How South African WhatsApp Influencers Connect with United Kingdom Brands for Marketing
WhatsApp is one of the most popular social media platforms in South Africa. More than 90% of South Africans use it every day, and over 80% of South African businesses also rely on it for effective marketing.
Despite WhatsApp’s popularity, traditional influencer marketing has so far failed to establish a solid foothold on the platform.
That is changing, however, as a new breed of advertising professionals emerges: WhatsApp influencers.
In this article, we discuss how WhatsApp influencers in South Africa are acquiring lucrative marketing contracts with brands in the United Kingdom and how they are succeeding in their campaigns.
📈 The emergence of WhatsApp influencer marketing in South Africa
WhatsApp influencer marketing is the use of influential people on WhatsApp to promote brands on their status pages and personal chats.
While WhatsApp influencers have utilized the same strategies that have made their predecessors on other platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, popular, their success has been attributed to the fact that they are more relatable and their promotional messages are not cluttered with ads.
This quality makes WhatsApp influencers very attractive to brands, especially those targeting audiences in foreign markets that are difficult to penetrate using traditional marketing strategies.
A WhatsApp influencer is typically someone that your target audience already knows and trusts, perhaps a friend or family member, who uses his or her influence to promote your brand without coming across as salesy.
To put that in perspective, a WhatsApp influencer is like a traditional influencer on Instagram or TikTok, but with a more personal and relatable touch.
📊 WhatsApp influencer marketing is 5 times more effective
According to a recent study done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the average click-through rate of WhatsApp promotional messages is 5 times higher than that of a regular email marketing campaign and 21 times higher than that of a Facebook post.
The study suggests that WhatsApp marketing is effective because it is a one-on-one conversation, ensuring a higher level of engagement than traditional broadcast advertising.
More importantly, the study found that personalized WhatsApp marketing campaigns generate a 23% higher conversion rate than other forms of marketing.
WhatsApp users spend an average of 10 times more time on the app than they spend on Facebook.
WhatsApp influencers are, however, not just verbal influencers; they also have to make use of WhatsApp’s unique features like voice notes and images.
A WhatsApp influencer marketing campaign normally includes promotional messages that can be seen by a WhatsApp contact’s entire list of contacts on their status messages.
WhatsApp status messages can contain images or videos that last for only 24 hours.
Done the right way, WhatsApp influencer marketing will build strong brand loyalty with customers who feel like they have received personalized attention and now have a strong bond with the brand.
🎯 WhatsApp influencer marketing converts better
WhatsApp influencer marketing is more effective than traditional influencer marketing because it better utilizes the unique features of WhatsApp.
In South Africa, WhatsApp influencers use dramatic stories to capture their audience’s attention and build suspense.
They will typically post regular updates about their story on their WhatsApp status page. Once they have built enough suspense, they will conclude their story with an image or video advertisement promoting a product or service.
A WhatsApp influencer can also send direct promotional messages to their contact list. Depending on their level of influence, a WhatsApp influencer can have anywhere from a handful to several thousand contacts on their WhatsApp contact list.
But for brands targeting audiences in the United Kingdom, the best way for South African WhatsApp influencers to help them reach their marketing goals is by leveraging their influence in their own WhatsApp status messages.
This is because WhatsApp status messages can be seen by the entire contact list of the influencer without any contact having to actually open the promotional message.
In fact, most WhatsApp users are more likely to check their friends’ status than to open a promotional message from someone they do not know, which makes WhatsApp status messages more powerful than regular promotional messages.
💡 Success strategies for South African WhatsApp influencers targeting United Kingdom brands
While WhatsApp marketing is effective, it is not a guaranteed success.
Brands looking to leverage the influence of South African WhatsApp influencers need to ensure that they work with someone who has a proven track record of successfully helping other brands achieve their marketing goals.
Here are some strategies WhatsApp influencers can use to ensure success when promoting brands from the United Kingdom:
1. Work with a credible influencer marketing agency
Working with an established influencer marketing agency can help WhatsApp influencers secure lucrative contracts with brands in the United Kingdom.
An influencer marketing agency is a company that connects brands with influencers to help them promote their products or services.
A credible influencer marketing agency will have strong relationships with brands across various industries and will be able to negotiate contracts on behalf of the influencers they represent.
2. Secure influencer marketing contracts
To secure influencer marketing contracts with brands in the United Kingdom, South African WhatsApp influencers can reach out to brands directly and explain how they can help them achieve their marketing goals.
Influencers may also want to affiliate with influencer marketing agencies.
For brands looking to target audiences in South Africa, a credible influencer marketing agency that connects brands with South African WhatsApp influencers is Baoliba.
Baoliba has influencer marketing agencies in over 100 countries worldwide that connect brands with local influencers in their target markets.
