During this period of chaos and disruption, it can feel like all eyes are on your brand to produce content that carries a prominent message. Whilst it’s true that more people are more closely tuned in to a brand's marketing efforts - especially on social media - it’s not necessarily the case that these efforts need to be extravagant.

Coronavirus has solidified content as king, however, there is no need for brands to stress about running complicated and highly creative campaigns. In fact, the campaigns that we’ve found to be the most successful at the moment are those that hone in on emotional, real experiences and connect people to the brand and to other people. If anything, it’s the simple campaigns that are winning out at this point.

We’re taking a look at why simple marketing techniques are doing so well at the moment and how brands can work with creators to make the best of this uncertain period.

Consumers want simple content

Right now, the world is crazy and complicated enough. The last thing consumers need is more confusion with marketing campaigns. At present, consumers are looking to brands to guide the way and provide interesting, informative and inspiring content that feels real.

Instead of more traditional, creative campaigns, many brands are turning to more emotional and genuine content that shares real-life stories. This kind of content is uplifting audiences and keeping them engaged, whereas anything that feels pushy, salesy or fake is being called out.

The reason for this is that the situation right now seems pretty bleak for everyone, no matter where you are in the world. Most of us are in isolation, lots of people have lost their income and are feeling bored, unhealthy and generally down about the whole situation.

The last thing consumers want is to be bombarded with content that feels aspirational, showy and fake. In essence, people just aren’t buying it right now. Consumers want real content that is sensitive to what’s going on in the world right now and provides uplifting content on their feed. This lends itself to influencer marketing which, at its core, is based on authenticity and truth-telling.

Why are consumers loving influencer marketing right now?

In many ways, the coronavirus outbreak has had a positive impact on the influencer marketing industry. In the past, the industry has been blasted; we’ve seen the media focusing on influencer fraud and referring to the industry as a ‘wild west’, while we’ve seen some consumers subscribe to the belief that creators are no more than reality TV stars selling teeth whitening kits.

The coronavirus outbreak has given content creators and influencer marketing the opportunity to prove that it is not about that at all. What we’re seeing now is influencer marketing going back to its roots, with creators providing genuine experiences and emotional content that is engaging audiences and in many cases getting them through this rough patch. Creators are taking on a social function as the voice of the people and the source of reassurance and even distraction in this uncertain time.

The core of influencer marketing has always been peer-to-peer recommendations and marketing that works for everyone, and we’re seeing influencer marketing really move back to that. In a time when we’re all indoors and all in the same environments, creators are being encouraged to produce genuine and authentic content, sharing what they’re up to at that exact moment and, in turn, allowing them to build more raw connections with their communities.

This kind of simple, authentic approach is what’s grabbing consumer attention and allowing brands to captivate their audiences in a more genuine way. Consumers want uplifting content that is also sensitive to their feelings in this time - and creator content offers that in a nutshell.

Coronavirus is providing the opportunity to connect with your audience

This switch to a more simple kind of marketing offers an amazing opportunity for brands to really show off their personality and capture people’s hearts. At this time, brands should consider going back to the core of influencer marketing, which is super simple posts and recommendations from the creators that people trust.

It’s essential that brands look to work with creators who have synergy with the brand and can echo their brand message. In a time when everyone is on their phones, looking to purchase items that make this isolation period a little less hellish, brands have an amazing opportunity to create emotion-led content that allows the consumer to feel something and build a connection to the brand.

Plus, with easy to follow links and swipe ups, creators can provide an easy way for people to find the products they need during isolation. These campaigns can then be easily scaled up with new creative elements added once the lockdown is lifted and creators can focus on more creative content.

Why work with creators during coronavirus?

Coronavirus has prompted consumers to make choices based on emotions and connection, driving them away from content with a clear sales focus. At this time, creators are being forced to create genuine content that showcases their real lives, as opposed to content featuring fancy locations and product pushes that might not be true to reality.

This amazing push towards authentic content is perfect for brands who are looking to create simple campaigns that reach their audience in a genuine fashion. Now is the perfect time to harness the creator's audiences and provide emotional, memorable content that will get your audience through this boring and confusing time.