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INFLUENCER MARKETING

Out with the old influencers, in with new and more authentic ones

By our News Team | 2021

Your most powerful influencers aren’t who you think they are. The flashy – and expensive – ones are giving way to ‘real’ people.

You can’t deny that influencing where we shop and what we buy is big business. It made sense originally, when content creators were building strong communities and their advice felt genuinely valuable. They were relevant to their followers. 

But as the world of social media expanded and authentic creators became harder to come by, the attraction of this marketing channel has begun to slowly fade. It may be because these self-appointed social media ‘stars’ are losing their grip on the very thing that gave them influence in the first place: their audience’s trust. 

But the costs associated with using traditional influencers are rising, social media trends change by the day, and the benefits of an influencer strategy are increasingly hard to measure. It’s far from a foolproof marketing strategy.

What is the alternative?

Influencer marketing

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Enter the new, more reliable influencers: your existing customers. Face-to-face recommendations are always the most popular and trusted way to share products, brands stories and endorsements. More than any Instagrammer with blindingly white teeth and a discount code, daily conversations are where the most genuine brand recommendations come from.

Research by UK-based marketing industry media outlet, The Drum, has found that almost 60% of people are more likely to buy a product recommended by a friend or family member than by a celebrity or social media creator. 

When it comes to influencing, it’s the people you know who have the real power. So traditional influencers are losing more and more… influence.

Nearly two-thirds of people aged 18-44 don’t trust what influencers promote on their social channels. Over half of consumers prefer following everyday social media users to influencers. 

In the UK, more than half of Instagram influencers were found to have engaged in online fakery such as buying followers, likes and comments. Some content creators were even found to be swindling money out of the brands they work with. 

According to studies by advertising and media giant Ogilvy, one in four influencers in the UK have engaged in fraud against brands. 

This makes choosing an appropriate influencer even tougher for marketing executives and their agencies


Source: The Drum, UK

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Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.