How to build your brand via influencer marketing during Covid-19

What’s interesting about these challenging times is the way the influencer marketing industry has pivoted to meet the present-day demands. Even though brands have reduced their marketing spends owing to disruption in the market, some of them have navigated their marketing initiatives to build a relationship with their consumers via influencer marketing. Influencer-driven campaigns have allowed brands to create their own conversations around Covid-19 that have had a positive impact on their brand.

Given the severity of the pandemic, it is important that brands recognise the gravity of the situation by being extremely agile. Leveraging the power of trusted influencers is one of the most ideal ways to strategically stay relevant in the market because they have the goodwill that can create an impact. 

Here’s how:

The ideal time

Brands who have not yet branched out their marketing strategies to include influencer marketing are questioning the kind of campaigns they should pull-off with influencers. The good news is that there are brands that have grappled with the situation and yet managed to be the apple of the eye among their audience with the help of digital influencers.

Some of the few influencer-driven campaigns that brands can seek inspiration from are the WHO #SafeHands challenge where influencers from all around the world were asked to showcase their unique way of washing hands to promote awareness. This form of marketing with a cause has the potential to go viral because not only are influencers involved but it also subtly highlights the seriousness of the present-day scenario. Marketers can venture into various social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram to create brand awareness across different audiences.

Now is the time for brands to re-establish themselves in the market, and they can effectively do so with the help of digital influencers.

Going overboard can hurt your image

While it is a great time for brands to give back to their community in a refreshing way, they should understand the difference between capitalising on people’s fears and leveraging the situation to create a purpose for people. In times such as these, it is important to understand the sentiments of the audience before strategising. Immediately jumping into the bandwagon of influencer marketing without necessarily giving a thought about authentic value-addition to the consumers can prove to be detrimental to the brand image. Brands should be really careful when they marketing during a crisis. The sensitivity of matter should be considered well before drafting a full-fledged campaign. Ideally, seeking help from influencer marketing agencies would be the way forward because they have the right kind of expertise. 

Right influencers

The self-isolation and work-from-home norm have had a huge impact on the digital economy as online consumption is at an all-time high. These are the very same consumers who are fearful yet hopeful of a better future so the type of content they consume should be on a par with their sentiments. This, in turn, means that when brands decide to create an influencer-led campaign, they should proactively scrutinise the kind of influencers they choose for their campaign. An influencer campaign is only as effective as the influencer you choose. 

Influencers should be the kind who have been creating content around the quarantine while being sensitive to the situation and generally caring for their audience without being too pushy. Leveraging micro and nano influencers, at this point in time, is also beneficial to target specific audiences. Genuine conversations can, therefore, materialise in the right manner.

Right influencer marketing platform

One of the burning decisions that brands have to make is to choose the right platform to partner with for a successful influencer campaign. Influencer marketing platforms that will tip the ROI scales to the brand’s favour, in addition to supplying the right influencers and expertise in terms of strategising, account management, and ease of execution, would ideally be the benchmark to choose the right influencer marketing solution.

The word on the street is that WORD provides brands with all of the above influencer marketing solutions. With experience in handling diverse brands across categories, WORD has proven to be an upcoming, etch-driven, expert solution in the industry. They believe in maintaining long-term partnerships by giving brands an opportunity ​ to learn and develop their acumen in influencer marketing.

Content that works

As mentioned above, consumers are heavily turning into online content to adjust to the new realities. They’re keeping themselves occupied by watching content that is entertaining and informative. Topics that come under the category of entertainment and information usually tend to attract the attention of consumers, especially during these times, because consumers want to get away from the effects of long-term social distancing. Brands should, therefore, focus on creating content that not only makes an impact but also provides value-addition to their consumers. We are definitely witnessing a growth in OTT platforms and long-form content that keep the entertainment quotient high. 

People are spending more time on their smartphones and screen, which means that brands should prioritise their branding strategies to meet that requirement. Influencer marketing is definitely the way to go because it meets the content preferences of consumers staying indoors. Now is the time to market with the help of influencers.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of www.buzzincontent.com and we do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)