Why You Should Be Considering The Use Of Influencers In Your Business – Let’s Talk Digital.

The social media space is evolving at a faster rate than ever before, with many being able to profit off of social platforms as content creators. The same applies in Kenya – with arguably some of the biggest creatives in East Africa – which brings the question of “who are these public figures and what can they do for me?”. If you haven’t yet asked yourself this let’s begin by unpacking what an ‘influencer’ is.

The term influencer was coined by the New York Times in 2018, and fast forward to 2022 we can see how the term perfectly illustrates how people now have the ability to influence our consumer habits on a magnified scale. For the past decade, we’ve watched businesses shift away from the use of celebrities and pivot towards online self-made creators as the face of their campaigns and brands as a whole. In Kenya, influencer marketing is fast becoming a prime method within various niches from real estate to hospitality. With the likes of  Google and therefore Youtube having their base for Africa in Kenya, this is enough to tell you that Kenya is the hub for the future of all things digital.

As a business owner or someone observing the digital space – you may land on the all-important question of “what benefit do they provide to businesses?”. Here are three reasons why you should be considering the use of influencers: 

To begin, influencers have credibility with fanbases that may have been around for years – they have the ability to have a direct impact, therefore, on the buying and spending habits of those who follow them. Time and time again we have seen brands being sold out of products due to influencers mentioning or endorsing their use of them. A great example of this is Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian family, selling out lip products by the simple mention of them on her social media. People trust people – it’s basic science. 

Secondly, influencers work across all platforms, unlike many celebrities who are only beginning to recognise the importance of domination across multiple platforms. From Instagram to TikTok, influencers are seen across various avenues making them perfect contenders for your business promotion. By creating UGC, user-generated content, your business is able to produce high-quality content without you doing the heavy lifting. This works particularly well if your business is not yet recognisable/new to the market – the benefit here is having an influencer be the face for you and attract the leads to you. 

Thirdly, with the rise of Gen Z domination in media and being a large group who are purchasing goods and services – influencer marketing allows you to reach your target audience easily. For example, those interested in food and nutrition are more than likely following food bloggers and creators within that niche. As a food company, the money spent on trying to create ads that attract those interested in that niche is better placed with an influencer who already has acquired that audience. 

These reasons are enough evidence to prove that influencers are beneficial to your businesses and should be something you’re considering as a business owner – no matter the industry. We’d love to hear your thoughts – head over to @officialkenya2u where you can express your views.