Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (2 pm section) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place!
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Lifestyle & Niche Media Blog 4, Question 3 (March 1)
How are brands and advertisers using social
media influencers to target audiences? What are the pluses and minuses of using
TikTokers, Instagram stars, and YouTubers to promote products? Limit: 10
responses
In a world where social media dominates society and the phones of nearly all people, it is important to keep up with the trends and know your audience. With the influx of people using TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram daily, advertisers and brands have turned to its top stars to start promoting their products. As someone who has grown up with social media, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t seen people on Instagram advertising products. Instagram will not only pay its top creators to make posts, but these creators can negotiate prices with brands to make posts about them. In an article by Business Insider, they discovered that Instagram influencers have negotiated stiff prices with brands when making posts for them. Some influencers have asked for hundreds of dollars per post. Not only that, but these influencers book hundreds of thousands worth of brand deals per year (Bradley). When brands have utilized these influencers, they’ve seen an increase in brand loyalty, which is enough for them to continue using them. TikTok and YouTube influencers have been used to target audiences in the Gen-Z and Millennial generations. These platforms allow for advertisements and brand promotions to feel like normal videos while still getting the point across. TikTok especially has extremely high engagement which allows for these videos to be seen by a plethora of different audiences (Michaeloudis). This can allow a brand to reach new targets and increase its audience. At the beginning of 2021, brands saw a shift in brand loyalty. 73% of Americans were changing their buying behavior and brands were struggling to maintain their audiences. Utilizing these influencers has allowed brands to increase their brand loyalty again and introduce themselves to new audiences. The benefits of using influencers from different platforms are no secret. As aforementioned, utilizing influencers can increase brand loyalty, introduce brands to new audiences, and maintain an understanding of buying behavior. While these benefits are evident and important, it is equally important to recognize the negatives. For TikTok especially, trends and top creators have a lifespan. In a study done by Refinery, they discovered that the typical lifespan of social media posts is extremely low. For TikTok, the lifespan begins to decay once it’s posted, unless it immediately goes viral. For Instagram, the lifespan is only 48 hours. For YouTube, if a creator has a large enough following, the lifespan is around 20 days (Symonds). Brands have seen success while utilizing these influencers, but the success will most likely be short-lived. If you’re lucky a post will break the predicted lifespan. On TikTok, creators need to be calculated in which sound they use, what hashtags are under the video, and what time they post, or else the video might not be seen by anyone. The chances of going viral and having that video be seen by people in your target audience every time are extremely low. While the benefits are great for using these influencers, it is important to recognize the lifespan of the influencers and their content. Trends in topics and people are always changing. For this to work, brands must be ready to have new influencers every few months when the lifespan of the past ones runs out.
Works Cited Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022. Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends For 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, 4 January 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know. Accessed 24 February 2022. Symonds, Julie. “Lifespan of Social Media Posts in 2021: How Long Do They Last?” The Refinery, 5 May 2021, https://the-refinery.io/blog/how-long-does-a-social-media-post-last. Accessed 24 February 2022.
Brands and Advertisers are using social media influencers for many reasons. The first is that social media has taken over the world. You need a new product recommendation. Why don't you ask your favorite influencer? Influencers get sent PR boxes, free clothes, free skin and hair care. All from having a huge following. I think some of the reasons influencers are used instead of a celebrity is that they will post your product on their story or make a post about it. Once the word gets out that your favorite influencer is using a product you want to try. You can, and they probably offer a discount code and it's a win for the customer and a win for the brand. When the influencer posts you normally know if it’s an ad or paid promotion through hashtags. It also seems like different influencers might have different rates for pay. According to one source, “ For instance, influencer Alexa Collins- who has over one million followers- charged upwards of $1,000 for a sponsored Story on Instagram when Insider spoke with her. Meanwhile Tyler Chanel,a micro influencer, starts at $100 for an Instagram story and goes up from there, depending on the content and deliverables”. (Bradley)
I think the advantages of using TikTokers, Instagram stars and youtubers to promote products are endless. I think the first reason is if you find the right person, they will promote your brand in a positive way. I also think a positive is if the influencer has a huge following, more people will see it from all over the world. Maybe those individuals never knew about the company. The next reason is they will build great relationships with your company and be excited to work with you again.
I think some huge disadvantages of using TikTokers, Instagram stars and youtubers to promote your brands are negative. I think big influencers like Addison Rae and Charlie D’Amelio are here to stay and charge a lot per post. According to Forbes, “ The TikTok stars can charge as much as a half million dollars for a single post, though most generally earn an average of between $100,000 to $250,000 per post, more than double the rates from that previous list in 2020”. (Brown) I feel this is a negative as this is a ridiculous amount of money for one post. I think this shows entailment to a whole new level. The next negative is social media and influencers can decrease younger audiences' self esteem. This article from The Teen Mag states “ The truth is that people only show the sides of themselves they want the world to see, they want you to see how beautiful they look after a breakup, how amazing their recent vacations were, and to show off their clothes that you just can’t afford”. (Maciejewska) I think social media will keep having negative effects on the younger generations, infliucers are just not helping.
Work cited Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=21ea63013afa
Bradley, S. (2021, December 30). How much money Instagram influencers make. Business Insider. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6 Maciejewska, N. (n.d.). The negative effects of influencers. The Teen Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.theteenmagazine.com/the-negative-effects-of-influencers
As Covid-19 became more serious, the use of social media influencing and the development of apps such as Tik Tok grew exponentially. According to the Influencer Marketing Benchmark report, “the influencer marketing industry is set to grow to approximately 16.4 billion in 2022” (Geyser, 2022). The times of needing a very large following to be an “influencer” have also changed too. When it comes to Instagram, brands and advertisers are no longer relying solely on big name promoters and have begun using “micro” influencers categorized as influencers with under 100,000 followers (Bradley, 2021). Brands are recognizing the power of influencers who reach a more niche target market. Using these smaller influencers may be tactical for a brand trying to gain trust or loyalty as smaller influencers typically have a very strong and loyal following. Using larger name influencers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube are beneficial for general exposure and positive association with the brand. YouTube fits into both of these sections. According to the Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, “YouTube is more passive than either Instagram or Tik Tok” (Geyser, 2022). Many YouTube influencers generate millions of views but lack the social aspect that the other platforms have and that many brands rely on for success.
There are definitely pros and cons to using different social media platforms to promote products. Firstly, using influencers on sites such as Tik Tok and Instagram is a pro because it can be the main tie between a company and their consumers. Online shopping is more preferred than ever due to the pandemic and “Influencers will be key partners in delivering a seamless shopping experience and converting awareness into purchases” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Aside from making the experience for the consumer an easier feat, influencers on social media also “have a valuable online reach which means they can help you to grow your customer base” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Additionally, there is a major decline in brand loyalty which means that a consumer is less likely to “buy from brands by default” (Michaeloudis, 2022). This is where influencer marketing on these social media platforms comes into play. An influencer owns the title because of their loyal fan base. Using this fact can help a company gain leverage in whichever industry their selected influencer is a part of. When talking about Tik Tok, using influencers can be beneficial as creators can promote brands in a way that “doesn’t look or feel like an ad” (Michaeloudis, 2022).
