Using the faces of movie stars, supermodels and wealthy businesspeople to promote brands is nothing new; the tactic has been around for a long time. Since the introduction of social media in the early 2000s, influencer marketing has become one of the go-to sales techniques, but the tide is changing.
Celebrity endorsements of products and services are certainly effective and will likely continue to be, but consider two things: First, there are more ordinary people in the world than famous people. Second, as we’re increasingly bombarded with advertising, people want to buy from brands that reflect who they are. Furthermore, 86% of Americans say transparency from businesses is more critical than ever before. The desire for authenticity is precisely why we’re seeing more brands using the communities they build themselves; they’re taking real people’s stories and using them to promote what they’re selling in their advertising.
Real People Are The Real Influencers
Good marketers understand that creating a thriving brand community depends on their ability to speak to their target audience directly, engage them, offer a solution to their problem, and create a long-term relationship based on trust. When platforms like Facebook and Instagram were at their peak, there was a genuine drive to get people to like, follow and comment on brands’ social media content to build that sense of community. Businesses primarily promoted their content using the people behind the scenes or familiar faces, like celebrities, as brand ambassadors.
The message sold to people through influencer marketing, mainly through the use of well-known, highly successful people, is that “if you use this product, you can be just like me.” But we’re seeing consumers move away from this messaging and toward businesses in which they see people like themselves represented.
Is Less Best?
Nano-influencers—who have 1,000 to 10,000 followers on social media—have the highest engagement rates at 2.53%—a significant jump from the mega-influencers of the world, who sit at 0.92%. As a result, brands are piggybacking on the success of user-generated content (UGC) by collaborating with their everyday customers to advertise their offerings and humanize their content.
While the stars are still getting their time to shine in advertising, businesses are capitalizing on this marketing strategy, and for a significantly lower cost.
Brands Are Redefining Community Building
Back to the idea of brands asking for likes, follows and comments—we’re not seeing this as often anymore. Instead, companies are developing more innovative ways to build a community around them by offering customers more of what they want.
Private groups, interactive livestreams and broadcast channels have been popping up everywhere as accessible ways to connect like-minded people, open up a space of belonging and gain valuable audience insights. These online community groups and events market themselves just by having people attend them, much like many brands hosting in-person events.
How To Create A Community
In my experience working with businesses to grow their brands, I’ve learned a thing or two about engaging your audience in a meaningful way and creating a community around your brand that makes consumers feel like part of the journey.
Step 1: Gain A Deeper Understanding Of Your Audience
Knowing the age and gender of your audience members is the first step, but to build a community, you need to do more than just scratch the surface of who they are. Find out what they really need, what they expect from a brand when they purchase, and the things that are most important to them.
How? By conducting surveys, using social listening tools and taking the time to get to know who they are. Knowing your audience inside and out will help you connect with them and encourage them to share a piece of themselves with you and your community.
Step 2: Determine The Purpose Of Your Community
People won’t be interested in joining your community if it doesn’t have a strong, clear purpose. But it can’t be just any purpose. For them to engage, it must align with their own values and belief systems. Establish your purpose, and then make sure it’s reflected in every piece of content you create and every message you communicate.
Step 3: Choose The Best Platform
Choosing a platform to create a community where your audience isn’t likely to hang out is pointless. Consider where your community members spend most of their time, depending on who they are and how they consume content. While some people are most likely to contribute to private Facebook groups, others might prefer to scroll through TikTok. Know where your audience goes and meet them there.
Step 4: Maintain Consistency
Your community wants to feel heard and like they’re part of something genuine. So make sure your brand’s tone, messaging and values remain consistent.
Remember that people connect with real people, not machines. Whatever you share with your community, focus on authenticity and creating content that speaks to them directly.
The Power Of Community
The marketing landscape is changing. You no longer have to land someone as famous as Kim Kardashian as a brand ambassador to get people talking about what you’re selling—a dedicated community will do it for you.
Regular people telling regular stories about how your product or service has added value to their lives can be just as, if not more, beneficial to brand growth. The first step is to foster an environment where your customers feel like part of the brand journey. Putting them in the spotlight connects your business to the rest of the world.
Feature image credit: Getty
By Solomon Thimothy
Find Solomon Thimothy on LinkedIn and X. Visit Solomon’s website.