Online privacy is THE big deal right now
Everybody’s talking about it, especially in corporate boardrooms… and for good reason.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how social networks have been reaping the benefits of using our personal data to their own advantage – without much regard for us.
To their credit, social networks (like Facebook) have made advertising to consumers more efficient and effective than ever before. Running ads on platforms is far more effective than television.
But the Cambridge Analytica scandal blew apart the facade that our private information is kept safe and sacred.
It’s not and that’s what has some many people upset.
The blow back has been intense, enough that Facebook’s Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was compelled to appear before Congress for two grueling days of questioning.
And the USA is not the only country looking into this problem. Europe has already instituted new rules about data privacy known as GDPR, which has companies around the world scrambling.
The upshot is that online marketing is different now.
In the case of Faceboook, Instagram and other social platforms, they decided to yank back access to their APIs from marketing agencies and brands.
Those APIs, you see, track user data, the data you and I give them every time we log on, like a piece of content, share it, comment on it and even what we buy online.
For brands, not being able to access these APIs makes things difficult, but it’s not devastating. It’s not the end of the world.
All it means is that marketers and brands are going to have to work harder (and smarter) to track user data which the APIs made so easy to do before.
Don’t worry, as Gil Eyal, CEO of HYPR Brands noted in a recent article on WWD — because they’ll find a work around.
You can bet they’re already hard at work on it.
What’s the impact on beauty influencers?
Is this something you should be concerned about?
Are the good times coming to an end?
Like I said, it’s an inconvenience — albeit an expensive one, but no, brands aren’t going to stop working with beauty influencers anytime soon.
Not a chance. You provide way to much value for that to happen.
That’s because influencer marketing still represents the best way for companies to connect with their ideal consumers.
It even beats content marketing and social media marketing for effectiveness.
The reason is simple:
Influencer marketing is about companies connecting with their customers through people who are trusted. People like you who attract active and engaged followers.
Remember that your bond with your audience is yours. It’s earned by creating content your followers want to consume. The content you create and the bond you forge with your followers is something unique to you.
Because you do this well, your followers trust you.
That sacred trust is the magic that brands wish to leverage by working with you and it’s not going away.
Just the opposite… they are looking to build longer term relationships with you.
Take a look at Activate’s latest study which confirms this trend:
Source: Activate 2018 The State of Influencer Marketing Study
Something else to consider…
Brands are looking to influencers like you to help them uplevel their mindshare with consumers:
Source: Activate 2018 The State of Influencer Marketing Study
According to Activate latest research study, this objective is now up to 78%, up 2% from last year. The trend is in your favor.
Is it business as usual for beauty influencers?
For now, yes. But be aware that brands and marketing agencies are getting savvy.
They’re going to demand greater transparency from you about your audience, what your audience likes, doesn’t like and what works best in terms of content, contests and more.
Also, as the brands get more discerning, they will take a closer look at your account, blog and instagram feed.
Be transparent. Make sure everything is on the up and up.
They’re getting better as spotting fake followers, so purge them from your accounts now if you have some.
If you’re found to have fake followers, brands will likely think twice about working with you. Better to have a smaller, authentic and engaged audience than a large on that is filled with fakes.
Another thing, be sure to clearly label all of your sponsored posts. Not just with little hashtags like #sp and #ad, but clearly label them. Your audience deserves to know which ones are paid for and they’ll thank you for it by continuing to be engaged.
Keep these things in mind and you’ll be well prepared to reap the benefits that are sure to come as we all move forward.