On the other hand, there are cons to using influencer marketing on these platforms. The main con is the idea that social media is a gamble, and it may not be the most cost-effective way to spend advertising dollars. According to an article from Home Business Magazine, 61% of brands find it difficult to choose the right influencers for their campaigns (Home Business Mag, 2019). Additionally, results that come from influencer marketing can be uncertain, especially with smaller scale influencers. Though successful influencer tactics can generate measurable increases in sales or interest in the brand, influencer marketing is a riskier tactic when compared to traditional advertising. Putting trust into influencer marketing comes with the fear that “the audience won’t engage, and any money invested will be a loss” (Home Business Mag, 2019). Lastly, using influencers from these platforms can become a potential risk to the company’s reputation. For example, Tik Tok stars like Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio have hundreds of millions of followers combined (Brown, 2022). Their reach may be beneficial for targeting consumers, but one wrong move and the brand may have themselves in crisis during todays “cancel culture.”
Works Cited Geyser, W. (2022, February 11). The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/ Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know Influencer Marketing- Advantages and Disadvantages. Homebusinessmag.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://homebusinessmag.com/marketing/internet-marketing/influencer-marketing-advantages-disadvantages/ Bradley, S. (2021, December 30). How much money Instagram influencers make. Business Insider. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6 Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=636a4a8a3afa
According infleuncermarketinghub.com, “Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $16.4 Billion in 2022.” People are looking at being a social media influencer as a career since there is so much money in it. It also seems that companies are committed to spending money on influencers. infleuncermarketinghub.com, “More than 75% of brand marketers intend to dedicate a budget to influencer marketing in 2022.” They are taking a huge chunk of their budge just for influence marketing. There advantages and disadvantages of using Tiktokers, Instagram star and YouTubers to promote products. The advantages are that Tiktokers, Instagram stars and Youtubers can reach a large audience and a specific target audience as well and it helps brands build trust and creditability. According to shanebarker.com, one of the disadvantages is working with the wrong influencers can do more harm than good and that it can be hard to measure the results. I think we will continue to see more influencers trying to market new products on social media.
D.says:, Jim, et al. “How Many People Use Social Media in 2022? (65+ Statistics).” Backlinko, 10 Oct. 2021, https://backlinko.com/social-media-users. Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/. Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know. “The Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing: An Honest Look.” Shane Barker, 27 Jan. 2022, https://shanebarker.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-influencer-marketing/.
Kylie Jenkins part 1 With the recent spike in popularity in TikTok, many brands and advertisers are using social media influencers. When brands hire social media influencers to create content for them, there are a few different ways these influencers can help a brand. First, a brand can send them products, and the influencer uses the products to create content that promotes the brand. This is extremely beneficial for the brand because they can pick and choose exactly which audience they reach by looking at the audiences of social media influencers, and hiring influencers that have their target audience. Another way that a brand can utilize a social media influencer is by having the social media influencer make content directly on the brand’s social media accounts. Lastly, a brand can host special events and invite social media influencers, and the influencers can promote the brand and event further. Social media influencers run a business within themselves also, and very well-known, popular social media influencers make a lot of money doing what they do. While most of the social media influencers that make millions of dollars also branch out into other industries, like music and acting, according to a Forbes article by Abram Brown, “they still earn much of their money—typically 30% to 50%–from sponsored content, where a corporation pays for a post advertising their goods on a star’s social media account”(Brown). That being said, brands are still utilizing celebrities for advertising, and it doesn’t seem like that will be slowing down any time soon. For a company, there are many pluses and minuses when working with social media influencers. One plus of influencer marketing is that it isn’t just a trend, it will be around for a long time. According to an article from Influencer Marketing Hub, “Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $16.4 Billion in 2022”(Geyser), so it is worthwhile for companies to invest in partnering with different social media influencers.
Kylie Jenkins part 2 Another plus is that social media marketing is definitely an effective business tool. Many brands have found great success utilizing influencers to get their name out. In an article from Spring Wise, Media Kix did a survey and “found that 80 percent of marketers find influencer marketing effective, with 71 percent rating the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing as better than other marketing sources, and fully 89 percent saying that influencer marketing return on investment is as good or better than other marketing channels.”(Spring Wise). A minus of working with social media influencers is that success isn’t guaranteed. Although there is a lot of research behind what to post and when to post it, there are still instances where posts flop and a company essentially wasted money. Another minus is that when a brand hires an influencer, that influencer is associated with the brand, and if they get involved in any scandals, the brand automatically gets involved by association. Brown, Abram. “Top-Earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae Expand Fame-and Paydays.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=51dd7b5a3afa. Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/. “Pros and Cons: Social Media Influencers.” Springwise, 6 Jan. 2020, https://www.springwise.com/pros-cons-social-media-influencers.
Influencer marketing has become the new, trending form of advertising. As the rise of social media platforms increases, brands are seeking out influencers and viewing social media as a new outlet to market their brand and products. As different platforms become popular, brands can find their target audience through content creators on their desired platform. For example, if a business's target audience is 25-40yr old females, usually marketing on Facebook or an older platform would benefit your business. Finding an influencer who primarily has an older audience or is active on Facebook would help your business reach its target audience. Also, the influencer’s audience would need to have the same interests and be in the same niche as your brand or your products. For influencers to reach your target audience, they must create compelling content and have some form of active engagement, preferably from their niche. Even if they only have a few thousand followers but reach your target audience, they are still valuable. In some cases, micro-influencers with less followers can be viewed as more credible. Influencer marketing is important because if a business is small and an influencer promotes their brand, it can drive more attention to them. Content creators improve brand awareness, increase traffic, and drive messages to brands' target audiences. This collaboration between brands and creators allows businesses to expand their reach across their buyer personas and target customers in their niche by reaching out to influencers within that niche. Upfluence states, “Influencers will be key partners in delivering a seamless shopping experience and converting awareness into purchases” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Since this is a new way of advertising, it attracts more users to the brand. When influencers create these types of ads, it is compelling because they don’t feel like ads to their viewers. Utilizing influencer marketing can allow your business to grow and to even reach a different demographic that might be harder to reach. Social commerce and e-commerce are very popular right now and mostly attracts a younger demographic. Using influencers to promote e-commerce and especially social commerce can be beneficial for your brand in targeting a niche group and providing credibility for your product.
The positives of utilizing influencers of all different platforms are that they can spread your brand and showcase products to a lot of people with just one click of a button. If my favorite vlogger or social media personality is ranting and raving about a product, I will usually go check out their website and purchase it just because they said that they liked it. Another positive about influencing is that you basically have a built-in brand ambassador that will speak highly of your brand to their followers. Influencers tend to build strong relationships with their fans, establishing trust and credibility. The Marketing Sage states, “When an influencer endorses a product or service, it instantly establishes credibility for the brand they are promoting” (Slater, 2020). Some negatives to influencer marketing are that it can be expensive to collaborate with a popular influencer. Forbes states, “The TikTok stars can charge as much as a half million dollars for a single post, though most generally earn an average of between $100,000 to $250,000 per post” (Forbes, 2022). Another negative to using influencers is that if the partnership is not seamless or something goes wrong, the influencer can negatively post about the brand and ruin their reputation. Influencer marketing is definitely beneficial for brands to help increase their brand awareness and I believe that influencer marketing is going to increase in the future and become the main form of advertisements, especially that we see on social media.
Work Cited Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/ Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know 10 benefits of influencer marketing. The Marketing Sage. (2021, December 27). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://www.themarketingsage.com/10-benefits-of-influencer-marketing/#:~:text=Influencers%20can%20inspire%20and%20persuade,you're%20perceived%20by%20customers.
It’s no secret that in the past few years social media influencers have taken over the world. Ever since the pandemic we have seen social media sites, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram increase in popularity, mostly from influencers. Everyone loves to follow their favorite influencer and see what they are up to in their daily lives. This has created opportunities for brands and companies to work with these influencers to utilize promoting products to target audiences.
