Bidirectional Communication and Influencer Marketing in the Digital Era
We’re still at the beginning of Influencer Marketing in the Digital Era. So it’s not that easy to talk about its impact on our culture or in the market. We’ll only understand it more precisely years ahead.
But what we can analyze is that in the first years of the 21st century, there were 360 million people with internet access. Today, the cyberspace has over 4 billion users. This technological evolution is strictly connected to cultural and social changes.
With this blog, we aim to bring up a discussion about the connection between the Digital Era, the new relationship of brands and consumers, and Influencer Marketing. This understanding is a crucial step to optimize the distribution of creative content.
The Digital Era
With the technological revolution and the rise of the Digital Culture, there were certain changes in human’s behavior. Consequently, the change in society provoked changes in the market. And just like that, Marketing evolved.
So since the creation of Marketing back in 1,900 until nowadays, there was a giant technological, industrial, and social progress. And all that led us to the Digital Culture in which the old ways of advertising are not satisfactory anymore.
Who explains this very well is Henry Jenkins in his book Convergence Culture. According to him, the Digital Era is characterized by bidirectional communication. So this new relationship between brands and consumers breaks the traditional communication process. Like that, the audience becomes an emitter of information, not only a receptor.
A New Way Of Communicating
Basically, the media convergence consists of a collision between old and new media. Like that, the power of the content creator interacts with the power of the consumer. It means the companies and mass media don’t own the information they spread anymore. This power is shared with the consumers, who also became content creators. One of the reasons why it happened is that technological evolution made people value information much more. Consequently, they became more selective with their purchasing decisions.
This participation of the consumer is called participative culture. So way beyond a technological process, it also represents a cultural and social transformation. And this new way of communicating is not only represented by the relationships created in the cyberspace, but it also affects individual ways of consuming information.
The users started to demand high-quality, relevant content. And that’s the point where it became essential for every brand to use the internet as a marketing tool. Now, proximity doesn’t exist anymore, and all your competitors are one Instagram search away from your target.
So a company can only stand up in the cyberspace if it considers another convergence culture aspect: the relationship with the consumers. And to be honest, they’re not that interested in what the brand says about itself, or in that celebrity spokesperson who’s not close to them. And that’s where Influencer Marketing comes in.
The Influencer Marketing Revolution
Influencer Marketing is the process of creating a relationship with trendsetters who can help to bring visibility to a brand. As said before, great content is essential in the Digital Era, but what we don’t see a lot of people talking about is the importance of distribution.
The content you create must be seen. And a very effective way to make it happen is by giving your content to be spread by people your target trust. The credibility of traditional advertising is in decay. Also, modern life makes people look for shortcuts when making a decision.
So companies must understand that nowadays their audience value the statement of an ordinary person they feel close to more than anything else. The feeling that they actually know these people they check on social media every day makes your audience accept their recommendations. Another crucial aspect of Influencer Marketing is choosing the right influencer. If the person you’re considering doesn’t have a lifestyle that matches your brand, it’s pointless, and your target won’t trust anymore.
Summing It All Up
The Digital Era and bidirectional communication encourage people to share their experiences. And the power people carry with the participative culture became as significant as the participation of companies.
So today there’s not a mass when it comes to cyberspace. Every internet user is part of a specific niche and is looking for specific content. The key is to analyze what they’re looking for and provide them with relevant information given by the right person to influence them.
At Sentient Pixel we are specialists in Digital Marketing. By using the right platform and coherent strategy, we find influencers who perfectly fit our client’s identity. If you are looking to promote your brand through influencer marketing services, get in touch with us!
Oh, and follow us on social media to always stay updated on the latest Marketing trends, news, and tools: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 👋🏼 See you!
