If you can name one industry that is an “early adopter” in the field of influencer marketing, then it is the fashion industry.
The role of social media is changing, especially for brands. All kinds of algorithms make it increasingly difficult for organizations to score organically. Unless you use people as an ambassador for your brand. This is how influencer marketing is created: a way of marketing in which influential and relevant people are used to influence the behavior of the target group of the brand, product or service.
Influencer marketing: why does it work?
We live in an era where consumers prefer to have the feeling that they make their own decisions. Nevertheless, people are always influenced by other people, whether they like it or not. Furthermore, people trust people, not brands. That is why influencer marketing is a powerful marketing tool, certainly also for the fashion industry. Various studies have shown that Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) generates twice as much sales as paid advertisements. In addition, consumers who purchase from your organization via WOM have a higher retention rate. And have you ever heard of the 6 principles of influence introduced by Cialdini: reciprocity, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity?
Influencer marketing is all about one of these principles: social proof. Social proof means we are seeking for confirmation before purchasing a product or service to determine whether something will be a good purchase.
Fashion loves Instagram
The hashtag #fashion is one of the most used hashtags on Instagram. Instagram, fashion and influencers therefore seem like a match made in heaven. Looking at all sponsored posts on Instagram, the fashion vertical clearly takes the lead on
Instagram. A study by Hubspot conducted in 2018 shows that 25% of all sponsored posts revolve around fashion, fashion brands are the most active industry on Instagram when it comes to investing in influencer marketing.
To conclude, fashion brands are allocating more and more of their marketing budget to influencers, influencers with strong audiences who have the ability to influence decisions.
