Brands and their agencies struggle to create high quality content that reflects a brand’s values and emotionally resonates with audiences. Using real people has proven to be one of the best ways to do that, and is now more powerful than ever thanks to the astonishing reach of social media. But the digital landscape has also become increasingly cluttered with “influencers” who create and distribute brand content in a less personal, often opportunistic way, noticed by increasingly astute consumers. Understanding the difference between real people and influencers is, therefore, a prerequisite for creating the most impactful content, leaving brands two very distinct approaches with vastly different recruiting methods.
The first method relies on data from social media measurement companies that comb networks, forums, online comments, and message boards in an effort to find influencers to create content that reaches a very specific audience. Influencer marketing agencies are recruited to identify the appropriate influencers based solely on their metrics and reach. They are then seeded with content that is measured to ensure their reach. That leaves no certainty that the message has reached the intended audience, and no guarantee of ROI.
As if by definition, an influencer who has a decent following and large percentage of likes is automatically considered to be most valuable to a brand. But consumers have become increasingly savvy at distinguishing the difference between messages that are authentically shared by real people with a genuine connection to a brand, and those that are generated purely for their consumption, which has led to fatigue. This data-driven numbers-based influencer approach has become less effective and increasingly problematic.
According to a recent post in Digiday, the once burgeoning love triangle between brands, agencies, and influencers has been on a steady decline. In fact, the influx of social media influencers has signaled a market that has become flooded with social media “stars” who require a hefty paycheck, despite their ability to quantify any sort of value that can match it.
In contrast to faceless influencers who are often no more substantial than blips on a data dashboard, real people, who have interesting live and authentic stories enable brands to create emotionally resonant content that connects directly with the hearts and minds of the intended consumer.
We call them GENUINE PEOPLE and they are able to trigger the passions, values, and interests of their community tend to be far more valuable than any social media influencer can ever hope to be, regardless of their number of “likes” or “followers.”
GENUINE is able to find just the right real people by relying on a team of experts (not data) to find real people who fit within your brands’ selective and nuanced criteria. We not only research and interview candidates, but vet and build relationships between each person and their brand partner, ensuring that consumers’ hearts and minds are engaged every step of the way. The GENUINE difference therefore lies in our ability to find real people whose values are clearly in synch with those of their followers, as well as the brands we partner them with.
At GENUINE we partner with brands to create high value content that can be repurposed and distributed throughout a multichannel media plan. So why compromise? Get the GENUINE difference: get the reach of influencers, with the authenticity of real people.
