Working with content creators during a digital disconnect

Influencer marketing is a tried and tested technique used by retailers of all sizes, helping to get their brands and products in front of a specific target audience. However, the method relies on consumers being online, with influencers supplying a steady stream of eye-catching content. As news of a ‘digital disconnect’ emerges, how can retailers and brands continue to work with content creators to connect with consumers? In this article, Izzy Field, Head of ENGAGE and Talent at IPOS, considers how retailers can navigate this change in attitudes and behaviours.

Why are people disconnecting?

The online world, specifically social media, has many benefits, but excessive screen time has been linked to negative mental health, forcing some people to limit the amount of time they spend on smartphones and other devices. This trend isn’t only being seen among consumers; content creators themselves – whose very profession relies on their online presence – have begun to scale back. For some content creators, this means taking weekends offline to spend with their family and updating their followers during the traditional working week. For others, this means a digital detox, with days or even weeks spent ‘off grid’ in order to recharge. If you’re a retailer who relies on influencer marketing, you may well be concerned that this will impact your business, or lead to fewer consumers seeing your products on their feeds, but there are ways around this.

Host ‘no-phone’ events

If you’re working with content creators to promote an event or product launch, you might assume that the best approach is to invite them to capture content and immediately share it with their followers. However, an increasing number of brands are opting for ‘no-phone’ rules, which was recently seen during Paris Fashion Week when a number of brands banned the audience from capturing any content. This approach allows attendees to focus fully on the event itself and immerse themselves in the brand and products.

Retailers could replicate this by hosting a phone-free event where influencers are able to learn more about the story behind the brand and be truly present in the moment. Hi-res photography and videography should be captured and shared with the influencers afterwards, so they are able to use this when compiling their content. The added element of exclusivity can help to draw more interest in the event, as well as giving you complete control over what gets shared.

Respect boundaries

Working with your chosen content creators to set boundaries to protect their spare time is vital to maintaining a healthy relationship and getting good quality results. Content can be created and scheduled in advance, so it doesn’t need to impact you as a brand, or – if you want the creator to post live – speak to them well in advance to find a date that works for both of you, where they can dedicate their full attention to engaging with their followers as and when they react to the post. Similarly, you should trust the creator to know their audience better than anyone. They will have key insights about when their followers are offline and the best times to engage with them, so allow them to take the lead on the best format and timings for posting.

While more time spent offline can present a challenge to influencer marketing, it is also a perfect opportunity to build more meaningful relationships with consumers and reconnect in a new way. Rather than seeing it as a barrier, working with content creators to find a solution could help you get much more value out of the partnership.

Image courtesy of Pexels. Photo credit: Olly.