An Influencer’s World

One of the most powerful tools in a marketers’ toolbox is the use of influencers. Influencers have established a connection and level of trust with their audience that a marketer never will, and with that comes massive power. There’s a right and wrong way to go about utilizing the world of influencers, and it’s a fine line marketers walk every day.

There seems to be a negative connotation when it comes to ‘influencers’. It’s either we’re all jealous because we want to get paid to talk about the free stuff we are sent (me), or we feel like we’re constantly being sold something in an inauthentic way (also me). I can’t scroll through Instagram anymore without being bombarded by posts trying to get me to try some new fad that every other influencer is pushing as well. And it’s this kind of influencing that leads to bad reputations. If done well and with the right influencer, brands can build off a level of established trust and tap into a network much stronger than just trying to appeal to the masses. 

So what is an influencer? The textbook definition is someone with the power to affect the purchasing decisions because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with the audience. Often we think of these people as bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, or just someone with a lot of social media followers. But the key part of the definition of an influencer is that it must be someone who holds power, influence, or a platform. Anyone could have a lot of followers or subscribers, but not everyone has a following. Not everyone holds the power over others to be able to change their behavior. 

The original influencer as we know them today is about as old as the internet itself. The introduction of the internet to society provided an opportunity to connect with people we’d never meet, from anywhere in the world. It started with message boards and communities would build from there where eventually companies began to ‘eSeed’ and reach out to message board moderators or MySpace celebrities asking them to share brand content in exchange for gift cards or promo codes (if only they had known they could have cashed in much bigger). While the idea of MySpace (RIP) and message boards seem like a distant memory, the process remains the same — find the person that people trust and get them on board with your product. 

There are different types and tiers of influencers and there are advantages and disadvantages to each. And not to be that person, but who remembers the ‘Emily in Paris’ episode where she goes to an event strictly created for every kind of influencer to post content about the brand and was shamed for being a ‘nobody’ influencer. While I can’t speak to if people are shamed for being nobodies, I can speak to the different levels of influencer. With mega influencers comes a big audience, as these are usually celebrities, musicians, or athletes. While brands love the idea of a lot of eyes on their products, often these audiences are too diverse and the message ends up being too generic to strongly resonate with anyone (plus these partnerships can often cost up to $1 million a post). The next step down would be a macro-influencer. There are more options when it comes to macro-influencers, but the network can still be too big to make it worthwhile. The sweet spot often falls with the micro-influencers. They have built their following up over the years and are often known for their knowledge on a specific topic, solidifying a trusting relationship with their audience. While these audiences can sometimes be small, if it is exactly who you want to target, it shouldn’t matter. Even more niche than micro-influencers are nano-influencers. They may have a smaller following than any of us (think 1,000 to 5,000), but they are an expert and go-to source for their topic, giving them immense influential power. 

Immense influential power has a beautiful ring to it, doesn’t it? At the end of the day, the job of a marketer is to get people to move, and unfortunately for them, consumers know this. So instead of a brand telling you they think you’d love their product, wouldn’t you rather it hear from someone you trust? When someone follows an influencer, there is usually an established level of trust between them which means they will be more likely to believe what they’re saying or selling, and this is the power of networks. When I follow an influencer, it is because I subscribe to their ideals and beliefs. I see myself in them. So when they recommend a product because they loved it, then I’ll probably love it too. This method won’t always work, consumers aren’t dumb, but this more targeted form of marketing is more effective than broadcasting a message to the masses and hoping someone picks up on it. Because of this phenomenon, the industry, the way we shop, and the way we live are all different. And with these changes came consequences. Eventually, the Federal Trade Commission stepped in to protect consumers against fraudulent advertising and that’s why we see ‘#ad’ everywhere. Influencers began to have too much power when consumers took their word for everything, so now they have to disclose that a partnership exists and that they are being paid to talk about the product (Fyre Festival, anyone?). This took away a level of authenticity. Someone you thought was just sharing a product they liked is actually being paid to do it and they may not even use the product, leading to mistrust and ineffectiveness. This was a big blow to marketers. They had thought they found the answer to their problems, but then things changed and became challenging again. But influencing isn’t dead, in fact, it’s thriving — if you do it the right way.

The key to influencer marketing is authenticity. It shouldn’t feel like someone is selling a product to anyone who will listen, but informing a close friend of something they think will help them. It should be an equal partnership where brands want an influencer who loves their product and believes in their message, and influencers should only want to promote things they have confidence in. An influencer’s reputation can affect a brand just as much as a brand’s reputation can affect an influencer, so these partnerships shouldn’t be entered into on a whim. Brands and influencers should have similar styles, tones, and interests. It wouldn’t make sense for a fitness influencer who preaches body positivity to market a diet pill, just as it would feel out of place for a fashion blogger to promote cooking recipes. Brands need to find their niche and network they want to tap into and then approach the influencer who can get them there.

So while we all may hate the amount of sponsored content we see across our platforms, if you follow the right influencers you may be seeing the exact products you need. Anytime a friend recommends a product to you, you’re being influenced. So are we all influencers? (Technically yes, but with a smaller reach and a smaller bank account). The power of word-of-mouth marketing has been around for as long as people could talk. We listened to the door-to-door vacuum salesman, we attended our friends Mary Kay or Tupperware parties, and now we swipe up on links on Instagram. We are surrounded by influencers. Everyone in our network has the potential to be an influencer, which can be a very exciting, and potentially terrifying, realization for marketers.