Who Believes Bloggers' Ads?
One of the most notable areas of marketing in Azerbaijan in recent years has been "influencer" marketing. The desire for a comfortable work environment, freedom and recognition on social media encourages many people to become "influencers". Although this field may seem easy and attractive at first glance, in reality, how effective and efficient it is is a controversial topic.
"Influencer" and "Blogger": What is the Difference?
First, it is necessary to clarify the difference between these two concepts. Blogger and "influencer" do not always mean the same thing. Bloggers mainly focus on creating content and sharing information around a specific topic. Their main goal is to provide useful or interesting information to the audience.
"Influencers" take a different approach. Their main strength is to influence their followers on social media and encourage them to choose certain products or services. Therefore, every "influencer" can also be a blogger, but not every blogger is an "influencer".
Bloggers and “influencers” in Azerbaijan
The number of people who can be called “influencers” in the Azerbaijani market is quite limited. Although their main function is to create influence, often followers watch them only for entertainment purposes and do not take their recommendations seriously when choosing products. Nevertheless, bloggers are quite widespread in the country. In particular, bloggers who operate around food and restaurant topics dominate.
The Effectiveness of Blogger Ads
The effectiveness of bloggers’ ads is a matter of debate. According to a survey we conducted as Tech.az Media, only 18% of followers do not believe bloggers’ ads. This shows that people’s trust in bloggers has decreased.
Why Has Trust in Blogger Ads Decreased?
Untargeted, commercially oriented ads: People think that bloggers’ recommendations are based only on advertising contracts. For example, if the same blogger consistently recommends products from competing brands, this creates distrust among followers.
Inflated Presentations: The discrepancy between the quality of the advertised product and the actual experience disappoints viewers. This further reduces the credibility of bloggers.
Advertising becomes commonplace: The fact that most of the bloggers' posts are of an advertising nature tires viewers and makes them desensitized to this content.
Marketing specialist Melek Heydarova shared her thoughts with Tech.az Media on the subject:
"Now the easiest way to become famous is through social networks. As social networks grow, the channels through which we can show ourselves increase. This makes our path to fame even easier. We call people who gather a crowd and share every moment on any social network "influencers" and bloggers. But is this true? If we answer this question in one sentence: everything depends on the crowd. Or rather, on the loyalty of the crowd gathered by the "influencer". And we see loyalty in a large crowd and following. Based on my experience, I can say that a large crowd and following do not guarantee that the "influencer" will bring you good and increase your sales. That is why we decided to work with an "influencer" with a large following, and I would advise you to ask yourself this question: Do people believe in the opinions and decisions of the "influencer" they follow, or do they follow them for entertainment purposes?
So if we do not take these indicators as a basis, what should we pay attention to? The main point we will consider should be the reputation of the influencer and the audience he/she addresses.
The second point we will consider is that the products we advertise should match the influencer, or rather the audience of the influencer. For example, in advertising cheap products, an influencer gives faster results than expensive products. Because expensive products are not for everyone. Then there are products that everyone uses. Like everyday products we buy from the market. At this point, a lot of following or the number of followers can play a key role. In other cases, when advertising to an influencer, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research. In short, you need to work with the audience that suits your product. There is another widespread opinion that they say that the number of influencers is small. I do not agree with this opinion either. You just need to make the right choice.
One of the mistakes I often see is that business owners expect immediate sales from an influencer. If you do not use other advertising channels and your product is specific, it will be difficult for you to influence sales with an influencer alone. "However, as with any business, it takes time to get results from influencer marketing."
The effectiveness of bloggers and influencers' influence is measured by the sincerity of the relationship they build with their followers and the quality of the content they offer. There is still potential for the development of this area in the Azerbaijani market, but for this, the trust of the followers must be regained.
