WHEN EMOTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH

Influencer marketing heavily relies on creating an emotional connection with followers. However, what happens when that is not possible?

A European study found that 40% of advertisements try to evoke positive emotions in viewers in order to be more persuading. However, researchers found that controlling one’s facial expression during an advertisement can help to resist persuasion. The author argues that this helps to disconnect emotionally from the ad. Since the premise of influencer marketing is to connect to followers in a more authentic and emotional way, this shows the possible counterarguments to the effectiveness of the platform.  Ultimately, if followers know how to control their emotional reactions to paid content, they are less likely to be persuaded to purchase the products. This is a downside, which should be considered when developing an influencer marketing division. While it is often an effective marketing strategy, it is not the end all be all. Since this platform is so new, it is still somewhat uncharted territory . However, that also means that there is much room for creativity of strategies and content by both the brands and influencers.