Social media marketing VS influencer marketing are two of the most powerful forces in the constantly evolving field of digital marketing. Each has the ability to engage audiences and distinctively develop brand narratives. The decision between these two approaches becomes crucial as companies work to maximize their internet visibility. 

Let’s look at two ways businesses promote themselves online: Influencer Marketing and Social Media Marketing. Influencer Marketing is like a friend recommending something to you, while Social Media Marketing tries to reach many people. We’ll see what makes them different and good at what they do. Join us to understand how these digital ways affect how people see and talk about brands 

Influencers have undisputed power without a doubt. Take for example Virat Kohli, with over 264 million followers across social media platforms. Millions of “likes” are regularly added to his postings in less than a day. Virat was named as the most popular Indian sportsman by Forbes, thanks to his brand collaborations with Puma, Audi, HSBC, etc. Virat is an excellent example of how influencer marketing can help to increase brand recognition and revenue. 

In fact, social media influencers have such a strong effect that they affect choices made in the workplace.  In the meantime, about 5 billion results come up when you quickly search for “social media marketing” on Google. It is obvious that influencer and social media marketing have a great deal of potential to raise brand awareness. But it’s important to know the differences between the two and choose the one that will work best for the demands unique to your company. 

More about Influencer Marketing  

Influencers, who are well-known in their industries, advocate products and engage in influencer marketing, which is a subset of social media marketing. Influencers are present in every sector and utilise their platform to assist companies become more recognisable, trustworthy, and credible.  

According to recent research by Clever Real Estate, 44.7% of American internet users between 18 and 34 have purchased a good or service that an influencer had suggested. Furthermore, as per accordance with another finding a substantial 65% of millennials express a strong inclination to purchase a product or service if it comes highly recommended by a friend on social media. 

The credibility of an influencer, the audience, and reach are leveraged in influencer marketing to promote a brand or product to their followers. There are several places to find influencers, such as blogs, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. They might be celebrities, professionals in their field, or micro-influencers with tiny yet devoted fan bases. Influencer marketing comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, including sponsored content, product endorsements, freebies, and joint ventures. The ultimate objectives of influencer marketing are to increase sales, spark conversation about a good or service, and increase brand exposure. 

Advantages of Influencer Marketing 

The following are some advantages of using influencer marketing to raise brand recognition: 

1. Originality and creativity: Originality and creativity are hallmarks of influencers when it comes to content creation. Working together with an influencer allows you to take use of their creativity to produce original, interesting content that resonates with your target market. 
2. Increased reach: Working with influencers may help your company become more visible and well known on social media because they have sizable followings. This can increase engagement with your target audience and brand exposure. 
3. Authenticity: To their followers, influencers are seen as sincere and reliable. When a respected influencer recommends your business, those who follow them are more likely to believe it and interact with it. 

Drawbacks of Influencer Marketing 

Influencer marketing has grown in popularity as a tool for businesses looking to increase brand recognition, but it is not without problems. These are the three main limitations to think about. 

1. High costs: Working with well-known influencers might make influencer marketing campaigns more expensive. Smaller businesses with tighter budgets could find it difficult to pay for influencer marketing, even if the returns might be significant. 
2. ROI Measurement: Compared to other marketing strategies, influencer marketing can be hard to measure in terms of how it affects brand recognition. While metrics like follower growth and engagement might offer some useful information, they can occasionally not accurately indicate the effectiveness of a campaign. 
3. Navigating Influencer Partnerships: Working with influencers may come with certain hazards. Because they are humans, influencers make errors just like everyone else. Should an influencer they collaborate with encounter challenges, firms run the danger of being associated with negative actions or controversy. Unwanted publicity and harm to a brand’s reputation might arise from this. 

Social Media Marketing 

A digital marketing strategy called social media marketing is using social media networks to promote a company or brand. The goal of social media marketing is to increase brand recognition, interact with consumers, and ultimately increase website or product traffic and income. Creating and disseminating content in the form of text, images, and videos, engaging with clients via messages and comments, and managing sponsored advertising campaigns on social media networks are just a few examples of the many tasks that fall under the umbrella of social media marketing. 

For instance, a business selling cosmetics may utilize social media marketing to showcase its goods, interact with customers, and advertise exclusive offers. In order to target certain groups, they might create visually attractive articles and videos that highlight the advantages of their products and run sponsored advertisements. 

Advantages of Social Media Marketing  

The following are some benefits of brand recognition growth using social media marketing: 

1. Economical: Social media platforms give companies an inexpensive opportunity to market their name and connect with a large audience. In contrast to conventional advertising strategies like print or television commercials, social media marketing is less expensive. 
2. Reaching a large audience: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have billions of users, giving companies access to a huge potential audience. Social media marketing allows businesses to connect with a wide range of customers from different locations, demographics, and interests. 
3. Measurable ROI: Social media marketing provides businesses with useful metrics and information to assess the performance of their campaigns. With analytics solutions, businesses can monitor engagement, impressions, reach, and conversions. This information helps them make data-driven choices and optimise their campaigns for better results. 

Drawbacks of Social Media Marketing  

1. Despite the billions of users on social media platforms, not all of them could be aware of or interested in your company. Furthermore, not all of your followers may see your material, even if you have a sizable following, because social media algorithms prioritise content based on interaction. 
2. Social media is a crowded space where marketers are vying for users’ attention. It can be challenging to stand out in such a crowded market, particularly if you are on a tight budget. 

Which Approach Works Better to Increase Brand Awareness? 

Although both approaches have shown to be successful in increasing brand recognition, it is important to consider the limits of each. ROI determination can be difficult due to the high cost of influencer marketing and the difficulty in gauging a campaign’s effectiveness. On the other side, social media marketing may become oversaturated with a lot of competing material, which makes it difficult to differentiate oneself from the competition. 

In the end, the target market, financial constraints, and company marketing objectives will all have an impact on how successful each method is. Influencer and social media marketing strategies combined can sometimes be the best way to increase brand exposure and raise brand recognition. 

Conclusion: 

At Design Brewery, our approach is bespoke, tailored to the distinct needs of each client. We navigate the delicate dance between the wide reach of social platforms and the potential risks associated with human influencers. By integrating data-driven insights and leveraging our experience, we guide our clients through the nuances of these marketing realms. Our commitment extends beyond trends; it’s about crafting narratives that resonate, strategies that endure, and partnerships that elevate brands. 

In the ever-shifting landscape of digital marketing, Design Brewery stands not as mere consultants but as collaborative partners, steering clients towards a harmonious blend of Social Media Marketing and Influencer Marketing.