Many people are starting to stem away from brand loyalty ever since the pandemic (Michaeloudis). This is great for brands because more people are willing to buy from new places and have new habits while shopping. Online shopping became very popular during the pandemic and has been the new way of shopping ever since. This will now allow for brands to create more content on social media, apps, and websites that allow customers to find exactly what they’re looking for (Michaeloudis). Influencer marketing champaigns will play a large role in helping online sales and generating brand awareness. Influencers will help with authentic product recommendations, social proof, product information, and delivering the right message to the right place (Michaeloudis). This will help the brand increase sales and will help influencers track their performance on social media. If many people see influencers that they love promoting a certain product, they will be drawn in and more likely to purchase it (Single Grain Team).
TikTok has become one of the biggest social media sites in the world. Its ability for content discovery and high engagement. The app also allows influencers to collaborate with brands and create content that does not look or feel like a typical advertisement (Michaeloudis). This creates a more powerful ad campaign and a more personalized feel to the ad. On TikTok large influencers have the highest engagement rate and small influencers have the lowest. This proves that the TikTok algorithm targets content to match the interests of viewers (Geyser). The app is very popular among Generation Z. This gives the brand a correct target audience. Marketing their product towards older generations may not be effective on TikTok (Geyser).
Pt. 2 Instagram engagement has been on a decline ever since 2020. More new content creation apps have taken over, like TikTok. Influencers with a large following has lower engagement rates than influencers with fewer followers. This is because it is harder for influencers to reply to comments and engage with their followers. This can be very easy for smaller accounts (Geyser). However, lifestyle and beauty content has become very popular on Instagram. It has become what most influencers share on the app because it is easy to create this type of content. The core audience on Instagram right now are 25–34-year-old females, which is why lifestyle and beauty content are so popular (Geyser).
YouTube can be thought of like traditional TV with traditional ads. Sometimes YouTube can have less of a social element for many because of this traditional feel. But influencer marketing is very effective on YouTube. Working with influencers are cheaper than traditional ads, but it is so much more effective. Because of the large following that YouTubers have, promoting products can be very effective through the site (Single Grain Team). Larger channels will have a higher engagement than smaller channels, which presents the opportunity of doing ad campaigns with larger influencers. Males also outnumber females on YouTube which give brands a target audience when campaigning through YouTube (Geyser).
There are many pluses and minuses of all three social media apps. All are effective at promoting products in many different ways.
Works Cited: Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/. Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, Upfluence, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know. Team, Written By Single Grain. “Influencer Marketing Strategy: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Business with Brand Partnerships.” Single Grain, Single Grain, 18 Oct. 2021, https://www.singlegrain.com/content-marketing-strategy-2/guide-influencer-marketing/.
Kyra Moos Through my own observations, while using social media, I pay particular attention to the ways in which brands and advertisers use influencers to target specific audiences. I find influencer marketing very creative and I enjoy keeping myself up-to-date with the creative ways to advertise products or brands. Within the past two years specifically, social media influencing has shifted from mostly Instagram to now TikTok. As Generation Z has grown up with social media, I’ve watched the growth of influencers on Instagram. Influencers would often be paid to promote a brand or product by taking a perfectly posed picture. Now, TikTok allows influencers to be more personal and show a less-posed side of themselves through videos. The more personal, and less posed a post is, the more it influences those who view it. Audiences are more influenced by these TikTok videos because they seem more genuine, and audiences could potentially be tricked into thinking the post is not an advertisement. Another plus side to utilizing TikTok for influencer marketing is its higher engagement rates. The article by Geyser showcases how TikTok’s overall engagement rates are substantially higher than other social media platforms such as Instagram (2022). Geyser attributes this “to the strength of TikTok's algorithm in targeting content to match the interests of its viewers” (2022). Higher engagement rates on posts also assist in making advertisements seem more genuine and therefore it makes sense why so many brands hire TikTok influencers. An article by Forbes shared that from 2019 to 2020, influencer marketing on Instagram declined (this is when TikTok began to take off) (Kowalewicz, 2020).
Kyra Moos Part 2 The article by Michaeloudis talks about how consumer behavior has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted the ways in which the public uses social media. With more consumers using social media (specifically TikTok) and brands knowing that there is more opportunity to reach new consumers, social media influencing reached an all-time high. Brands began to use influencers on social media to create a “seamless shopping journey”, using the influencers to introduce a product to their wide audience, and then often sending those viewers to their brand website (Michaeloudis, 2022). Brands are using these influencers to not only appear more genuine to their audiences but also to reach specific audiences with their messaging. Influencers are chosen by brands for their ability to reach an audience of importance to the brand. Brands chose influencers based on the adueicne that they are aiming to reach. However, there are cases where utilizing influencers has hurt the brand’s reputation. When brands choose an influencer to promote their products, they are directly aligning themselves with that person, showcasing to the public that they have a relationship. If this influencer makes a publicly bad choice, the brand could potentially be at risk due to the relationship they have. This is a potential threat to all brands that utilize influencers but often the rewards outweigh that potential threat.
Works Cited
Geyser, W. (2022, February 11). The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/ Kowalewicz, R. (2020, August 18). Council post: Is influencer marketing on the decline? Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/08/19/is-influencer-marketing-on-the-decline/?sh=3b5a71e8198e Michaeloudis, L. (2022). 5 Influencer Marketing Trends For 2022 That You Should Know. Upfluence. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know.
Brands and advertisers use multiple methods to target their audiences through social media influencers. There are brand deals, sponsorships, affiliate links, selling direct-to-consumer products, and more. Although there are multiple ways to go about the advertisement, companies have to “also account for an influencer’s following, engagement metrics, and niche, while also calculating added fees like exclusivity, usage rights, and timing,” to ensure they are pricing appropriately (Bradley).
With influencer marketing still being relatively new, brands are starting to see the pluses in this type of advertisement. Using TikTok, for example, works well to target a younger audience because “The TikTok-ers understand the audience these advertisers want to reach because they themselves are about the same age,” (Brown and Freeman). A 20-year-old is more likely to take product advice and recommendations from another 20-year-old they follow than a traditional 50-year-old celebrity. Personally, I absolutely love @annaxsitar on TikTok. I have genuinely bought products because I trust her opinion, even those recommended to me for years by other celebrities or ad campaigns.
Additionally, “brands don’t have to waste resources promoting themselves, and instead use influencers to speak on their behalf and deliver the message they want people to hear and trust,” making this a cost-effective and straightforward way to promote a business (Digital Marketing Institute). For example, suppose the influencers will do all the work of taking the photos, writing the captions, and promoting it to their followers. In that case, it leaves very little for the company to do besides sending the product, writing the agreement, and paying out. The last plus is that it has been proven through the statistics that the marketing really works; according to the Digital Marketing Institute, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, 40% have purchased something after seeing it on social media, and influencer marketing campaigns earn $5.78 for every dollar spent. The absolute return on investment just cannot be denied as the ultimate plus to using influencers for marketing campaigns and brand deals.
However, in the changing celebrity culture, the downsides of influencer marketing are very apparent. Working with the wrong influencer or having someone who has previously supported your brand (especially if it’s a long-term partnership) can damage a brand’s reputation beyond repair in seconds. It can be very high risk depending on who you’re working with. Additionally, although the marketing techniques can be successful, there is no guarantee they work every time. No matter how popular the influencer, there is always the chance that their audience doesn’t respond well to the product or brand, and you’ll be left paying out for not enough increased business.
Influencer marketing is still new, and brands and influencers alike are still figuring out the ins and out of how to make it a viable, sustainable, and profitable form of marketing for all parties involved.
