Swagat SarangiD2C brands have become one of India's favorite shopping centers for GenZ consumers. This space has revolutionized the online shopping space and changed consumer dynamics as they switch to online shopping and expect seamless, convenient, authentic and innovative branding. The widespread use of smartphones and social media has democratized information, allowing everyone to create and share information. It also allowed access to all active content consumption platforms.
India's influencer market is on the rise, with a new report predicting the industry to reach 2,000 crore by 2025 at a CAGR of 25%. Influencer Marketing has fueled the growth of D2C brands in India.
These brands succeed in building brand awareness and engagement by partnering with the right influencers. The rise of influencer marketing can be attributed to the rise of creatives and deals with brands to reach audiences with relevant, original and engaging content. How influencer marketing is changing the D2C landscape for brands in India;Strengthening the brand image;
Nowadays, influencer marketing is a trend that many D2C brands and e-commerce companies are investing heavily in. Brands are increasingly turning to mainstream influencers to influence their audience's purchasing decisions.
Brands are relentless in their efforts to build communities of people to increase sales, reach and retain customers.These influencers shape brand image and positioning while creating content that inspires trust among the general public. Compared to celebrities, these influencers are implicitly brand ambassadors. Thus, by creating a brand, you become an icon in the eyes of the public.
Connecting with Millennials and Gen Z consumers.
Influencer marketing helps D2C brands reach Millennials and Gen Z consumers directly and drive online shopping in the country. People's interests are stronger than ever, so this is a great time for a brand to be active and tap into an untapped pool of passionate people to build a community of developers around their products and services. These consumers tend to enjoy content created by influencers because they find it more real, relatable and trustworthy.
Use of a wide range of influencers;
The influencer community landscape in India is vast. Each creator has their own niche, audience base and regional presence. As the subscriber profile varies, brands cannot follow a one-size-fits-all strategy here. Nano influencer communities (less than 10,000 followers) have impressive retention rates that can reach 10%. Brands have seen better engagement rates after working with regional influencers who can effectively connect with their target audience as more content is used in local languages.
Increase in investment income;
Influencer marketing is not just about creating brand awareness. This affects the middle and bottom of the funnel equally. When tracked well, influencer marketing can drive traffic and improve conversions with UTM links and custom discount codes. Through affiliate models and tracking, brands can strategically allocate marketing budgets to creatives and drive sales/conversions by increasing their "impact".
Instead of just looking at the number of followers, brands should focus on the quality of engagement generated by influencer activation. Establishing proper checks to better track campaigns and avoid collaborating with fraudulent influencers should be a priority for D2C brands.
(The author is a co-founder of Smeaton. Opinions expressed are personal.)
While everyone and their aunts and uncles want to be influential on social media, the profession has its share of stress and pressure.
