As you browse Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat you will probably come across someone showing off or telling you about a product. A new way to market is to use Social Influencers. This involves using popular figures (celebrities, athletes, or people with large number of followers) to advertise a product.
I personally find myself following a few different influencers, some former reality TV stars, while others are people who have gained popularity and following on social media. I noticed that Influencer type marketing seems to have 2 different styles. One way is its more of a subtle product ad. Maybe the influencer is wearing a brand or eating a certain food. Other times its much more in your face and something along the lines of “this product X is amazing it does all this, use my code xxxxx to get a discount”.
These different strategies seem to both work as there are times where you may see a picture with a Dunkin Donuts coffee in the influencers hand and all of a sudden you have a craving for a coffee. Other times you are drawn in from the product they are showing off.
I think with the use of Social Media being so large and more and more people streaming TV services, Influencer marketing is a must. It is a way for companies to potentially save money compared to TV ad costs and they have a easier way to target their potential audience.
With certain influencers being more “every day people” it shows that products can be used in every day life. If you see a celebrity advertising a $500,000 car it is unrealistic to the majority of people seeing it. If you see a “normal” person using a product and then showing a way to save money through a discount code, consumers are more connected the product and more likely to purchase it or look at other products from the brand.
Overall, Influencers are changing the marketing landscape and have become a way for people to make a very good living using their social media to display products.
All Day Marketing 