The advent of the internet brought many significant changes to our lives. Social media platforms have become one of the most popular mediums that marketers now use for marketing. Ads are far more effective over the internet than on cable TV, and niche and social media influencers arguably drive more product sales than celebrities.
What Is an Influencer?
There’s no consensus on what exactly makes a person an “influencer”, only that they are usually third-party individuals who have acquired a huge following on social media platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and even TikTok. These individuals use their popularity to “influence” the purchase decisions of their followers.
What Makes Influencers So Effective?
We have to consider that the majority of the markets are currently composed of millennials. One of the defining traits of this generation is that they are naturally resistant to marketing tricks and are skeptical and distrustful of companies, Millennials are more likely to trust a product recommendation that comes from a friend, a relative, or a person whom they admire, which is why influencer marketing is much more likely to appeal to them over traditional methods.
Will Influencer Marketing Become Obsolete?
In the same way that people became aware of the marketing tactics being used by companies to sell their goods and services, more people are also becoming aware of the ways that influencers are boosting sales for a particular product. It’s vital for companies and marketers to be cognizant of consumer awareness, as it can have a large impact on trust and perception.
Will the likes of Pewdiepie (Felix Kjellberg) or Bella Poarch eventually lose their appeal as more people become aware of how influencer marketing actually affects their purchase decisions? The short answer is no. Despite what critics and naysayers claim, the appeal of influencer marketing has a directly proportional correlation to the appeal of social media platforms. As long as social media platforms remain popular, influencer marketing will also stay relevant. We should also consider the fact that even new social media platforms such as TikTok can create a massive following, not just for the platform itself, but also for its users.
Is It Worthwhile to Invest In Influencer Marketing?
Social media influencers will always be a valuable trust-building mechanism. This is especially true when they are employed with other advertising techniques such as good brand identity design, search engine optimization, and more. It’s safe to say that influencer marketing may even become more important once new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things become mainstream technologies. Companies will have to be able to build consumer trust in a greater capacity, and that’s only going to happen through people with whom the average consumer is able to relate to.
Influencer marketing is founded on the importance of building consumer trust. Social media influencers will stay relevant as long as they are able to build trust and maintain their credibility and audience-perceived authenticity.