As the world continues to reel from the effect of the global corona virus outbreak, we will inevitably see a number of radical changes to the way digital marketing professionals work and operate. For influencers, this is set to be a particularly challenging time, though with creativity, resilience, and adaptability, it may still be possible to use social media platforms as a way of driving engagement. Here’s Probella’s guide to how the global pandemic will affect influencers and what they can potentially do to make the best of an exceedingly difficult situation.
Locations and Travel
For many influencers, especially those in the travel, tourism and entertainment industries, travel is one of the most important aspects of their work. Now that this will not be an option for the foreseeable future, influencers will need to adapt to presenting their content from home. Though this is unquestionably difficult, it is still possible to create videos that have value. Using previously gathered footage, splicing together “best of collections” and discussing future plans to travel could provide enough material to keep a steady flow of genuinely engaging content.
Equipment and settings
For some influencers, especially those who work from studios and creative spaces, the lockdown has been, especially debilitating. Dancers, performers, and those who rely on using larger spaces when creating content will suddenly find themselves with a limited set of options. Thankfully, the public seem to be quite forgiving and largely understand the significance of the corona virus, meaning they have generally been quite receptive to content that seems a little more “rough and ready” than what they have become accustomed to. Taking advantage of free and low-cost video editing and aftereffects software means that even if you are recording from a bedroom, you can still create something that has a professional edge.
Products and Shipping
Depending on the products you are promoting, you may have some issues receiving free samples or items you plan to review. This is due to the lockdown and the focus on ensuring that only essential services remain functional. If you’re accustomed to providing reviews of up and coming technology, art supplies or make up but find yourself unable to source anything at the moment, we recommend collating your existing to content to create things like “best of” and top ten lists. This could also be a great time to repurpose and reuse content you already have.
Cultural Climate Shift
You have probably already noticed that there are lot more people livestreaming on social media since the outbreak. Everybody from stay at home mums to DJs are trying to keep in touch with the outside world by broadcasting themselves on a regular basis. This type of content was previously dominated by influencers, but as the sheer volume of content continues to increase, we are beginning to see a shift in the way people are behaving. Influencers typically drive sales and traffic by recommending products, wearing garments, carrying out reviews or even just being seen at certain events. Now that so many people have the time to make their own content and discuss whatever they like, videos that feel like advertising are likely to be quickly overlooked. The most professional and experienced influencers will be able to adapt what they produce, but many people are going to struggle to continue with their usual approach in the current climate.
Freebies and Promotional Products Are Harder to Come By
With so many businesses going bust and even established brands filing for administration, it is going to be a lot more difficult to convince people to send you products for free. This concept was the lifeblood of the influencer industry, especially in niche markets like vaping, fashion, and music. Now that sales are down and footfall has all but dried up completely, it seems unlikely that small, independent companies will be able to send out samples of their products. Larger corporations and well established may still be open to doing this, but with staff being laid off or furloughed en masse, it would be reasonable to assume that influencers will be pretty far down the list of priorities.
Audiences May Become Less Receptive
The influencer industry is arguably built on quite a shallow premise and in times of serious global crisis, the mood of the viewing public shifts significantly. Though people are likely to respond well to heartfelt, genuine pieces of content, they will probably not be especially open to calls to action based around purchasing non-essential products. Though the absolute best influencers now have legions of fans who watch them for entertainment value alone, those who are known as a spokesperson or promotional vehicle for certain products or industries are likely to see their work dry up or at least dramatically decrease. As these are such uncertain times, this may not be the case in every industry, but in sectors that have been forced to shut down until the lockdown has been lifted, it would be reasonable to assume this will be the case.
There is some good news
Though most of this article has been profoundly negative reading for influencers, there is one positive in all this. Because so many of the world’s population needs to stay at home, there is now arguably the biggest captive audience available for those who make a living from influencing others spending and browsing habits. There is no denying that competition will be extremely fierce, but with enough creativity and the right approach, there is still a chance that this kind of content will remain high on the world’s collective watch list for a long time to come. Though the global economy is in serious trouble, which means less disposable income for everybody, this problem is universal, so it might not necessarily mean the end of influencers all together. There is no question that things will change dramatically, but with so many established fans and regular users, the best influencers can expect to keep operating for a little while longer yet.
