For my Op-Ed I chose to write about social media influencers and their unique benefit in today’s social media marketing. I believe that they are definitely very beneficial and can offer a huge boost in reach for companies that chose to use them, however, give it a read and tell me how you feel about this topic!
Promoting the Lifestyle
The Age of the Influencer
Ads are everywhere. Within a decade, social media has become one of the most integrated aspects of our daily communication and consumption of information. Digital marketers have shifted their advertising platforms to social channels in order to reach the 81% percent of Americans that utilize at least one social media platform. (Statista) While I believe that ads will always be a part of of our culture, I think that there are better ways for companies to tailor their reach in order to effectively communicate their brand's message. Social media users spend an average of 2 hours and 15 minutes a day browsing through social channels, and"96% of [them] believe that the advertising industry does not act with integrity," according to statistics by TapInfluence. People who don't want to be bombarded with ads do not want to spend their time looking at ads, and based on statistics, only "14 percent of people can recall the last time they saw an ad and could identify what the offer was promoting." The goal is to find another way to get people to listen, and I believe that in today's world the use of a Social Media Influencer, or group of Influencers can be an extremely valuable asset in a company's marketing campaign.
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Platforms like YouTube and Instagram have broken the barrier between content creators and viewers. With this direct channel access, the relationship feels much more personal and has diminished the overall influence of the typical "Hollywood celebrity" endorsement ads which were popular through the late 1990s and early 2000s. The celebrities that we once admired during red carpet events and late night TV talk shows, feel much more distant than the popular YouTube star who posts vlogs, openly showcasing his or her life. Consumers want someone that they can trust, and this has fueled the fire for the immense popularity of Social Media Influencers.
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Social media platforms have transformed from a personal networking site to a highly calculated, form fitted ad space. The intention of these sites has since been shifted from facilitating a connection with a new friend, to the prospect of leading a user to purchase something. Social Influencers work to mend the mistrust that viewers have of advertisers and instead gain back this trust by documenting their own personal brand. I believe however, that this has to be done in an extremely particular way. As an influencer, consumers want to know that they are not just getting blasted with endorsements in every post created. The important aspect is the ability to create a consistent personal brand that is maintained no matter the product that is being endorsed. In my opinion, this is the ability to promote a lifestyle over a product. If a customer creates a genuine connection to the lifestyle and the message that a Social Influencer is sending in their channel than they are much more likely to trust a product that is imbedded into that lifestyle.
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Statistics prove that the trust consumers have in an influencer has a direct correlation to their purchasing decisions.“49% of people say that they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchasing decisions,” and to add to that, “40% of people say they’ve purchased an item online after seeing it used by an influencer,” according to TapInfluence. In an Op Ed on mobile marketing watch, the author talks about one of the mistakes that you can make when pairing with an influencer to endorse your product, "an influencer campaign should remain aligned with your brand values, but not so much that it looks like the brand created all of the content itself." (Mobile Marketing) The brands of both the influencer and the company need to express similarities, yet embrace differences, other wise the company might as well post the content themselves.
Advertisements are inevitable in today's society. However, a brand that can boost their platform by strategically selecting a Social Media Influencer can reap the rewards of expanding their audience reach. In a digital world that is cluttered with pop up ads, YouTube commercials, and flash sale coupons, a genuine endorsement from a well respected Influencer, I believe, can be an extremely beneficial marketing move, and one that looks like brands are actively trying to utilize.
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-Ashleigh Simpson
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Works Cited:
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Michael. Exclusive Op-Ed: How to value influencers. Mobile Marketing Watch. 4 October 2017. https://mobilemarketingwatch.com/exclusive-op-ed-value-influencers-73410/ Accessed 12 February 2018
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Statista. Daily time spent on social networking by internet users worldwide in 2017.
2017. https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/Accessed 12 February 2018
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TapInfluence. The ultimate list of Influencer Marketing Statistics. https://www.tapinfluence.com/influencer-marketing-statistics/ Accessed 12 February 2018
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