It is impossible to achieve business goals without publishing engaging, interesting, and interactive content. This does not mean the content should be from within the brand; User Generated Content (UGC) from customers, influencers, or any other source online also helps in increasing brand awareness. While on one hand, brand-generated content is used to highlight the features, benefits, and usage of the product, influencer-generated content shows the product from an end user’s standpoint.
There can be many benefits and disadvantages for both- in this blog, we’ll discuss how content generated from brands (also known as content marketing) and content generated from influencers (also known as influencer marketing or User Generated Content) align with each other to help brands achieve business goals.
Why Influencer Marketing is crucial for brands?
Original and Authentic content
Influencer-generated content is seen as authentic and trustworthy. When the brand puts out the same content from its perspective, it would not have the same impact. As people are used to content published by brands, they may not take the message as seriously as influencer-generated content does.
Influencers help customers understand the product better
Influencers post niche-related content that interests their followers. It has taken them a lot of hard work to be worthy of getting an influencer marketing contract. They have organically grown their follower count by engaging with their audience, thus attracting the attention of the best influencer marketing platform and brands who approach them to endorse products.
For instance, an influencer who gives makeup tips would be ideal for a new brand in the niche specializing in glossy lipsticks. The influencer can post a video on YouTube giving a genuine review and recommendation of the product without sounding too assertive.
Many influencers also share brand-generated content to give their brand endorsement an extra dose of authenticity. This gives another reason to his followers to buy the product against similar products available in the market.
Get access to newer audiences
It doesn’t matter if your brand is well-established or a startup, the main objective of marketing is to spread brand awareness. Content marketing, though important, may never have the same reach and following that influencers can boast of.
Why is content marketing crucial for brands?
Increases brand credibility
Content generated from brands includes how-to tutorials, testimonials, and case studies. Your target audience wants to know how the product can benefit them, not just how the product can be used by them. When you post informative, interesting, and engaging content, your target audience would appreciate and look forward to viewing it. This is why it is so important for brands to post engaging content that helps them increase brand awareness. Many brands even share or reuse their influencers’ content on their official social media accounts.
Improves customer relationships
People generally do not trust brands that they do not know or have heard of. The more active and engaged you are on your official online accounts, the more people would trust you and your products. What’s more, an online presence on social media serves as the face of your brand, it helps your customers a medium to contact for any queries, suggestions, or complaints.
When you get an influencer to post content and engage with his followers, the influencer becomes the face of the brand. The views expressed by him and his followers help to improve the product or service.
Positions the brand as an expert
Many brands invite leading industry experts to produce content that people find useful and interesting. In fact, many people refer to this content while making purchasing decisions. The content could be something that helps people make decisions. For example, a paint company releasing a video with experts showing how to do up your walls at home after it has been painted.
Helps generate website traffic
Quality branded content intrigues people to visit your website and know more about the product. When website traffic increases, so do the chances of organic conversions from your website. When an influencer shares this content, he adds his social media reach to the mix, resulting in many times the traffic generated.
Can be used everywhere
Content created in-house can be used wherever you want to- social media, your website, physical brochures, and other marketing material. This helps to make sure all your marketing is in sync. However, the challenge here is to make sure your influencer posts content that is in sync- if not done so, this could lead to confusion and chaos.
Wrap Up
For achieving business goals, both content marketing and influencer marketing are equally important. There has to be a sync between the two besides repurposing content from one source to another.
