Fashion Brands That Hired Social Media Influencers
JP Staff (The Djakarta Postal service)
Jakarta ● Midweek, August iv, 2021
In the world of marketing, the high price of collaborating with public figures as make endorsers is non uncommon and one of the almost used marketing strategies.
Equally the age of social media "influencers" emerges, critics point their criticism at what they consider "easy money" made for piffling more effort than creating curated visuals and settings. Many ignominy the influencers' efforts, contrasting information technology confronting conventional office jobs and other forms of traditional piece of work.
Content takes time
Elika Boen (@elikaboen) and Valerie Pola (@valeriepola) are two of many Indonesian Instagram influencers focusing on the beauty and manner industry. The two, unsurprisingly, prefer to avoid the much-maligned term.
Valerie, 17, said she was but a public figure who made her proper noun online. She found fame posting pictures of herself on the photo-sharing app and singing cover songs on YouTube. With 290,000 followers, Valerie is a relative newcomer, having only started her social media business when the pandemic began.
Elika, 25, who has 237,000 followers, prefers to be referred to equally a "content creator". "I don't even actually know when this 'influencer' term started to exist, and what standard people have to officially telephone call someone an influencer. I've been active in the social media realm, and started working with brands since 2014"
Elika adds that "Back then I yet did not encounter social media or content creation as a legit job. And then, I just did some brand collaborations and brand photoshoots as a side task, because information technology was something that I love to exercise and am passionate nigh. Eventually, in early 2019, I decided to brand this my full-time task."
Both take worked with many brands and before committing to any endorsement or collaborative work, e'er make sure that certain boxes are ticked.
Existence honest: Valerie believes endorsing products means she has to ever exist honest to her followers. (Personal Drove/Courtesy of Valerie Pola)
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Elika said it was very important to her that the brand's image should align with her. "I'll consider whether the brand has the same vision as me, [whether information technology is doing] good and [sharing] valuable textile," she said.
Valerie says it is all about existence honest with her followers. Earlier she posts an endorsement, Valerie makes sure to use the product for a week. She thinks it is crucial that she does non promote any "bad quality" or unworthy products.
Staying on brand
After they agree on a bargain, the next step is preparing content.
"After the trial, and only after the trial process, I go on with figuring out the concept for the moving-picture show, looking for photo spots, and taking a review video or moving-picture show, depending on the brand'southward asking," explained Valerie. "Taking pictures for a brand usually takes me a few hours. Later on that, I'd have to come up with a caption for the photo chosen."
Elika does the same, she will use the product for a certain period of time. If the product is suitable, she will proceed to the photoshoot or video shoot.
"As for the pictures and videos, I commonly process them when the concept is ready. Sometimes information technology can be produced 'naturally' as I go through the 24-hour interval or I may have to gear up a one-day photoshoot and video shoot for a brand."
"Still, I always effort to naturally fit the content into my daily life as much as possible, since I mainly apply my social media to share, not to sell. This is why information technology'south important to me to filter brands and products that adjust my life well, and not let a certain brand or product change my daily life and routines."
The cost matches the try
Speaking about the actual fees, influencers' rates vary depending on how large the brand is and what kind of content the make asks for.
Elika says she makes up to ii digits (in 1000000 rupiah) in fees for a single post. Before deciding on her fee, Elika researches and adjusts her fee to what the brand and its audience are.
When asked what they would say if someone said to them that "influencers are overpaid," the two justified their efforts.
Elika said that critics "don't know the effort - the process of generating ideas for content. And if [they] look closer, there are struggles behind every story and every person. The long process and journeying information technology took to become who [influencers] are today; it took years, a lot of practise, hard work - zippo worthy comes like shooting fish in a barrel," said Elika.
Dedicated calendar week: Elika Boen dedicates a trial week earlier agreeing on being endorsed by whatever skincare and dazzler make. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Elika Boen)
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"And that is what makes united states of america different from the others. You are not paying for a single picture. You are paying for someone's personal story. Your product may non be suitable for everybody, but you lot choose a particular influencer because you know it is worth information technology to have them portray an image for your make."
Elika also added that the high demands of social media influencers were the result of shifting trends in advertising. "A few years back, we used to see advertisements on TV, but now everything has changed. Social media is now condign the primary aqueduct of people'due south attending, and all advertisements are pivoting to digital marketing."
Novi Akbar, a 41-year-old manager at a banking company in Westward Jakarta thinks that influencers are "privileged" people exploiting their privilege.
"I don't mind them, and it'due south non their mistake. Only I would be lying to say that I don't green-eyed [the fact that] they are all beautiful and handsome and take the gear and time to make such content. Exercise yous retrieve I tin can spend time looking like [them] and taking those kinds of photos?"
Fenny Putri, a 28-year-old housewife said information technology all went back to jealousy, but that she avoided feeling such emotions because information technology was a sin. Perhaps a clear example of what Elika and Valerie say is a skewed perception of what they practise, Fenny says that "Those influencers simply take photos and make a hundred million [rupiah] or something. It'due south crazy that so many [people] tin can make such amounts of coin for such little work."
More than sales
MINE, a coincidental manner brand for women has endorsed influencers several times. Yuti Resani and Hani Kenisha, sisters and the founders of the brand revealed that the process of deciding on influencers to work with was not that unproblematic. The influencers' manner, engagement rate with their followers, followers circumvolve and personality must be taken into account.
Carawear, another fashion make, besides put the date rate and the influencer'south personality into consideration. The brand spends around Rp 1 million (US$69) for micro-influencers and Rp. 3.5 million (U.s.$ 242) for macro-influencers, according to the brand'south creative director, Meggie.
When asked whether working with the influencers had resulted in ascent sales, both brands could not determine on a specific answer.
"Aye and no," said Yuti and Hani. "Of all the products we are seeding, let's say 20 SKUs [stock keeping units]. I would say five SKUs will see an increment in sales. Then it'southward non always 100% successful."
Meggie agrees, saying that the market is unpredictable. "1 twenty-four hours you can endorse one influencer and information technology affects the revenue or the marketing target and and then some other day you endorse the aforementioned or other influencers, and it won't bear upon sales that much or maybe non at all."
However, both brands added that endorsing influencers was more than just sales, it was about appointment, achieve and the exposure they gained in return. They also confidently said endorsing influencers was worth the cost.
"Influencers are vital for any brand today. People are constantly on their smartphones. We tin can't rely on and can't afford conventional media placement such as tv set, old magazines, etc, especially for modest local businesses. Nosotros maximize social media and work with influencers to leverage accomplish and sensation," closed Yuni and Hani.
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