Social media became really popular over the last 10 years. Gen-Z cannot think about the fact that in the past there was a life without internet / social media. Because of the rise of popularity of social media, more and more social media influencers are created. Additionally, the pandemic was also a big opportunity for social media influencers to create even a bigger and more loyal fanbase. Nowadays, being a successful social media influencer is a job itself. This person is well-known, and has lots of followers, and they have a loyal fanbase. According to Bigwave marketing, “What is special about social media influencers, is that their fanbase is very loyal and their trust in the influencers is high. According to a survey by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement”. According to the Insider, more brands turn to “nano” or “micro” media influencers, who are influencers with less than 100.000 followers. On Instagram there is no comparable payment system like YouTube has. The Insider gave an example of Alexa Collins who has more than 1 million followers, and she wants to earn at least $1000 for a sponsored story. Whereas, Tyler Chanel who is a “micro” influencer only asks $100. This is understandable because Alexa has a way broader audience than Tyler. However, I think it is important for social media platforms like Instagram to create a comparable payment system, so influencers know what they can earn. Furthermore, brands and advertisers need to keep in mind is that you have to find the right influencer for the product you want to advertise for. This is because every social media influencer has his or her niche. According to Upfluence, “In 2022 we can expect the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag which refers to the biggest viral commerce trends will grow even more popular in the next year as the platform continues to invest in seamless commerce features such as its partnership with Shopify”. The beautiful thing about TikTok is that their algorithm is impressive, and a lot of products will get free advertisement because of the #tiktokmademebuyit trend. Every social media platform has her pluses and minuses, as well as every social media influencer.
In conclusion, I think that social media influencers were not seen as a job in the past. However, they have learned so much from each other, and the competition is so big that they became really good and professional at their job. Brands and advertisers pay social media influencers money to advertise their product. It is important for these brands that they find the right platform and person for their product. I think that the influence of social media is only going to rise in the future, so it is really important for brands to step-up their game, and use social media platforms to advertise their products.
Works Cited “How Social Media Influencers Affect Your Life • Bigwave Marketing.” Bigwave Marketing, 21 May 2021, https://bigwave.co.uk/blog/how-social-media-influencers-affect-your-life/. Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022. Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
Social media became really popular over the last 10 years. Gen-Z cannot think about the fact that in the past there was a life without internet / social media. Because of the rise of popularity of social media, more and more social media influencers are created. Additionally, the pandemic was also a big opportunity for social media influencers to create even a bigger and more loyal fanbase. Nowadays, being a successful social media influencer is a job itself. This person is well-known, and has lots of followers, and they have a loyal fanbase. According to Bigwave marketing, “What is special about social media influencers, is that their fanbase is very loyal and their trust in the influencers is high. According to a survey by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement”. According to the Insider, more brands turn to “nano” or “micro” media influencers, who are influencers with less than 100.000 followers. On Instagram there is no comparable payment system like YouTube has. The Insider gave an example of Alexa Collins who has more than 1 million followers, and she wants to earn at least $1000 for a sponsored story. Whereas, Tyler Chanel who is a “micro” influencer only asks $100. This is understandable because Alexa has a way broader audience than Tyler. However, I think it is important for social media platforms like Instagram to create a comparable payment system, so influencers know what they can earn. Furthermore, brands and advertisers need to keep in mind is that you have to find the right influencer for the product you want to advertise for. This is because every social media influencer has his or her niche. According to Upfluence, “In 2022 we can expect the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag which refers to the biggest viral commerce trends will grow even more popular in the next year as the platform continues to invest in seamless commerce features such as its partnership with Shopify”. The beautiful thing about TikTok is that their algorithm is impressive, and a lot of products will get free advertisement because of the #tiktokmademebuyit trend. Every social media platform has her pluses and minuses, as well as every social media influencer.
In conclusion, I think that social media influencers were not seen as a job in the past. However, they have learned so much from each other, and the competition is so big that they became really good and professional at their job. Brands and advertisers pay social media influencers money to advertise their product. It is important for these brands that they find the right platform and person for their product. I think that the influence of social media is only going to rise in the future, so it is really important for brands to step-up their game, and use social media platforms to advertise their products.
Works Cited “How Social Media Influencers Affect Your Life • Bigwave Marketing.” Bigwave Marketing, 21 May 2021, https://bigwave.co.uk/blog/how-social-media-influencers-affect-your-life/. Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022. Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
Whether or not we realize it, advertising and marketing impact our lives on a daily basis. Earlier in college a professor mentioned something that really stuck with me: when we wear clothes with brand or team logos on them, that’s a form of marketing that we participate in without truly attempting to. This concept plays out significantly on social media. Many times, you’ll see accounts with large followings integrate products into their videos or posts to help promote a company. It isn’t a coincidence, as companies use this strategy instead of traditional advertising “because of the high amount of trust that social influencers have built up with their following, and recommendations from them serve as a form of social proof to [the] brand’s potential customers” (Chen).
That’s the primary “plus” to using influencers to promote products. Consumers don’t inherently negatively associate these marketing strategies with shady corporate tactics the same way they do with traditional advertising. In addition, seeing a “relatable” YouTuber using a beauty product, for example, might be more likely to influence a teenage girl to buy that product than a television advertisement featuring an unrealistically beautiful woman would.
On the other hand, it’s also a lucrative situation for the influencers themselves. These deals can take many forms, through product placement, sponsored posts, affiliate links, and merchandise. The amount of research and planning that goes into these big money agreements are massive, as “each deal has to also account for an influencer's following, engagement metrics, and niche, while also calculating added fees like exclusivity, usage rights, and timing. But if influencers negotiate well, brand deals can lead to big paychecks. For instance, one influencer told Insider she had booked $700,000 in brand deals halfway into 2021” (Bradley).
It’s worth noting, however, that influencer marketing has greatly suffered from the entertainment industry’s lack of diversity as a whole. This can be seen as a not-so-small “minus” of influencer marketing. Speaking on the importance of representative voices in influencer marketing, Instagrammer Sashagai Ruddock said “It matters because it inspires, can change the way people see themselves, and how they see your brand. If I don’t see someone like me represented in your marketing, there’s a high chance I won’t shop at your store” (Thomas).
The influencer marketing world has been rapidly evolving over recent years, and it continues to be pushed along with the explosion of the popularity of social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. The relatability of mega influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae not only helps companies promote products, but it pushes children to aspire to be influencers when they grow up. It’s creating a cycle that ultimately only benefits advertisers, as long as the longshot odds to have these ideal lives is maintained.
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make.” Business Insider, 30 Dec. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6.
Chen, Jenn. “What Is Influencer Marketing: How to Develop Your Strategy.” Sprout Social, 21 Sept. 2021, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing/.
Thomas, Monique. “4 Black Voices on Diversity in Influencer Marketing.” Later Blog, 4 Feb. 2021, https://later.com/blog/diversity-in-influencer-marketing/.
Vera Helein
ReplyDeleteIn a world where social media dominates society and the phones of nearly all people, it is important to keep up with the trends and know your audience. With the influx of people using TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram daily, advertisers and brands have turned to its top stars to start promoting their products.
As someone who has grown up with social media, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t seen people on Instagram advertising products. Instagram will not only pay its top creators to make posts, but these creators can negotiate prices with brands to make posts about them. In an article by Business Insider, they discovered that Instagram influencers have negotiated stiff prices with brands when making posts for them. Some influencers have asked for hundreds of dollars per post. Not only that, but these influencers book hundreds of thousands worth of brand deals per year (Bradley). When brands have utilized these influencers, they’ve seen an increase in brand loyalty, which is enough for them to continue using them.
