Why are Influencer Reviews More Tempting than Traditional Ads?

In today's era, prospective consumers rely on the recommendations of influencers when deciding to buy something. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - According to a study, as many as 49 percent of consumers rely on recommendations from influencers or influencers when deciding to buy something. Why in the present era do you trust an unknown figure more than traditional advertising?

Many of us often buy goods because they are tempted by the 'poison' of influencers, after seeing the review he shared his experience using a product. However, it is not uncommon for this review to be the result of the influencer's collaboration with certain brands, or known as endorsement.

According to research, the reason we young people are tempted by toxic influencers and buy items that are reviewed is because there is a feeling of emotional closeness, FOMO, to the desire to imitate.

The concept of Influencer Marketing

The phenomenon of influencer marketing is not only happening in Indonesia. And according to Forbes, this is not a new concept in the industry. The concept of influencer marketing is popular in recent years.

Influencer marketing is a relationship between brands and influencers. These influencers promote a brand's products through social media such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and others.

Don't compare celebrity endorsements, influencer marketing is more than just associating a famous celebrity with a brand.

Influencers must be trusted figures in a particular community and have a loyal following. In addition, they usually have knowledge or experience about what they are advertising.

Influencers operate independently, create their own content and integrate the company's advertising specifications into it. Influencers also choose for themselves how they want to display products. This increases authenticity and can help reach a specific target audience.

Emotional closeness between influencers and their followers is an important factor in influencer marketing. (Unsplash)

Before technological advances, scheduled television broadcasts were the only mass media that consumers could access and were one of the main platforms used by marketers to advertise.

But in the present era, with the creation of the internet and the popularity of platforms, as well as more and more social media users such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, consumers have unlimited freedom and choice over the content they want to watch.

For products or brands that want to be marketed, this is a problem. Because their target audience spreads across various media forms, making it increasingly difficult to reach.

This is where they, the marketers, find that influencer marketing can offer a solution to the problem. This allows them to find and advertise directly to their target audience.

Emotional Closeness of Influencers and Followers

Advertising through influencers allows brands to promote through someone who is watched, interacted with, and trusted by a certain community.

But compared to TV ads that are maximally conceptual, content from influencers that usually seem simpler are even more convincing for potential buyers.

According to research, there are several psychological reasons that make people more easily attracted to goods reviewed by influencers.

First because of social proof, which is a psychological phenomenon in which people imitate the actions of others. Influencers take advantage of social proof by showing their popularity and their approval.

When people see an influencer using a product and endorsing a product, we tend to trust the product more. For example, skinny influencers often demonstrate how they use certain cosmetics, so that their followers believe that this product is good and worth buying.

Another reason is the feeling of emotional closeness. When an influencer consistently interacts with his followers, either through videos, comments, or live streaming, an emotional relationship that feels personal is formed.

The relationship between influencers and their followers is essentially a one-way relationship. Followers feel they know or are close to the influencer even though they have never met in person.

This kind of emotional closeness increases followers' trust in influencers. Parainfluencers are not considered as advertisers, but as friends who give honest advice.

The development of technology is one of the reasons for the change in marketing patterns, from traditional television to through social media. (Unsplash)

This emotional closeness is also related to the authenticity of perception, that is, when the influencer seems "real", honest, and not made up. This further strengthens the emotional relationship and trust so that product recommendations feel more sincere, not like ordinary commercial advertisements.

"So, instead of being skeptical of commercial advertising, consumers believe that if their chosen influencers like the product, they will like it too," he quoted Forbes.