18% rise in usage. This figure will continue to increase with more and more people starting to work-from-home after a stay at home orders.
So while the economies of the world struggle with the realization of an impending financial crisis, businesses are trying to survive here. Influencer marketing is being looked upon as a saviour of marketing, in this pandemic.
Here we have listed some tips that can help you in constructing an effective influencer marketing strategy amid COVID – 19 pandemic.
Keep people’s need in mind
As a marketer, it is our responsibility to thoughtfully and thoroughly consider the requirements of the society at large as we forge ahead. This means taking a hard look across your complete marketing plans and developing additional sensitivity checks around all communications.
This might mean tweaking the messaging, the brief and also your goal, for influencer marketing. A brand working with an influencer can highlight the ways in which they can leverage the products and services of that company. Other than marketing products and services, this is the perfect time for brands to really show up for customers in a helpful manner and activate any cause-marketing relief efforts.
You can initiate various awareness campaigns such as campaigns focused on WHO’s #safehands campaign, or some campaigns that can create brand awareness as well as will be helpful of the people.
People want Digital Content
We are in a scenario that none of us wants, but still, there is a big opportunity to reach potential customers through digital channels such as mobile phones. As consumers rapidly shift their behaviours and spending patterns, marketers need to adapt their strategies. For example, the adequacy of out of home (OOH) advertising will drastically diminish in the coming weeks and months because more people staying at home and not going out as often as in the past. Now is a good time to reallocate marketing dollars to meet people where they are, and where we expect them to be in the coming weeks and months.
Millennials and Generation Z Trust Influencers
Influencers are demonstrated to be incredibly powerful and trustworthy, particularly among younger audiences. The study, from influencer marketing service Takumi, known as ‘Trust, transactions and trend-setters: the realities of influencer marketing‘ found that 34% of consumer respondents credit influencers with purchases made in the past six months, rising significantly to 91% of 16 to 24 years-olds in the U.K. and the U.S.
Younger individuals trust in influencers is so important right now considering many have not gotten the message from health officials, traditional media, etc. and have not been taking the threat seriously enough.
Keep up with present needs
Influencer marketing campaigns are extremely adaptable and can be launched or tweaked immediately, which make them quite important. Many influencers also have worldwide reach and can help in spreading crucial information from one afflicted region to other parts of the world. For example, an Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni, who has immediately became a public health advocate and struggled rampant misinformation from other celebrities amid the lockdown in Milan.
No one knows what other curve balls we might face during this pandemic, essential goods and services could possibly be affected by sustained lockdowns, a second outbreak wave could follow once people begin to let their guards down, and influencers and brands can help in driving targeted messages and interact with consumers in a sympathetic manner, regardless of what the current needs or mood of the public is martech news.
Content creators have the ability to entertain
In addition to amplifying life-saving information, influencers can be tapped to help lighten the mood, where appropriate. We know individuals are going to be searching for escapism and something that encourages them to feel good about the world. Influencers and attractive branded content are well-positioned to fill this void. Being a steady, reliable, enthusiastic presence in the lives of the individuals is what they need most during this uncertain time.
Influencer marketing has been somewhat exhausted in the past but has made incredible march towards growing up and turning into a legitimate practice. In uncharted waters such as this COVID-19 pandemic situation, we expect to see relevant influencers and appropriate branded digital content becoming one of the most powerful tools that marketers have in terms of spreading brand awareness with useful information to target potential audience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Keane-Dawson
Group CEO at Takumi
Mary is a digital expert, entrepreneur and business mentor. She has held c-suite roles at WPP, Steak, Reform and Collective, she co-founded medical technology startup MyHealthPal as well as the women’s networking franchise How She Made It. She is a Global Ambassador for the British Interactive Media Association, on the Board of London Tech Advocates and sits on the advisory board for the Internet Commission. As TAKUMI’s Group CEO, Mary is spearheading the company growth, focusing on the global expansion of TAKUMI into other markets.