TikTok and YouTube influencers have been used to target audiences in the Gen-Z and Millennial generations. These platforms allow for advertisements and brand promotions to feel like normal videos while still getting the point across. TikTok especially has extremely high engagement which allows for these videos to be seen by a plethora of different audiences (Michaeloudis). This can allow a brand to reach new targets and increase its audience. At the beginning of 2021, brands saw a shift in brand loyalty. 73% of Americans were changing their buying behavior and brands were struggling to maintain their audiences. Utilizing these influencers has allowed brands to increase their brand loyalty again and introduce themselves to new audiences.
The benefits of using influencers from different platforms are no secret. As aforementioned, utilizing influencers can increase brand loyalty, introduce brands to new audiences, and maintain an understanding of buying behavior. While these benefits are evident and important, it is equally important to recognize the negatives. For TikTok especially, trends and top creators have a lifespan. In a study done by Refinery, they discovered that the typical lifespan of social media posts is extremely low. For TikTok, the lifespan begins to decay once it’s posted, unless it immediately goes viral. For Instagram, the lifespan is only 48 hours. For YouTube, if a creator has a large enough following, the lifespan is around 20 days (Symonds). Brands have seen success while utilizing these influencers, but the success will most likely be short-lived. If you’re lucky a post will break the predicted lifespan. On TikTok, creators need to be calculated in which sound they use, what hashtags are under the video, and what time they post, or else the video might not be seen by anyone. The chances of going viral and having that video be seen by people in your target audience every time are extremely low.
While the benefits are great for using these influencers, it is important to recognize the lifespan of the influencers and their content. Trends in topics and people are always changing. For this to work, brands must be ready to have new influencers every few months when the lifespan of the past ones runs out.
Works Cited
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022.
Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends For 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, 4 January 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know. Accessed 24 February 2022.
Symonds, Julie. “Lifespan of Social Media Posts in 2021: How Long Do They Last?” The Refinery, 5 May 2021, https://the-refinery.io/blog/how-long-does-a-social-media-post-last. Accessed 24 February 2022.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Rica
Brands and Advertisers are using social media influencers for many reasons. The first is that social media has taken over the world. You need a new product recommendation. Why don't you ask your favorite influencer? Influencers get sent PR boxes, free clothes, free skin and hair care. All from having a huge following. I think some of the reasons influencers are used instead of a celebrity is that they will post your product on their story or make a post about it. Once the word gets out that your favorite influencer is using a product you want to try. You can, and they probably offer a discount code and it's a win for the customer and a win for the brand. When the influencer posts you normally know if it’s an ad or paid promotion through hashtags. It also seems like different influencers might have different rates for pay. According to one source,
“ For instance, influencer Alexa Collins- who has over one million followers- charged upwards of $1,000 for a sponsored Story on Instagram when Insider spoke with her. Meanwhile Tyler Chanel,a micro influencer, starts at $100 for an Instagram story and goes up from there, depending on the content and deliverables”. (Bradley)
I think the advantages of using TikTokers, Instagram stars and youtubers to promote products are endless. I think the first reason is if you find the right person, they will promote your brand in a positive way. I also think a positive is if the influencer has a huge following, more people will see it from all over the world. Maybe those individuals never knew about the company. The next reason is they will build great relationships with your company and be excited to work with you again.
I think some huge disadvantages of using TikTokers, Instagram stars and youtubers to promote your brands are negative. I think big influencers like Addison Rae and Charlie D’Amelio are here to stay and charge a lot per post. According to Forbes, “ The TikTok stars can charge as much as a half million dollars for a single post, though most generally earn an average of between $100,000 to $250,000 per post, more than double the rates from that previous list in 2020”. (Brown) I feel this is a negative as this is a ridiculous amount of money for one post. I think this shows entailment to a whole new level. The next negative is social media and influencers can decrease younger audiences' self esteem. This article from The Teen Mag states “ The truth is that people only show the sides of themselves they want the world to see, they want you to see how beautiful they look after a breakup, how amazing their recent vacations were, and to show off their clothes that you just can’t afford”. (Maciejewska) I think social media will keep having negative effects on the younger generations, infliucers are just not helping.
Work cited
Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=21ea63013afa
Bradley, S. (2021, December 30). How much money Instagram influencers make. Business Insider. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6
Maciejewska, N. (n.d.). The negative effects of influencers. The Teen Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.theteenmagazine.com/the-negative-effects-of-influencers
As Covid-19 became more serious, the use of social media influencing and the development of apps such as Tik Tok grew exponentially. According to the Influencer Marketing Benchmark report, “the influencer marketing industry is set to grow to approximately 16.4 billion in 2022” (Geyser, 2022). The times of needing a very large following to be an “influencer” have also changed too. When it comes to Instagram, brands and advertisers are no longer relying solely on big name promoters and have begun using “micro” influencers categorized as influencers with under 100,000 followers (Bradley, 2021). Brands are recognizing the power of influencers who reach a more niche target market. Using these smaller influencers may be tactical for a brand trying to gain trust or loyalty as smaller influencers typically have a very strong and loyal following. Using larger name influencers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube are beneficial for general exposure and positive association with the brand. YouTube fits into both of these sections. According to the Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, “YouTube is more passive than either Instagram or Tik Tok” (Geyser, 2022). Many YouTube influencers generate millions of views but lack the social aspect that the other platforms have and that many brands rely on for success.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely pros and cons to using different social media platforms to promote products. Firstly, using influencers on sites such as Tik Tok and Instagram is a pro because it can be the main tie between a company and their consumers. Online shopping is more preferred than ever due to the pandemic and “Influencers will be key partners in delivering a seamless shopping experience and converting awareness into purchases” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Aside from making the experience for the consumer an easier feat, influencers on social media also “have a valuable online reach which means they can help you to grow your customer base” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Additionally, there is a major decline in brand loyalty which means that a consumer is less likely to “buy from brands by default” (Michaeloudis, 2022). This is where influencer marketing on these social media platforms comes into play. An influencer owns the title because of their loyal fan base. Using this fact can help a company gain leverage in whichever industry their selected influencer is a part of. When talking about Tik Tok, using influencers can be beneficial as creators can promote brands in a way that “doesn’t look or feel like an ad” (Michaeloudis, 2022).
On the other hand, there are cons to using influencer marketing on these platforms. The main con is the idea that social media is a gamble, and it may not be the most cost-effective way to spend advertising dollars. According to an article from Home Business Magazine, 61% of brands find it difficult to choose the right influencers for their campaigns (Home Business Mag, 2019). Additionally, results that come from influencer marketing can be uncertain, especially with smaller scale influencers. Though successful influencer tactics can generate measurable increases in sales or interest in the brand, influencer marketing is a riskier tactic when compared to traditional advertising. Putting trust into influencer marketing comes with the fear that “the audience won’t engage, and any money invested will be a loss” (Home Business Mag, 2019). Lastly, using influencers from these platforms can become a potential risk to the company’s reputation. For example, Tik Tok stars like Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio have hundreds of millions of followers combined (Brown, 2022). Their reach may be beneficial for targeting consumers, but one wrong move and the brand may have themselves in crisis during todays “cancel culture.”
