Role of influencers and authentic content marketing in shaping future of retail e-commerce

Now, as social media plays a vital role in the customer’s buying decisions, there is a heightened demand for influencers who can create authentic and interactive content that generate leads. It is important to note that the launch of shoppable content on social media platforms and live shopping experiences have made influencer marketing even more relevant, especially in the e-commerce industry.

Currently, influencer marketing offers unique opportunities for the brands to generate positive customer engagement and better return on investments (ROI) compared to traditional marketing tools. Therefore, brands are now allocating separate budgets for influencer collaborations as part of their campaigns. Another factor fueling this trend is the rising prominence of e-commerce businesses over brick-and-mortar stores during the pandemic.

In a report published by Deloitte that spotlights consumer behaviour in the digital era, consumers influenced by social media are four times more likely to spend more on purchases. To keep up with the rapidly evolving consumer behaviour and buying habits, businesses in the fashion industry collaborate with nano, mega or celebrity influencers to create brand awareness and reputation. We can also notice a vital shift in the traditional retail purchase models as the sales through e-commerce channels allow consumers to make direct purchases.

The increasing dependency of the fashion and beauty sector on influencer-led campaigns can also be attributed to the significance of advertising and amplification in the organic growth of the brand.

A group that easily connects with influencer marketing is tech-savvy millennials. As this particular demographic spends a fair amount of their time on social media channels, influencers can create a profound impact on their purchasing habits. However, keep in mind that modern digital consumers prefer genuine, relevant, and valuable content over unrepresentative and unrealistic ones.

For instance, fashion influencers offer genuine opinions on the features and quality of an outfit than an advertisement featuring idealised images.

This is also possible due to the high level of trust influencers enjoy thanks to the authenticity in their marketing content. So, brands are seeking to collaborate with socially-conscious content creators to increase their brand value and market their products more efficiently among their target audience.  

One major factor that aids the influencers and digital marketing strategies is the constant evolution of user interfaces of social media platforms. It allows creators to create content in different formats, not to forget the freedom to experiment. For instance, now Instagram allows its users to stream live videos, post creative reels and stories, shop online from multiple categories and offers business accounts, besides posting photographs, opening up more possibilities before influencers. Like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter also had rolled out various new features over the last few years, as they also hold a strong position in influencer marketing.

As influencer marketing is giving remarkable results for the brands and organisations in their targeted markets, the dependency on influencers is on the rise. Since brands allocate more money for digital marketing now more than ever, it is also causing vital shifts in the planning of marketing campaigns and the allocation of budgets.

The rising popularity of influencers is also aided by the general aversion towards online pop-up ads and paid ads. Though many users block online ads or skip them, they favour genuine, authentic content created by influencers. This in turn emphasises the role of influencers and people from real life in the success of brands now.

Ayman Beydoun, chief operating officer at BFL Group