Social media has given rise to a new generation of influencers seeking fame and fortune. Unlike Hollywood and sports celebrities, anyone can become an influencer if they successfully build a brand and following. However, influencers have recently faced backlash for being inauthentic in their appeal such as their appearances, lifestyle, and what they say and do. We are in the age of de-influencing.
Today’s society is moving away from overly indulgent consumerism and faux authenticity to more mindful actions and behaviors that favor community and authenticity. This shift in mindsets is reflected in the type of content that’s being generated and how people buy products and services.
For the last several years, shopping trends and daily spending has been influenced by the perception of glamorous lifestyles, and seemingly perfect faces and bodies, depicted on social media by influencers and creators. Now, social media users are clamoring for the real thing.
Social media influencers have tried to adapt to the de-influencing trend by moving from buy this, not that messages to you don’t need to buy any of it. However, something’s still missing.
Now more than ever, people are looking to make real-life connections and are seeking advice and recommendations from people they can trust, especially others in their community.
How De-Influencing Got Started
The de-influencing trend began on TikTok and has accelerated rapidly. Countless users have posted about products they advise against purchasing, which is in stark contrast to influencers promoting products they created as makers, received for free are being paid to promote.
As evidence of this trend, Hollywood actresses post make-up free images and noting that images have not been photoshopped. Their tactics trickle down to lesser-known influencers.
Brands are pivoting to appeal to changes in user preferences. It is important to note that authenticity was already becoming an important and prominent movement and preference prior to the de-influencing trend.
Authenticity And Local Audiences Go Together
An influencer’s brand and recommendations are often backed by ulterior motives, such as curating posts to keep followers intrigued or to appeal to sponsors. In the de-influencing age, social media users are recognizing that fundamentally, there’s a gap between influencers and true authenticity – as a result, find it harder to trust them.
For example, would you be more likely to take advice from someone who’s visited a travel destination or someone who lives there? Most people would choose the latter because residents tend to know more about the area and its surroundings than visitors.
Our research findings show that local content posted on community-focused social platforms tends to perform best for word-of-mouth marketing.
We found that 34% of users trust those in their community more than influencers and celebrities.
As a result, marketers should consider creating content that reflects a community’s preference for tone, messaging, and images. Brands showcasing authentic, everyday-style video posts with local communities find developing a positive reputation among neighborhood users easier. Those users then tend to create posts of their own that include an organic brand mention.
Though micro-influencers have smaller followings than mega-influencers, they tend to be more influential in their local community. Brands can use multiple micro-influencers to reach niche markets more effectively than a mega-influencer who doesn’t focus on that niche.
Local Is The New Social
With the shifts in social media behavior, businesses can no longer rely on macro-influencers for results. They should also consider micro-influencers or local individuals with a platform.
Micro-influencers with more engaged and loyal followers can increase the effectiveness of campaigns because social media users want authentic and relatable content, especially Gen Z and Millennials.
Micro-influencing represents a massive opportunity for local businesses that want to raise their visibility in specific communities. To do that, they will leverage their existing channels, local influencers, and community-focused social networks to strengthen relationships with local buyers for whatever they sell – haircuts, fresh produce, points of interest, and much more.
Visitors can also benefit from the local community’s local expertise.
Bottom Line
Societal values and norms change over time. Social media is being reimagined by de-influencers convincing consumers to buy less.
This shift to authenticity doesn’t mean that macro-influencers are going away. It means that social media users want a different kind of relationship: one that is genuine and trustworthy.