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Geyser, W. (2022, February 11). The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/
Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
Influencer Marketing- Advantages and Disadvantages. Homebusinessmag.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://homebusinessmag.com/marketing/internet-marketing/influencer-marketing-advantages-disadvantages/
Bradley, S. (2021, December 30). How much money Instagram influencers make. Business Insider. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6
Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=636a4a8a3afa
According infleuncermarketinghub.com, “Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $16.4 Billion in 2022.” People are looking at being a social media influencer as a career since there is so much money in it. It also seems that companies are committed to spending money on influencers. infleuncermarketinghub.com, “More than 75% of brand marketers intend to dedicate a budget to influencer marketing in 2022.” They are taking a huge chunk of their budge just for influence marketing. There advantages and disadvantages of using Tiktokers, Instagram star and YouTubers to promote products. The advantages are that Tiktokers, Instagram stars and Youtubers can reach a large audience and a specific target audience as well and it helps brands build trust and creditability. According to shanebarker.com, one of the disadvantages is working with the wrong influencers can do more harm than good and that it can be hard to measure the results. I think we will continue to see more influencers trying to market new products on social media.
ReplyDeleteD.says:, Jim, et al. “How Many People Use Social Media in 2022? (65+ Statistics).” Backlinko, 10 Oct. 2021, https://backlinko.com/social-media-users.
Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/.
Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know.
“The Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing: An Honest Look.” Shane Barker, 27 Jan. 2022, https://shanebarker.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-influencer-marketing/.
Kylie Jenkins part 1
ReplyDeleteWith the recent spike in popularity in TikTok, many brands and advertisers are using social media influencers. When brands hire social media influencers to create content for them, there are a few different ways these influencers can help a brand. First, a brand can send them products, and the influencer uses the products to create content that promotes the brand. This is extremely beneficial for the brand because they can pick and choose exactly which audience they reach by looking at the audiences of social media influencers, and hiring influencers that have their target audience. Another way that a brand can utilize a social media influencer is by having the social media influencer make content directly on the brand’s social media accounts. Lastly, a brand can host special events and invite social media influencers, and the influencers can promote the brand and event further. Social media influencers run a business within themselves also, and very well-known, popular social media influencers make a lot of money doing what they do. While most of the social media influencers that make millions of dollars also branch out into other industries, like music and acting, according to a Forbes article by Abram Brown, “they still earn much of their money—typically 30% to 50%–from sponsored content, where a corporation pays for a post advertising their goods on a star’s social media account”(Brown). That being said, brands are still utilizing celebrities for advertising, and it doesn’t seem like that will be slowing down any time soon.
For a company, there are many pluses and minuses when working with social media influencers. One plus of influencer marketing is that it isn’t just a trend, it will be around for a long time. According to an article from Influencer Marketing Hub, “Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $16.4 Billion in 2022”(Geyser), so it is worthwhile for companies to invest in partnering with different social media influencers.
Kylie Jenkins part 2
DeleteAnother plus is that social media marketing is definitely an effective business tool. Many brands have found great success utilizing influencers to get their name out. In an article from Spring Wise, Media Kix did a survey and “found that 80 percent of marketers find influencer marketing effective, with 71 percent rating the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing as better than other marketing sources, and fully 89 percent saying that influencer marketing return on investment is as good or better than other marketing channels.”(Spring Wise). A minus of working with social media influencers is that success isn’t guaranteed. Although there is a lot of research behind what to post and when to post it, there are still instances where posts flop and a company essentially wasted money. Another minus is that when a brand hires an influencer, that influencer is associated with the brand, and if they get involved in any scandals, the brand automatically gets involved by association.
Brown, Abram. “Top-Earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae Expand Fame-and Paydays.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=51dd7b5a3afa.
Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/.
“Pros and Cons: Social Media Influencers.” Springwise, 6 Jan. 2020, https://www.springwise.com/pros-cons-social-media-influencers.
Elisa Leone
ReplyDeletePart 1
Influencer marketing has become the new, trending form of advertising. As the rise of social media platforms increases, brands are seeking out influencers and viewing social media as a new outlet to market their brand and products. As different platforms become popular, brands can find their target audience through content creators on their desired platform. For example, if a business's target audience is 25-40yr old females, usually marketing on Facebook or an older platform would benefit your business. Finding an influencer who primarily has an older audience or is active on Facebook would help your business reach its target audience. Also, the influencer’s audience would need to have the same interests and be in the same niche as your brand or your products. For influencers to reach your target audience, they must create compelling content and have some form of active engagement, preferably from their niche. Even if they only have a few thousand followers but reach your target audience, they are still valuable. In some cases, micro-influencers with less followers can be viewed as more credible. Influencer marketing is important because if a business is small and an influencer promotes their brand, it can drive more attention to them. Content creators improve brand awareness, increase traffic, and drive messages to brands' target audiences. This collaboration between brands and creators allows businesses to expand their reach across their buyer personas and target customers in their niche by reaching out to influencers within that niche. Upfluence states, “Influencers will be key partners in delivering a seamless shopping experience and converting awareness into purchases” (Michaeloudis, 2022). Since this is a new way of advertising, it attracts more users to the brand. When influencers create these types of ads, it is compelling because they don’t feel like ads to their viewers. Utilizing influencer marketing can allow your business to grow and to even reach a different demographic that might be harder to reach. Social commerce and e-commerce are very popular right now and mostly attracts a younger demographic. Using influencers to promote e-commerce and especially social commerce can be beneficial for your brand in targeting a niche group and providing credibility for your product.
Elisa Leone
DeletePart 2
The positives of utilizing influencers of all different platforms are that they can spread your brand and showcase products to a lot of people with just one click of a button. If my favorite vlogger or social media personality is ranting and raving about a product, I will usually go check out their website and purchase it just because they said that they liked it. Another positive about influencing is that you basically have a built-in brand ambassador that will speak highly of your brand to their followers. Influencers tend to build strong relationships with their fans, establishing trust and credibility. The Marketing Sage states, “When an influencer endorses a product or service, it instantly establishes credibility for the brand they are promoting” (Slater, 2020). Some negatives to influencer marketing are that it can be expensive to collaborate with a popular influencer. Forbes states, “The TikTok stars can charge as much as a half million dollars for a single post, though most generally earn an average of between $100,000 to $250,000 per post” (Forbes, 2022). Another negative to using influencers is that if the partnership is not seamless or something goes wrong, the influencer can negatively post about the brand and ruin their reputation. Influencer marketing is definitely beneficial for brands to help increase their brand awareness and I believe that influencer marketing is going to increase in the future and become the main form of advertisements, especially that we see on social media.
Work Cited
Brown, A. (2022, February 5). Top-earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae expand fame-and paydays. Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/
Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
10 benefits of influencer marketing. The Marketing Sage. (2021, December 27). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://www.themarketingsage.com/10-benefits-of-influencer-marketing/#:~:text=Influencers%20can%20inspire%20and%20persuade,you're%20perceived%20by%20customers.
Jody Gallinger
ReplyDeleteIt’s no secret that in the past few years social media influencers have taken over the world. Ever since the pandemic we have seen social media sites, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram increase in popularity, mostly from influencers. Everyone loves to follow their favorite influencer and see what they are up to in their daily lives. This has created opportunities for brands and companies to work with these influencers to utilize promoting products to target audiences.
Many people are starting to stem away from brand loyalty ever since the pandemic (Michaeloudis). This is great for brands because more people are willing to buy from new places and have new habits while shopping. Online shopping became very popular during the pandemic and has been the new way of shopping ever since. This will now allow for brands to create more content on social media, apps, and websites that allow customers to find exactly what they’re looking for (Michaeloudis). Influencer marketing champaigns will play a large role in helping online sales and generating brand awareness. Influencers will help with authentic product recommendations, social proof, product information, and delivering the right message to the right place (Michaeloudis). This will help the brand increase sales and will help influencers track their performance on social media. If many people see influencers that they love promoting a certain product, they will be drawn in and more likely to purchase it (Single Grain Team).
