To keep the ecosystem going, influencers have to evolve
The tweet above from Diana Rikasari garnered 1,987 likes and 1,594 retweets. Most of the replies voiced the same concern. @Emilia_NN wrote, ‘I have unfollowed all fashion influencers on my Instagram (except you) because they dress the same, they go to the same event, they hang out together all the time & they pose at the same spots so all the photos look similar. Boring’
Fashion influencers’ authority in driving their followers’ purchase decision is up for debate. For some brands, endorsing is the way to go. On the other hand, there are sponsorship deals that didn’t work at all – a brand paid Rp40 million to a beauty influencer to be the guest speaker at an event in hopes for the influencer to bring in the crowd.
The result? Only 20 people showed up. Needless to say, the brand was disappointed. Here’s a lesson brands and influencers need to know: Online existence doesn’t guarantee offline engagement. Online interaction doesn’t always translate to sales.
“Influencer has to be brand advocate because simply posting a picture to social media is no longer enough. A lot of people can do that,” said Sweet Escape Social Media Manager Andhita Zerlina.
Being a brand consultant means understanding the type of followers an influencer has, doing research on brands and products, as well as tailoring content to show the product’s features and strength.
Then there is another issue with brand loyalty. Signing endorsement deals with three companies in the same industry, not to mention competing with one another, within a year creates confusion among followers. Reliability is at stake in this case.
Audience may lose trust on the influencers. One of the purposes of endorsement deal is to recommend a product to the public. How can the public trust someone who recommends five brands that compete with each other and offer the same service or product?
“Many influencers are blacklisted from brands because they accept proposals from competitors when they sign exclusive contract with a brand,” said Andhita. “Influencer has to understand the quality of a brand or product before sharing it to their followers. It is better to be loyal to a brand, especially if one wants to create tailored content.”
The most damaging effect is followers might get too used to influencers throwing paid content at them that they are no longer interested. Like Jejouw (@jejouw) said, “Social media is supposed to show your daily life. If everything is paid content, how will your followers get to know you?”
The ecosystem of influencer is built on personal voice and community. Influencer is an individual with unique voice that becomes the representative of other like-minded individuals. A representative in the media sends a powerful message to the audience. It can affect confidence and self worth.
For instance, seeing Misty Copeland to be the first black ballerina promoted as principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, one of three leading ballet companies in the US, inspires other black ballet dancers that there is hope beyond skin colour.
Image: Jovi Adhiguna (@joviadhiguna)
Seeing Jovi Adhiguna telling his audience to not be afraid to embrace their own self gives hope and strength to people who are going through the same thing. Calling out the bullies that leave negative comments on his YouTube channel, for example, could ignite bravery within his community.
Being relatable and approachable sets influencers apart from celebrities. Unlike celebrities, influencers are free to be themselves on social media. Followers come to influencers to get inspiration. Losing that personal touch means diminishing the initial value that influencers propose to their community.
What Diana Rikasari tweeted is the true reflection of what’s going on in the industry. It’s not just similar style or hangout spots that cause the boredom. The issues stretch out to work ethic and culture.
The fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry need influencers but the question is, what more can influencers propose aside from stylish clothes and poses?