3. Use Baoliba’s influencer marketing platform
Baoliba has created a self-service influencer marketing platform that enables brands and agencies to discover and hire influencers for marketing campaigns.
The Baoliba self-service influencer marketing platform makes it easy for brands and agencies to find the right influencers for their campaigns.
Brands can search for influencers based on location, niche, or audience size, making it easy to find the perfect match for their needs.
Once they have found the right influencer, brands can reach out to them directly through the platform and negotiate terms for their collaboration.
4. Build an authentic personal brand
Brands looking to work with WhatsApp influencers from South Africa will typically look for someone who has an authentic personal brand.
Having a large following on WhatsApp does not automatically make someone a credible influencer.
WhatsApp influencers need to ensure that they build a personal brand that resonates with their target audience, is authentic, and is credible.
5. Produce high-quality promotional messages
WhatsApp influencers need to ensure that the promotional messages they create are of high quality if they want to get repeat contracts from their clients.
High-quality promotional messages will also ensure that the influencer gets referrals from their clients.
6. No hard selling
WhatsApp influencers should avoid hard selling if they want to ensure that their promotional messages are well-received.
Hard selling can be defined as a sales tactic that aggressively promotes a product or service through high-pressure techniques.
In WhatsApp influencer marketing, hard selling can make the promotional message seem less authentic and more like a traditional advertisement, which can turn off potential customers.
Instead of hard selling, WhatsApp influencers should focus on creating engaging and informative content that highlights the benefits of the product or service they are promoting.
By providing value to their audience, WhatsApp influencers can generate interest and encourage potential customers to take action.
7. Monitor and analyze campaign results
WhatsApp influencers should track and analyze the performance of their promotional messages to determine what is working and what is not.
This information can then be used to improve future promotional messages and campaigns.
8. Provide excellent customer service
Providing excellent customer service is crucial for WhatsApp influencers if they want to get repeat business from their clients.
WhatsApp influencers should be responsive to inquiries and concerns from their clients and go above and beyond to ensure that they are satisfied with the results.
9. Be patient
Building an audience and a personal brand as a WhatsApp influencer takes time and effort.
WhatsApp influencers should be patient and persistent in their efforts, and they will eventually see results.
📋 Legal requirements for South African WhatsApp influencers promoting brands in the United Kingdom
WhatsApp influencers must comply with the United Kingdom’s advertising regulations when promoting brands from the country.
This means disclosing any financial or material connection they have with the brands they are promoting to their audiences.
The UK’s advertising regulations require influencers to use clear and unambiguous language when disclosing their connections to the brands they are promoting. This means that phrases like “#ad” or “sponsored” should be used at the beginning of the promotional message so that it is clear to everyone that the influencer is being compensated for their promotion.
Failing to comply with these advertising regulations can result in significant fines and penalties for the influencer and the brand they are promoting.
🙋 People Also Ask
How much do WhatsApp influencers make in South Africa?
WhatsApp influencers can earn anywhere from R350 to R5,000 depending on their level of influence, with the majority making R1,500 per promotional message.
How does WhatsApp influencer marketing work?
WhatsApp influencer marketing works by leveraging influential people on WhatsApp to promote brands on their status pages and personal chats.
Unlike traditional influencers, WhatsApp influencers have an existing relationship with their audience, which makes their promotional messages more trustworthy and appealing.
Why is WhatsApp influencer marketing so effective?
WhatsApp influencer marketing is effective because it is more personalized and relatable than traditional advertising.
WhatsApp influencers typically have an existing relationship with their audience, which makes their promotional messages more trustworthy and appealing.
In addition, WhatsApp influencers can use the unique features of the app, such as voice messages and images, to create engaging and informative promotional messages that highlight the benefits of the product or service they are promoting.
How do I become a WhatsApp influencer in South Africa?
To become a WhatsApp influencer in South Africa, one needs to build a personal brand that resonates with their target audience and has a large and engaged audience on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp influencers can also reach out to brands and influencer marketing agencies to secure contracts for promoting products and services.
In addition, they can join influencer marketing networks, which connect influencers with brands looking for promotion.
What do WhatsApp influencers do?
WhatsApp influencers create engaging and informative promotional messages that highlight the benefits of the product or service they are promoting.
They can also share their promotional messages on their WhatsApp status pages and in personal chats with their contacts.
WhatsApp influencers need to ensure that their promotional messages comply with advertising regulations and are of high quality to get repeat contracts from brands.
🔑 Key takeaways
WhatsApp influencer marketing is a growing trend in South Africa that is proving to be effective for brands looking to penetrate foreign markets, especially those in the United Kingdom.
WhatsApp influencers leverage their existing relationships with their audiences to create personalized promotional messages that are more relatable than traditional advertising.
Brands looking to work with South African WhatsApp influencers can connect with Baoliba and have all their marketing needs met.
Baoliba will continue to update South Africa influencer marketing trends, so follow us for the latest.