TikTok has become one of the biggest social media sites in the world. Its ability for content discovery and high engagement. The app also allows influencers to collaborate with brands and create content that does not look or feel like a typical advertisement (Michaeloudis). This creates a more powerful ad campaign and a more personalized feel to the ad. On TikTok large influencers have the highest engagement rate and small influencers have the lowest. This proves that the TikTok algorithm targets content to match the interests of viewers (Geyser). The app is very popular among Generation Z. This gives the brand a correct target audience. Marketing their product towards older generations may not be effective on TikTok (Geyser).
Pt. 2
DeleteInstagram engagement has been on a decline ever since 2020. More new content creation apps have taken over, like TikTok. Influencers with a large following has lower engagement rates than influencers with fewer followers. This is because it is harder for influencers to reply to comments and engage with their followers. This can be very easy for smaller accounts (Geyser). However, lifestyle and beauty content has become very popular on Instagram. It has become what most influencers share on the app because it is easy to create this type of content. The core audience on Instagram right now are 25–34-year-old females, which is why lifestyle and beauty content are so popular (Geyser).
YouTube can be thought of like traditional TV with traditional ads. Sometimes YouTube can have less of a social element for many because of this traditional feel. But influencer marketing is very effective on YouTube. Working with influencers are cheaper than traditional ads, but it is so much more effective. Because of the large following that YouTubers have, promoting products can be very effective through the site (Single Grain Team). Larger channels will have a higher engagement than smaller channels, which presents the opportunity of doing ad campaigns with larger influencers. Males also outnumber females on YouTube which give brands a target audience when campaigning through YouTube (Geyser).
There are many pluses and minuses of all three social media apps. All are effective at promoting products in many different ways.
Works Cited:
Geyser, Werner. “The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.” Influencer Marketing Hub, Influencer Marketing, 11 Feb. 2022, https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/.
Michaeloudis, Lucy. “5 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022 That You Should Know.” Upfluence, Upfluence, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know.
Team, Written By Single Grain. “Influencer Marketing Strategy: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Business with Brand Partnerships.” Single Grain, Single Grain, 18 Oct. 2021, https://www.singlegrain.com/content-marketing-strategy-2/guide-influencer-marketing/.
Kyra Moos
ReplyDeleteThrough my own observations, while using social media, I pay particular attention to the ways in which brands and advertisers use influencers to target specific audiences. I find influencer marketing very creative and I enjoy keeping myself up-to-date with the creative ways to advertise products or brands. Within the past two years specifically, social media influencing has shifted from mostly Instagram to now TikTok. As Generation Z has grown up with social media, I’ve watched the growth of influencers on Instagram. Influencers would often be paid to promote a brand or product by taking a perfectly posed picture. Now, TikTok allows influencers to be more personal and show a less-posed side of themselves through videos. The more personal, and less posed a post is, the more it influences those who view it. Audiences are more influenced by these TikTok videos because they seem more genuine, and audiences could potentially be tricked into thinking the post is not an advertisement. Another plus side to utilizing TikTok for influencer marketing is its higher engagement rates. The article by Geyser showcases how TikTok’s overall engagement rates are substantially higher than other social media platforms such as Instagram (2022). Geyser attributes this “to the strength of TikTok's algorithm in targeting content to match the interests of its viewers” (2022). Higher engagement rates on posts also assist in making advertisements seem more genuine and therefore it makes sense why so many brands hire TikTok influencers. An article by Forbes shared that from 2019 to 2020, influencer marketing on Instagram declined (this is when TikTok began to take off) (Kowalewicz, 2020).
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DeleteKyra Moos
DeletePart 2
The article by Michaeloudis talks about how consumer behavior has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted the ways in which the public uses social media. With more consumers using social media (specifically TikTok) and brands knowing that there is more opportunity to reach new consumers, social media influencing reached an all-time high. Brands began to use influencers on social media to create a “seamless shopping journey”, using the influencers to introduce a product to their wide audience, and then often sending those viewers to their brand website (Michaeloudis, 2022). Brands are using these influencers to not only appear more genuine to their audiences but also to reach specific audiences with their messaging. Influencers are chosen by brands for their ability to reach an audience of importance to the brand. Brands chose influencers based on the adueicne that they are aiming to reach. However, there are cases where utilizing influencers has hurt the brand’s reputation. When brands choose an influencer to promote their products, they are directly aligning themselves with that person, showcasing to the public that they have a relationship. If this influencer makes a publicly bad choice, the brand could potentially be at risk due to the relationship they have. This is a potential threat to all brands that utilize influencers but often the rewards outweigh that potential threat.
Works Cited
Geyser, W. (2022, February 11). The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/
Kowalewicz, R. (2020, August 18). Council post: Is influencer marketing on the decline? Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/08/19/is-influencer-marketing-on-the-decline/?sh=3b5a71e8198e
Michaeloudis, L. (2022). 5 Influencer Marketing Trends For 2022 That You Should Know. Upfluence. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know.
Corinna Caimi (1/2)
ReplyDeleteBrands and advertisers use multiple methods to target their audiences through social media influencers. There are brand deals, sponsorships, affiliate links, selling direct-to-consumer products, and more. Although there are multiple ways to go about the advertisement, companies have to “also account for an influencer’s following, engagement metrics, and niche, while also calculating added fees like exclusivity, usage rights, and timing,” to ensure they are pricing appropriately (Bradley).
With influencer marketing still being relatively new, brands are starting to see the pluses in this type of advertisement. Using TikTok, for example, works well to target a younger audience because “The TikTok-ers understand the audience these advertisers want to reach because they themselves are about the same age,” (Brown and Freeman). A 20-year-old is more likely to take product advice and recommendations from another 20-year-old they follow than a traditional 50-year-old celebrity. Personally, I absolutely love @annaxsitar on TikTok. I have genuinely bought products because I trust her opinion, even those recommended to me for years by other celebrities or ad campaigns.
Additionally, “brands don’t have to waste resources promoting themselves, and instead use
influencers to speak on their behalf and deliver the message they want people to hear and trust,” making this a cost-effective and straightforward way to promote a business (Digital Marketing Institute). For example, suppose the influencers will do all the work of taking the photos, writing the captions, and promoting it to their followers. In that case, it leaves very little for the company to do besides sending the product, writing the agreement, and paying out. The last plus is that it has been proven through the statistics that the marketing really works; according to the Digital Marketing Institute, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, 40% have purchased something after seeing it on social media, and influencer marketing campaigns earn $5.78 for every dollar spent. The absolute return on investment just cannot be denied as the ultimate plus to using influencers for marketing campaigns and brand deals.
However, in the changing celebrity culture, the downsides of influencer marketing are very apparent. Working with the wrong influencer or having someone who has previously supported your brand (especially if it’s a long-term partnership) can damage a brand’s reputation beyond repair in seconds. It can be very high risk depending on who you’re working with. Additionally, although the marketing techniques can be successful, there is no guarantee they work every time. No matter how popular the influencer, there is always the chance that their audience doesn’t respond well to the product or brand, and you’ll be left paying out for not enough increased business.
Influencer marketing is still new, and brands and influencers alike are still figuring out the ins and out of how to make it a viable, sustainable, and profitable form of marketing for all parties involved.
Corinna Caimi (2/2)
Delete“20 Surprising Influencer Marketing Statistics: Blog: Online Digital Marketing Courses.” Digital Marketing Institute, Digital Marketing Institute, 27 Oct. 2021, https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you.
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 30 Dec. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6.
