INTRODUCTION
According to Insider Intelligence and eMarketer, U.S.-based brands are expected to collectively spend more than $7.14 billion on influencer marketing in 2024.
While businesses have partnered with influencers in some form or another for years, the recent emergence of “virtual influencers,” or computer-generated CGI or digital characters with human-like characteristics, features and personalities, is expected to provide new opportunities for brands.
Following are some ways your brand can use virtual influencer marketing to generate awareness and drive sales.
USE VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS TO EXPAND YOUR REACH
Like human influencers, brands can use AI-powered virtual influencers to introduce their products or services to new and significantly larger audiences than they would through their own channels. The most common way to do this is to partner with a virtual influencer to co-create content that is distributed on their channels.
For example, a retail brand could have the virtual influencer “wear” their clothing or “visit” one of their storefronts. Then, the influencer could post about their “experience” on their social media accounts using brand-approved messages.
With fewer limitations, several virtual influencers have quickly grown their following to hundreds of thousands or millions, and many are seeing more engagement than real influencers. In fact, virtual influencers have close to three times more engagement than their human counterparts, according to HypeAuditor.
Plus, their omnichannel presence allows them to reach audiences, and showcase your products or offerings, on multiple social media platforms at once.
In general, virtual influencers’ followers tend to be between the ages of 18 and 44 years old, so you can also work with them if you are looking to reach younger audiences (e.g., Gen Z and Millennials). Some may also be a gateway to niche markets like music, gaming and esports, as virtual characters are already popular among those audiences.
TAKE COLLABORATIONS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
One of the perks of virtual influencer marketing is the ability to maintain more control over your collaborative projects. For instance, virtual influencers do not have the same physical, technical or geographic limitations that real influencers have, which can speed up the creative process and ensure consistency.
You also avoid any potential mishaps with human influencers, which could result in a potential PR headache or drive up costs for things like usage rights fees, replacement products or unforeseen travel expenses.
Work with the creator(s) to control the avatar’s appearance and actions, and ensure messaging is on brand. Your goal should be to showcase your brand authentically so you can build trust with the influencer’s followers.
Since virtual influencers are always on, your brand can benefit from almost limitless content creation and audience engagement, which can help you form a deeper connection with potential customers.
Make sure to keep your brand’s goals, core values and reputation in mind before selecting a virtual influencer to work with. Aim to work with established virtual influencers who align with your customer personas and have promoted products or services like yours in the past.
CREATE YOUR OWN VIRTUAL INFLUENCER
If your brand is looking to forge its own unique identity in the virtual influencer community, you could consider creating a new virtual persona. This is not an easy (or cheap) undertaking, so make sure this path aligns with your goals.
For example, if you are looking to promote a single product or service or tap into new audiences, you may be better off working with an established virtual influencer. If, however, your objectives are to create an ongoing branded content series, have complete control over content and/or have people associate a specific character with your brand, you should create your own virtual influencer.
Reference your existing customer personas to guide the appearance and characteristics of your virtual influencer. You want these to align with those of your existing or ideal customers. The most successful virtual influencers also have their own unique personalities and backstories, so you should build them into yours. Make sure these align with your brand’s core identity and values so your virtual influencer becomes an authentic representation of your company.
Once you create your virtual influencer, use them to tell your brand’s story and make “personal” connections with your followers on your social channels. This could include showcasing how they use your products or services in their daily “life.” You also can have them host virtual events, such as live streams of product launches, Q&A sessions, industry trends discussions or behind-the-scenes tours.