The Rise of the Micro Influencer
Influencer marketing and its role in social media is changing – and likely for the better.
Social media continues to be a growing and major game player in influencer marketing and correlating sales. Considering the success of celebrity endorsements through various digital platforms, it is clear that social media and its various celebrity influencers have a huge impact on how and why consumers buy their products. A 2017 insight report conducted by Gartner L2, a business intelligence firm which measures the digital performance of brands, found that on average, 70 percent of labels in various industries had partnerships with influencers on Instagram.
These numbers can’t go unnoticed. They are huge and play a big role in the marketing game – but at what cost?
Think back to famous fashion designer Virgil Abloh’s famous “The Ten” Air Jordan 1 shoe design. You might remember that it gained its mass appeal from an influx of celebrities who promoted the shoes on social media for the world to see. Such noted celebs included Travis Scott, Drake, Bella Hadid, and Naomi Campbell among others. These endorsements drew consumers in, creating mass success through major influencers with millions of followers.
It’s true that influencers have a huge impact on driving sales and producing results. We can see this from the worldwide success of brands like Nike and Adidas, who have famously endorsed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kanye West, LeBron James, and a whole slew of other world-famous influencers. There’s no sugarcoating the fact that influencers play a huge role in brand success. This is because influencers can connect with people in a way that sparks passion. And curiosity – something most brands simply can’t do on their own.
But is there only so much celebrity influencers can do? Are celebrity endorsements always a surefire way to get consumers to convert? As social media and the digital space continue to grow and evolve. It seems that consumers are slowly straying away from the large endorsements. So often taken on by celebrities and are looking for something more: meaning.