Brown, Abram, and Abigail Freeman. “Top-Earning Tiktok-ERS 2022: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae Expand Fame-and Paydays.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2022/01/07/top-earning-tiktokers-charli-dixie-damelio-addison-rae-bella-poarch-josh-richards/?sh=6ed533123afa.
Social media became really popular over the last 10 years. Gen-Z cannot think about the fact that in the past there was a life without internet / social media. Because of the rise of popularity of social media, more and more social media influencers are created. Additionally, the pandemic was also a big opportunity for social media influencers to create even a bigger and more loyal fanbase. Nowadays, being a successful social media influencer is a job itself. This person is well-known, and has lots of followers, and they have a loyal fanbase. According to Bigwave marketing, “What is special about social media influencers, is that their fanbase is very loyal and their trust in the influencers is high. According to a survey by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement”. According to the Insider, more brands turn to “nano” or “micro” media influencers, who are influencers with less than 100.000 followers. On Instagram there is no comparable payment system like YouTube has. The Insider gave an example of Alexa Collins who has more than 1 million followers, and she wants to earn at least $1000 for a sponsored story. Whereas, Tyler Chanel who is a “micro” influencer only asks $100. This is understandable because Alexa has a way broader audience than Tyler. However, I think it is important for social media platforms like Instagram to create a comparable payment system, so influencers know what they can earn. Furthermore, brands and advertisers need to keep in mind is that you have to find the right influencer for the product you want to advertise for. This is because every social media influencer has his or her niche. According to Upfluence, “In 2022 we can expect the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag which refers to the biggest viral commerce trends will grow even more popular in the next year as the platform continues to invest in seamless commerce features such as its partnership with Shopify”. The beautiful thing about TikTok is that their algorithm is impressive, and a lot of products will get free advertisement because of the #tiktokmademebuyit trend. Every social media platform has her pluses and minuses, as well as every social media influencer.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I think that social media influencers were not seen as a job in the past. However, they have learned so much from each other, and the competition is so big that they became really good and professional at their job. Brands and advertisers pay social media influencers money to advertise their product. It is important for these brands that they find the right platform and person for their product. I think that the influence of social media is only going to rise in the future, so it is really important for brands to step-up their game, and use social media platforms to advertise their products.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete“How Social Media Influencers Affect Your Life • Bigwave Marketing.” Bigwave Marketing, 21 May 2021, https://bigwave.co.uk/blog/how-social-media-influencers-affect-your-life/.
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022.
Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
Fleur Cordier
ReplyDeleteSocial media became really popular over the last 10 years. Gen-Z cannot think about the fact that in the past there was a life without internet / social media. Because of the rise of popularity of social media, more and more social media influencers are created. Additionally, the pandemic was also a big opportunity for social media influencers to create even a bigger and more loyal fanbase. Nowadays, being a successful social media influencer is a job itself. This person is well-known, and has lots of followers, and they have a loyal fanbase. According to Bigwave marketing, “What is special about social media influencers, is that their fanbase is very loyal and their trust in the influencers is high. According to a survey by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement”. According to the Insider, more brands turn to “nano” or “micro” media influencers, who are influencers with less than 100.000 followers. On Instagram there is no comparable payment system like YouTube has. The Insider gave an example of Alexa Collins who has more than 1 million followers, and she wants to earn at least $1000 for a sponsored story. Whereas, Tyler Chanel who is a “micro” influencer only asks $100. This is understandable because Alexa has a way broader audience than Tyler. However, I think it is important for social media platforms like Instagram to create a comparable payment system, so influencers know what they can earn. Furthermore, brands and advertisers need to keep in mind is that you have to find the right influencer for the product you want to advertise for. This is because every social media influencer has his or her niche. According to Upfluence, “In 2022 we can expect the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag which refers to the biggest viral commerce trends will grow even more popular in the next year as the platform continues to invest in seamless commerce features such as its partnership with Shopify”. The beautiful thing about TikTok is that their algorithm is impressive, and a lot of products will get free advertisement because of the #tiktokmademebuyit trend. Every social media platform has her pluses and minuses, as well as every social media influencer.
In conclusion, I think that social media influencers were not seen as a job in the past. However, they have learned so much from each other, and the competition is so big that they became really good and professional at their job. Brands and advertisers pay social media influencers money to advertise their product. It is important for these brands that they find the right platform and person for their product. I think that the influence of social media is only going to rise in the future, so it is really important for brands to step-up their game, and use social media platforms to advertise their products.
Fleur Cordier
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
“How Social Media Influencers Affect Your Life • Bigwave Marketing.” Bigwave Marketing, 21 May 2021, https://bigwave.co.uk/blog/how-social-media-influencers-affect-your-life/.
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make: Real Examples.” Business Insider, 30 December 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6. Accessed 24 February 2022.
Michaeloudis, L. (2022, January 5). 5 influencer marketing trends for 2022 that you should know. Upfluence. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.upfluence.com/influencer-marketing/5-influencer-marketing-trends-for-2022-that-you-should-know
Jacob Resnick
ReplyDeleteMSS 495
Blog 4
Whether or not we realize it, advertising and marketing impact our lives on a daily basis. Earlier in college a professor mentioned something that really stuck with me: when we wear clothes with brand or team logos on them, that’s a form of marketing that we participate in without truly attempting to. This concept plays out significantly on social media. Many times, you’ll see accounts with large followings integrate products into their videos or posts to help promote a company. It isn’t a coincidence, as companies use this strategy instead of traditional advertising “because of the high amount of trust that social influencers have built up with their following, and recommendations from them serve as a form of social proof to [the] brand’s potential customers” (Chen).
That’s the primary “plus” to using influencers to promote products. Consumers don’t inherently negatively associate these marketing strategies with shady corporate tactics the same way they do with traditional advertising. In addition, seeing a “relatable” YouTuber using a beauty product, for example, might be more likely to influence a teenage girl to buy that product than a television advertisement featuring an unrealistically beautiful woman would.
On the other hand, it’s also a lucrative situation for the influencers themselves. These deals can take many forms, through product placement, sponsored posts, affiliate links, and merchandise. The amount of research and planning that goes into these big money agreements are massive, as “each deal has to also account for an influencer's following, engagement metrics, and niche, while also calculating added fees like exclusivity, usage rights, and timing. But if influencers negotiate well, brand deals can lead to big paychecks. For instance, one influencer told Insider she had booked $700,000 in brand deals halfway into 2021” (Bradley).
Jacob Resnick
DeletePt. 2
It’s worth noting, however, that influencer marketing has greatly suffered from the entertainment industry’s lack of diversity as a whole. This can be seen as a not-so-small “minus” of influencer marketing. Speaking on the importance of representative voices in influencer marketing, Instagrammer Sashagai Ruddock said “It matters because it inspires, can change the way people see themselves, and how they see your brand. If I don’t see someone like me represented in your marketing, there’s a high chance I won’t shop at your store” (Thomas).
The influencer marketing world has been rapidly evolving over recent years, and it continues to be pushed along with the explosion of the popularity of social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. The relatability of mega influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae not only helps companies promote products, but it pushes children to aspire to be influencers when they grow up. It’s creating a cycle that ultimately only benefits advertisers, as long as the longshot odds to have these ideal lives is maintained.
Bradley, Sydney. “How Much Money Instagram Influencers Make.” Business Insider, 30 Dec. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6.
Chen, Jenn. “What Is Influencer Marketing: How to Develop Your Strategy.” Sprout Social, 21 Sept. 2021, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing/.
Thomas, Monique. “4 Black Voices on Diversity in Influencer Marketing.” Later Blog, 4 Feb. 2021, https://later.com/blog/diversity-in-influencer-marketing/.