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The growth of influencer marketing in Kenya cannot be mistaken or ignored. Let's examine the importance of this "new" career path and how influencers and brands alike stand to benefit from joint efforts in the creative space.
Over recent years, the marketing landscape has been undergoing a significant transformation. Today, the influence of content creators is unmistakable in every sector. Kenya's digital sphere, with its unique characteristics and vibrant youth population, presents a promising and incredibly exciting potential for influencer marketing. This burgeoning field offers a wealth of opportunities, igniting hope for the future of digital marketing in Kenya.
Out of Kenya's population of over 55 million individuals, more than 75% are under 35. In this youthful state, most have internet access and are avid consumers of digital content on various social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or X (formerly Twitter). This influential youth demographic underscores the urgent need for anyone capable of appealing to this audience to be immensely influential.
This is where the influencers come in. The Kenyan youth consider their shared opinions and insights authentic and relatable as local individuals. Influencers can speak in Swahili and effortlessly incorporate sheng - local Kenyan slang - into their messaging, fully grasp the culture, and share in their audiences' aspirations while relating to their challenges, perhaps because they face them too. This authenticity creates a strong connection, and the result is that the considerable sway of decisions made by the local population correlates directly with the recommendations shared by the influencers they follow. A key factor contributing to the steady growth of influencer impact is the sustained belief that authentic voices bear more weight than messages structured and churned out by corporations.
An indisputable fact about influencer marketing is that when enlisting the services of nano- and micro-influencers (influencers with smaller but highly engaged audiences), brands can spend a lot less than they would if they were to rely on traditional marketing like billboards and TV advertisements while enjoying strong engagement. Further, influencers allow brands to truly focus on their target markets, as all influencers have niches they are well known in and best equipped to opine in. Unlike newspaper and radio advertisements, brands can track their ROI through engagement, reach, click-through rates, and conversions, making influencer marketing measurable and aptly scalable.
Kenya is currently experiencing a surge in nationalism, particularly among the youth. There's a newfound appreciation for all things Kenyan, from food and movies to music and businesses. This growing interest in local content has naturally led to an increased interest in local content creators. As a result, there's a higher likelihood that individuals will seek the opinions of their favorite Kenyan creators on lifestyle, fashion, and beauty considerations before making a decision. This trend creates a fertile ground for expanding influencer marketing, as influencers play a key role in promoting local content and products.
For any sector you can consider in the Kenyan market, various individuals have made a name for themselves. Audiences see them as authorities who can influence their choices and actions. In the travel sector, Winnie Rioba holds sway. Joanna Kinuthia, who started simply as a makeup enthusiast, has become so popular that she has her makeup line now. Rodgers Kirwa is another example of an influencer in the agriculture sector whose influence grows daily. These are but a few examples of local creators who can impact the Kenyan market, and their influence can be leveraged by brands to increase their reach and impact and, in due time, their returns.
Despite influencer marketing's immeasurable positive impact on the Kenyan market, influencers and brands must consider various setbacks to maximize the efficiency of their efforts.
An unfortunate downside of influencer marketing is that there's a lot of room for pretense. Brands prefer creators with a substantial number of followers, and the common practice is that the bigger the influencer, the higher their income; many creators are notorious for buying followers to inflate their reach and influence. One can purchase these followers by paying bots to follow an account in bulk. An alternative approach to this fake influence is for some individuals to buy accounts with many followers and change the information to their own. As a result, an account has a large number of followers (reach) and would be expected to bear significant conversions for a brand, but is unable to because the account followers are not the target market of the brand patronizing the influencer's services.
Another key concern for influencer marketing in Kenya is that few legal regulations keep brands and influencers in check. The lack of legally binding guidelines makes the industry a cut-throat one. It is not uncommon to hear of brands that have enlisted the services of influencers and greatly benefited from their reach and audiences, only to fail to complete payments or pay them. Several influencers accept work on behalf of brands at disproportionate fees due to desperation and no rules to ensure that the big corporations reaching out to them do not abuse their need for work. Further, the absence of regulation means that brands could pay influencers in full and share a brief they would like content to be centered around, only to be undercut with no way of getting their money's worth or preventing the influencer from tarnishing the brand's name. For each of these concerns mentioned, the sword is double-edged. The same problems are likely to be shared by brands and influencers, and they would be mitigated by clear-cut rules and regulations that stipulate acceptable conduct and the consequences to be faced if either party fails to honor their commitment.
Due to various reasons, such as financial constraints, exposure, access to information, or even ignorance, brands could reach out to and partner with influencers whose audience consists of individuals with different interests. Take, for instance, a brand like Bandari Beauty; seeing as their focus is on beauty and skincare, it would be unwise to enlist the services of a creator like Shivsimani, as he is a fitness creator, and that is what his audience interacts with, hoping to find. If Shiv tried to advertise the lash glue that Bandari Beauty is selling, despite his 166K Instagram followers, it wouldn't be surprising if he only generated a handful of sales for the brand. With this awareness, brands, and influencers must always do their due diligence to ensure they embark on partnerships that will resonate with their audiences and benefit both parties to the maximum.
Influencer marketing has found a genuine and honest home in the Kenyan market. The need, interest, and accessibility are all there to ensure that brands make the most of it. Here is a word to all marketers: Don't let the good stuff pass you. Find your perfect match today and enjoy the countless perks that effective influencer marketing can have for your brand.
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Editor - Patty x Roar
