Japanese Virtual Influencer for Marketing
Even though you have probably come across the term ‘influencer marketing’, you might not be sure if it is the right choice for your business. However, an increasing number of companies and brands have turned to influencers for their marketing campaigns and have benefited tremendously.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by eMarketers, over 80% marketers who involved influencers in their marketing campaigns, found them effective in propelling both awareness and engagement.
Such positive results are encouraging an increasing number of companies to try out influencer marketing. The same eMarketers survey found that 84% of marketers were open to launching an influencer campaign within the next year.
Who Are Digital Influencers?
Influencers are individuals with a high and active following on their social media platforms and blogs, andcan influence their target audiences. Every influencer has established an audience in a certain niche, and keeps this audience engaged by sharing attractive content on a regular basis.
An influencer could be an industry expert, a product reviewer, or a blogger; regardless, influencers harness the power of digital communication and often help multiple brands in drawing attention, acquiring prospects, and increasing purchases. What makes digital influencers better than the traditional celebrity endorsements is the former’s accessibility and approachability.
Why You Should Consider Japanese Influencer Marketing
1) They help establish credibility:
Asian influencers enjoy an audience that is extremely loyal and trusting, and brands that use influencer marketing can benefit from these assets. A Choozle survey conducted in 2017 found that merely 7% of the participants had a positive perception about online ads. What’s more, a TINT survey performed during the same year saw only 4% of the participants claiming that they trusted advertisements in general.
With influencer marketing, you can reach out to your target market through a person who is trusted and followed. MuseFind, an influencer promotional platform, states that 92% of customers trust a recommendation that comes from a stranger (influencer) more than they would trust a brand advertisement.
2) The competition is already using it:
In such an insanely competitive market, you want to stay toe-to-toe with your rivals, and it is highly likely that your competitors have already included influencers as part of their marketing plans. As per an Association of National Advertisers (ANA) survey conducted in 2018, 75% of marketers utilise influencers for marketing purposes, while 43% will be spending more on influencers during the following 12 months.
3) Influencers understand their audiences:
An influencer’s success largely hinges on how deeply they understand their audiences. This means that they have better knowledge about your audience than you do. Armed with this knowledge and understanding, an influencer knows precisely what to post, at what time, and the frequency of interactions required to maintain this influential position.
4) Improved SEO rankings:
Influencer marketing is not restricted to the influencer sharing information about your company, products, or services on their social media accounts. You can collaborate with influencers and ask them to mention your business on their blog or even share some of your articles. Such an approach will enable your website to enjoy quality backlinks, which will ultimately benefit your SEO.
Backlinks are an integral part of any SEO strategy. Google and other search engines continue to alter their algorithms to look for and remove junk posts. In such situations, having natural backlinks on an influencer’s page can propel your website up in search results and attract greater audiences.
5) Influencers are creative:
Japanese influencers understand that unless you bring something unique to the table, you will not go far in the currently saturated marketplaces. This is why influencers keep putting in the efforts required to communicate with their audiences in novel ways. Hence, partnering with influencers will allow you to send your message in a creative manner and shatter the shackles of stagnation.
2021 Virtual Influencer Marketing Trends for Japan:
Japan seems to have gotten the hang of the virtual influencer trend. Imma.gram, with over 332,000 followers and a variety of brand partnerships, seems to be leading this trend. This account was created in 2018 by Modeling Café, a CG company based in Tokyo. Since then, Imma.gram, armed with her striking hair and edgy style, has been dominating the internet.
Ria_ria_Tokyo is another popular Japanese virtual influencer who often hangs around with Imma.gram. Ria_ria_Tokyo burst onto the Instagram scene during 2019, and both influencers have been able to attain this popularity due to their realistic appearances and the manner in which they connect with their followers. Similar to human influencers, they express the difficulties and problems in their lives – for instance, Imma.gram posted about a fight that she had with her brother, while ria_ria_Tokyo talked about the dietary restrictions that come with being a model.
A lot of Japanese brands have started with their own scandal-proof virtual models. GU, a casual apparel brand used the body measurements of more than 200 women selected at random, and came up with a virtual model named YU. YU can be utilised by shoppers looking for models that possess similar body measurements and shapes. Such virtual models, that clearly benefit the public, are a clear response to critics who claim that virtual influencers and models are misleading the people because they never try or use their own recommended products.
Final Word:
Regardless of your industry, turning to digital influencers will enable you to attain your marketing objectives in a more effective and authentic manner. If you want to know more about how your particular business can benefit from Japanese influencer marketing, feel free to reach out to us here.