Image: SGG Media’s CEO Troy Paul
As new generations emerge as commercial forces, the advertising landscape naturally evolves. Digital marketing has changed at a rapid pace over the last few years, with the emergence of influencers and new social media platforms changing the way businesses reach their audiences.
The evolution of technology, while connecting us in one sense, has also disconnected us in many others. We have become desensitized by the constant barrage of targeted ads we receive on a daily basis, and a demand for a more personal and authentic form of endorsement has risen.
Gen Z and Millennial customers, in particular, are becoming increasingly weary of this. As digital natives, they have grown cynical of algorithms and the bombardment of targeted advertising.
Outside of some of these often feeling very invasive, they can also feel very impersonal, with most just counting the seconds until they can hit the ‘skip’ button or simply flicking past them on their stories.
The allure of targeted social media ads is understandable for small businesses. However, if your ad lacks a personal touch, the chances of engagement are slim. It's crucial to understand the distinction between targeted and personalized advertising. The latter proves to be the more effective approach, creating exciting new opportunities for small—to medium-sized businesses.
Of course, opting for a more personalized approach presents its own challenges. One of the biggest issues marketers face is striking a balance between authenticity and commercialization.
Fundamentally, a business and a marketer’s aim is still to sell a product, and balancing this with an authentic and personalized approach can be extremely difficult.
This is where micro-influencers come into the fray. Engagement and personalization are the keys to unlocking the future of marketing, and nobody does it better than micro-influencers.
Micro-influencers have built carefully crafted communities that are focused on an individual area or topic, providing a more intimate and organic approach to marketing.
This personalized approach, with micro-influencers promoting items that they know their followers are interested in and that they are personally endorsing, provides a much more cost-effective and impactful way of advertising than just throwing random ‘targeted’ social media ads at a person.
To reach audiences now, businesses need to be omnichannel, creative, and interactive. At SGG Media, we encourage our micro-influencers to explore different content avenues and to always find new ways of engaging with their audiences. Two great avenues for personalization are podcasts and streaming, both of which we have had success with.
Using these platforms to allow micro-influencers to share their genuine thoughts on a product and to allow their audiences to engage and ask questions about it has proven to be incredibly effective. There is also the knock-on effect of other community members sharing positive experiences about products or businesses and helping them grow further.
This is why the demand for micro-influencer content continues to grow. Younger audiences, especially Gen Z, search for communities online that reflect their own experiences and values.
They put their faith in these people to recommend products that they trust themselves.
At SGG Media, we have become experts in partnering with brands and micro-influencers that share the same values. This creates a perfect symbiosis of authentic and commercial interests,allowing content creators to provide a more personalized and honest discussion about products that ensures a great ROI for the business.
By embracing personalization and working with micro-influencers, SMBs can ensure they stay ahead of the curve and continue to attract customers as the marketing world evolves.
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