The Role of Influencers in Consumer Decision Making
By Pieter Groenewald
The rise of the side hustle began well before the pandemic. Partly a response to the unemployment crisis, and an increase in recognition of the potential to earn additional income (and make life a little easier), South Africa has seen a steady rise in the number of people earning an income outside of formal employment over the last ten years.
If anything, the pandemic has accelerated the rate at which the side hustle has become a permanent fixture on the landscape of the working world, as independent workers find exciting ways to flex their skills to bring in extra cash. Currently, it’s estimated that one in three employed South Africans has a side hustle of sorts. And with the continued evolution of online influencer marketing, that number is set to increase.
The rapid pace of digitisation has itself contributed to the growth of the side hustle on social media specifically. Advances in technology and the increased use of social media in brand marketing has enabled people to work wherever they are, on whatever they want. The ability to leverage these advances has inspired tech-savvy professionals and innovative individuals to find more ways to monetise the time they spend online.
So, what does it take to get in the game of the social media side hustle? We believe it’s about being real.
- A shift from celebrity status. Traditionally, the trend in influencer marketing has been for brands to work with celebrities who have hundreds of thousands (dare we say, millions?) of followers, because the perception was that that’s where the value lies. Of course, along with the many followers would also come a hefty fee, driving up the cost for a marketing exercise that didn’t always deliver tangible results. A lot of marketers were left with the question as to what they’d achieved with the influencer activity. And the answer isn’t always easy to come by.
- Big followings don’t count (as much). Evolutions in the approach to influencer marketing suggests things are changing. And it’s about time. Brands have come to realise that big follower counts don’t necessarily mean something if the followers don’t care about what’s being shared. At the same time, celebrity audiences realise that much of the brand activity on their accounts is the result of an impressive paycheck, as opposed to an organic, tried- and-tested review. In its own way, this has brought into question the value this brings for brands, with ROI coming under scrutiny, as marketing budgets are pulled tighter and the call for real value increases.
- Power to the people. That’s where people like you come in. Yes, YOU. The “normal” person sitting on the other side of the screen. Whether you know it or not, you have a circle of influence, and it can give real value to brands – while putting real money into your pocket. “Normal” people like you are fast becoming a hot commodity in the world of influencer marketing – and we say, more power to you!
- The rise of the “normal” person influencer. “Normal” people working as influencers have become increasingly important for marketers – and for good reason. Not only do they produce niche content, but their audiences are highly engaged. They’re real people who have conversations with other people; who exist within real communities; and have a real impact in the lives of those around them. They create real connections, so any brand or product advocacy is authentic because it’s founded on trust. The people they’re talking to, from their friends to their family to their followers, are more inclined to believe them. And when the time has been taken, and an effort made, to match the person with a brand they already know and use, the result is something exceptional!
In the same way that Airbnb has enabled real people to make use of a space in their home to bring in
additional income, theSalt empowers people to put the time they spend on social media to use,
facilitating real - and important - brand conversations, with the added bonus of bringing in additional
income over time.
As marketing magic goes, there are few things more meaningful and effective than something real.
Real people who help brands create real connections with real audiences and give real results. And
when it comes to the world of influencer marketing, what could be better than that?
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Pieter Groenewald
CEO at Nfinity
