From larger size enterprises to small businesses everyone is taking the advantage of influencer marketing. As per a recently conducted study, “influencers have great sway on consumers, and brands using them to share messages about their products can keep their audience’s attention.”

With the average amount of time spent on social media platforms increasing year by year, it is therefore not surprising that marketers are aggressively promoting products and services in these spaces. 

Taking the discussion further, here are 5 reasons why influencer marketing has an unprecedented impact on how a consumer thinks, spends and responds to a product or service today -

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Consumers trust peer recommendation

Today customers trust a product or service more if it has been recommended by someone else. And that someone can be a digital influencer who they follow on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. 

Most often this influencer is someone who is closer to the age of the follower or has content on his or her platform that the follower is passionate about. This makes the influencers “peer” who is trusted by their followers for honest reviews and opinions. 

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In-depth analysis of products and services by online creators

How much can a print ad tell about a product or service? Or to what extent a celebrity can convince a buyer? It is estimated that 62% of consumers trust influencers over celebrity endorsement. 

It is estimated that 62% of consumers trust influencers over celebrity endorsement. This is because the former creates impactful and informative content about the brand/product/service in question which resonates better than quintessential marketing methods. Most of the content developed in the creators' platform is based on personal experience and the visual aid helps in understanding the product better. 

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Influencer marketing can trigger impulsive buying

As per a Nielsen survey conducted in the Asia-Pacific region “44% of Chinese consumers surveyed said that I often buy things I do not need impulsively”. Although this is a region-specific survey, impulsive buying behaviours via social media platforms like Instagram can be seen across geographies. So, what triggers influencer marketing? Creative and well-curated content in the form of short videos, reels and correct use of hashtags often results in impulsive buying. 

In addition to that, through comments and DMs, followers can directly connect with the creator, thus enabling the customer to learn more about the product or service. More information often translates to impulsive buying. This consumer behaviour is particularly prevalent in the apparel and fashion industry. 

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Influencers are often perceived to be experts 

An online content creator can get a large following because they are perceived to be well-versed in a given genre or domain. For example, fashion influencers are followed because they have a knack for styling which is liked by millions of people online. Similarly, a tech enthusiast needs to have the deep technical knowledge to be able to get followers on platforms like YouTube and Instagram. 

To put it in simple terms, whenever an influencer promotes or endorses a brand, it is seen as advice coming from an expert.  This not only impacts buying decisions and also helps a consumer develop trust towards a brand. 

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Attractive discounts and promotional codes

Influencers not only spread awareness about brands, but they also give out freebies and attractive discount codes to their audience. This has a huge impact on customer buying behaviour. Here are some interesting facts that prove this-

•  More than 64% of online consumers wait to buy things until they go on sale
• 59% search for promo codes before buying anything online

Today’s customer is very aware and often looks out for good deals online. Receiving good coupon deals from social media platforms does impact user buying behaviour. 

With heightened consumer awareness, a perception is built that digital influencers on varied social media platforms are reliable, honest and trustworthy. This is trust to a large extent as online creators are very particular about what they are showcasing on their platform. Public opinion matters most to them and their credibility is based on the number of followers they have. 

Therefore it is not unassuming to believe that online influencers don't have an impact on user behaviour. It does and advertisers and marketers know this too well. galleri5 creator stack has a varied set of influencers and a powerful dashboard that can help product, and service-based enterprises achieve great results across the platforms.