Meaningful collaboration with influencers
In her column, Tijen Onaran discusses the presence and absence of brands on social media and the role of influencers in the social media marketing mix.
Most companies today realize that no brand can afford to ignore social media. Yet this area in particular is often viewed with disdain and is sometimes criminally neglected. However, anyone who views activity on social and professional platforms merely as a tedious extra task runs the risk of half-heartedly chasing trends instead of understanding them and making the most of them. I’d like to illustrate this using the example of influencer marketing.
It's about more than just being there
Social media isn’t the Olympics. That means there’s more to it than just participating. Social media has long fulfilled numerous essential functions—whether it’s strengthening your employer brand, setting the agenda, reaching potential employees, communicating with your target audience, or presenting and explaining your products.
Anyone who isn’t active on social media is ignoring a key insight from communication scholar Paul Watzlawick: «One cannot not communicate.» Absence, therefore, is also a statement. So anyone who ignores social media leaves it up to others to formulate and communicate their brand message. Because, whether they like it or not, brands exist on social media.
The Role of Female Influencers in Social Media Marketing
As we all know, communication isn’t just about the message—it’s also about the sender. In the context of social media communication, influencer marketing has long been an indispensable part of the landscape. After all, no one wants trite discount code gimmicks or advertising formats that have simply been copied one-to-one from linear media. In influencer marketing, what really counts is authentic storytelling from credible and genuine individuals. In my opinion, it all comes down to finding the right balance and making a smart selection of influencers. For brands, this means more than ever that they must also invest internally in those who bring expertise in the field of influencer marketing. Influencers aren’t just people who post anything on the internet. Companies must learn to recognize that real expertise is required here.
The Future of Influencer Marketing
In the future, female micro-influencers who can also credibly address sociopolitical issues will be far more important than those with a supposedly large reach. Relevant content and credible communication aren’t measured by high numbers. Followers aren’t a community, and content isn’t necessarily credible. Brands like «Armedangels» have already understood this and are capitalizing on the positive effects associated with micro-influencers. In the future, it will become increasingly important for companies to collaborate with «sinnfluencers»—that is, people who have built a genuine community through their stories—rather than relying “only” on influencers.
m&k has recruited Tijen Onaran as a regular columnist for its print edition. She is the CEO of Global Digital Women, author of the *Spiegel* bestseller *Nur wer sichtbar ist, findet auch statt* («Only Those Who Are Visible Are Taken Seriously»), and was named one of the ten most influential people on LinkedIn in 2020.
