Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Anita Merkl Bognar, Advisor, Dialog komunikacije
More than ever, users today have the capability to be media themselves, and create the content that is most convenient for them. These same users have unlimited freedom to choose the content they want, but also the very best time to consume that content. But the road to a user – though seemingly simple – has many directions, and it is imperative to know how to choose the most efficient one.
There are many elements that affect it, but even when all of them are met, the most difficult moment is the one in which we need to know how to retain the users. It is clear that diverse content is not the only component we need to have to this end. Along with unique content that is as personalized as possible, tailored to the target group to the smallest detail, availability of different channels also has a strong impact on user retention. Namely, content consumption nowadays takes place on multiple platforms at the same time – users move from one channel to another, and then to the third one, and so on in circles, which inevitably leads to the transformation of the media market and requires continuous adaptation of advertisers, media and content creators.
Rise of social networks has given everyone new possibilities to communicate, so influencers marketing has now become a powerful tool that brands and advertisers use to reach their audiences. Influencer posts have changed the traditional world of marketing and advertising. This form of communication today has become an inevitable part of marketing campaigns.
Influencers taste the media cake!
According to some data (source: Edelman Magazine), in 2017, 86% of brands included influencer collaborations in their marketing strategy, of which 92% thought this campaign was effective. The predictions are that influencer marketing will continue to grow in the next year. According to a survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers, 43% of brands in the next year are planning to increase their budgets for influencer marketing (source: Influencer Marketing Hub).
The results of the research on the Croatian blogging and influencer scene conducted by Dialog komunikacije agency for the purpose of this year’s DIABLOG conference shows that the most prominent categories covered by bloggers and influencers are: beauty (59%), fashion (53%), travel (46%), gastro (22%) and fitness (18%). Of course, these are not the only industries that use this type of marketing. Today, everything has become lifestyle, and everything that represents lifestyle is subject to the influence of marketing. This means that influencers are increasingly engaged in campaigns for some other less prominent or specific industries, such as retail, telecommunications, healthcare, finance, IT, and so on.
Why? Because you asked for it!
The younger generation of users (Millennials and GenZ), as consumers of the future, trust influencers. Interestingly, as many as 84% of Millennials don’t trust ads (Source: Nogre.com). This is the audience that “shifted” from traditional media sources to content on social networks and websites. They can identify with the content created by the influencers and thus better connect with the brand. These are people who live online non-stop, they are always in touch with the latest information, they are dynamic and fast in search for answers, and are willing to accept the recommendations of other people far more than ads from companies.
Hence, promotion of brands through influencer marketing is a powerful tactic that can have a major impact on creating opinions and influencing decisions. There are predictions that this type of marketing will continue to grow, build and develop, so it is inevitable that influencers will increasingly be “treated” with pieces of the media cake.