All right, I'm gonna admit up front that this post is gonna be tough for me to write without an obvious bias. As I read this 60 minutes transcript I felt like I had suddenly been transported back to 1999 - 2003, some of the worst years of my life...otherwise known as High School.
I understand that being a social media influencer is a legitimate way to make money these days, and that all kinds of people are successful at it. The people highlighted in this article reminded me strongly of the cool kids I used to be tortured by, but I understand that isn't a completely fair comparison. It's simply a visceral response.
This type of marketing is honestly pretty brilliant, even if I don't want to admit it. These kids (just generalizing, most "influencers" are pretty young) make money almost out of thin air. Using just a mobile phone usually, they take photos, record videos, create podcasts, and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not aware of, and they use that content to attracted thousands or millions of followers, which then makes them attractive to brands as somewhat unofficial ambassadors. This strategy is also so smart because it gives the impression of the coveted "authenticity". Nobody likes to be sold something; they want to discover some cool product because some other cool person introduced them to it. Influencer marketing capitalizes on all of this.
When it comes to the overall marketing universe though, influencers still play a side roll. No company is going to put all their eggs into the basket of some 22 year old YouTuber. But as a part of a comprehensive marketing plan, using an influencer can make a huge difference, especially for smaller brands that don't have the resources to spend on large print, digital or television advertising.
Influencers impact the relationship between company and consumer in an interesting way. Essentially, they are a middle man, but to consumers it doesn't come off that way. Again, influencers are like your friends, or like the cool kids you wish you could be. When you see them use a product, you don't think,"Oh, Pepsi is paying them to drink that," you just have a sense that cool people drink Pepsi. It's a very subtle but very effective technique.
Look, I think my disdain for influencers is pretty evident here, but I don't have to like them to recognize their worth. As someone who now does marketing as a part of their job, I can't afford to ignore any marketing technique that works, especially one that requires so little investment of time or resources. My employer, a small botanical garden and nature preserve, could definitely benefit from some of the "the cool kids" spreading the word about what we offer. I know a lot of the weddings we host come to us because someone saw beautiful wedding photos on Facebook or Instagram and just had to know where they were taken. So as I go forward in this new role and new (to me) world of marketing, I'm going to be keeping an eye out for anyone with that "it" factor that might be willing to use it for the good of my little nonprofit.
I understand that being a social media influencer is a legitimate way to make money these days, and that all kinds of people are successful at it. The people highlighted in this article reminded me strongly of the cool kids I used to be tortured by, but I understand that isn't a completely fair comparison. It's simply a visceral response.
This type of marketing is honestly pretty brilliant, even if I don't want to admit it. These kids (just generalizing, most "influencers" are pretty young) make money almost out of thin air. Using just a mobile phone usually, they take photos, record videos, create podcasts, and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not aware of, and they use that content to attracted thousands or millions of followers, which then makes them attractive to brands as somewhat unofficial ambassadors. This strategy is also so smart because it gives the impression of the coveted "authenticity". Nobody likes to be sold something; they want to discover some cool product because some other cool person introduced them to it. Influencer marketing capitalizes on all of this.
When it comes to the overall marketing universe though, influencers still play a side roll. No company is going to put all their eggs into the basket of some 22 year old YouTuber. But as a part of a comprehensive marketing plan, using an influencer can make a huge difference, especially for smaller brands that don't have the resources to spend on large print, digital or television advertising.
Influencers impact the relationship between company and consumer in an interesting way. Essentially, they are a middle man, but to consumers it doesn't come off that way. Again, influencers are like your friends, or like the cool kids you wish you could be. When you see them use a product, you don't think,"Oh, Pepsi is paying them to drink that," you just have a sense that cool people drink Pepsi. It's a very subtle but very effective technique.
Look, I think my disdain for influencers is pretty evident here, but I don't have to like them to recognize their worth. As someone who now does marketing as a part of their job, I can't afford to ignore any marketing technique that works, especially one that requires so little investment of time or resources. My employer, a small botanical garden and nature preserve, could definitely benefit from some of the "the cool kids" spreading the word about what we offer. I know a lot of the weddings we host come to us because someone saw beautiful wedding photos on Facebook or Instagram and just had to know where they were taken. So as I go forward in this new role and new (to me) world of marketing, I'm going to be keeping an eye out for anyone with that "it" factor that might be willing to use it for the good of my little nonprofit.
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