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!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Lifestyle & Niche Media Blog 4, Question 3 (Feb. 20th)
How are brands and advertisers using
social media influencers to target audiences? What are the plusses and minuses
of using YouTubers and Instagram stars to promote products?
For a very long time the use of celebrities for advertising has been very effective. Celebrity endorsements make consumers think ‘well if they like this product, I might too, and so I should try it”. That is a very effective method, however, as the definition of what a celebrity is changes, so should how advertisers use them.
Perhaps there is no better case study for this concept than the largest YouTuber Pewdiepie. This is because what advertisers have to understand is when they use internet influencers their baggage comes with them. For instance, looking at the article “Pewdiepie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands” by Sami Main for Adweek we see Main highlight some of the less savory past of Pewdiepie as an example as to why influencer relations are risky. That being said I think this article highlights an even bigger issue than that, that advertisers need to do their own research. The unsavory past Main highlighted was an out of context hit piece by The Washington Post on the YouTuber, which is to say most of it wasn’t true if you actually watched his videos. Jumping to know from that incident and when this article was written we can see that Pewdiepie is doing just fine, has learned to compensate for being removed from the Google preferred ads list and is still getting partnerships with brands (He was recently flown to Japan to work with Sanrio for the launch of their new character Aggretsuko).
Taking this idea further, looking at the “Forbes Top Influencers: Meet the 30 Social Media Stars of Fashion, Parenting and Pets (Yes, Pets)” by Clare O’Connor for Forbes published in September of 2017, the stand out inclusion on this list for me is Logan Paul. This list of course was published before the several controversies he found himself in at the beginning of 2018, however this then highlights how quickly the image of these influencers can change.
That being said, there are also extreme positives to using influencers for advertising. Looking at the CBS article written by Lauren Meltzer called “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising” we see that if brands select the influencers they work with effectively they typically see “a 30 per cent lift in engagement in overall ROI” (Meltzer). This is substantial when considering that in other mediums advertisement effectiveness has seen a decrease. The article also brings up how in some cases it is easier for companies to target specific audiences for their product because influencers have very specific and niche audiences. As compared to TV for instance where you generally know your audience but it’s not always as specific. With YouTube’s analytics you can get very specific with audiences, similarly with other social media platforms.
Works Cited: Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
O'Connor, Clare. “Forbes Top Influencers: Meet The 30 Social Media Stars Of Fashion, Parenting And Pets (Yes, Pets).” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Sept. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/09/26/forbes-top-influencers-fashion-pets-parenting/#75736b957683.
In Today's advertisement market the landscape has changed dramatically recently in this age of social media expansion. Companies are using people know as "Social Influencers" or "Social Media Influencers" these people could be one of many things. Anyone on Instagram or YouTube primarily that makes videos and has a legitimate following of fans that continuously watch their posted content. According to CBS MoneyWatch ", each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more." In modern media, someone on one of these platforms can have more viewers than television ads, so companies are adapting to the times and using these influencers to spearhead some of their new marketing now and in the coming future.
Social Media influence can be big business these days considering the number of money advertisers will spend for sponsored posts, according to CBS News "Beyoncé can earn up to $1 million for each post." When people are willing to pay this kind of money for social media advertisement, you can see how the business is expanding, and influencers have more importance. Another example of this is Cameron Dallas who has over 20 million followers and is considered to be one of the biggest social media influencers today according to CBS News.
Using influences that have made their fame via Instagram or YouTube can be a good or bad thing. On the right side of this, the young stars have a loyal following of mainly a younger fan base that is very connected to them via social media. They also have an even more significant impact because their profile can continuously be viewed with their posts viewable anytime whereas any TV commercial or billboard advertisement will come and go and not able to be seen multiple times. On the contrary side of this, these young influencers will not be very connected to the older population. The market of people that did not grow up in this favorite social media age is a large one, and I do not think they could effectively reach this audience. Also, there can be a backlash from sponsoring these young influencers because they are not monitored on what they will post or how they will keep their image clean for the public. An example of this is YouTube star Jake Paul who videoed a dead body in Japan causing outrage among fans and will tarnish anyone's reputation-making unfortunate decisions. Another minus to using these influencers is that it is almost uncharted territory because the world of using these people is somewhat unknown but it seems to be the future of advertisement for different businesses betting on the fact these people will help them market their product through outlets that are not traditional compared to advertising in the past.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising .” CBS News.
News, CBS. “Top Social Media Influencers of 2018.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/pictures/social-media-influencers-influential-2018/2/. “Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer.” CBS News.
I think the use of social media influencers to promote different brands is fostering a brand new way of targeting potential consumers. We view celebrities are admirers and people we trust, so when they enforce a product, we trust them enough to try the product for ourselves. A problem does arise though when these influencers are willing to promote anything for the money and sponsorship deals. An article from Racked describes the different levels of influencers. “Influencers come in various tiers based on their followings. A cast member on a reality TV show can typically expect to fall in the micro-influencer range, with anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000 followers” (Krupnick 2017). It isn’t very typically that you see A-List celebrities becoming influencers, because the likelihood of fostering a sense of a relationship with them is minimal.
Recently I have been heavily involved in companies using social media influencers to promote their brand. I think that this marketing tactic fosters a sense of trust and community between the influencer and the consumer. In fact, I have been asked by a jewelry company to promote their products so I understand how the process works and what the benefits are. This method actually benefits both parties involved. The company gave me a coupon code to give to my follows, and every time they use the code, I get 20% of the profits. The buyer also receives 20% off their purchase, so it’s a win-win.
YouTubers are also really great with product placement, whether they are being sponsored or not. Most of the time they share with people what products they are using and what clothes they are wearing. Even times companies will find out about how these people are endorsing their products and offer them a deal. An AdWeek article discusses this as “whether or not you work with [influencers] for paid marketing or happen to advertise on their videos, the standard of vetting should only be getting higher” (Main 2017).
Before Instagram/YouTube users start endorsing brands, they have to realize that they themselves are a brand to begin with. We as users look to certain influencers for guidance on different accounts. For example, if I’m looking for fitness inspiration ill look to Kayla Itsnes but if I’m looking for beauty advice I’m going to look towards Olivia Jade. I think that it is super important that brands know what influencers to target. If an influencer that I trust starts promoting products that I feel aren’t genuine, I begin to lose trust in them. A CBS article states, “They brand themselves within a specific industry by promoting content that coincides with their values and interests. For example, someone who correlates with fashion would be more inclined to promote a clothing company's T-shirt as opposed to a travel agency's sale on a vacation package to an exotic destination” (Meltzer 2018).
Social media influencing becomes an issue when the message comes as ingenuine. After following an influencer for so you, you develop a sense of relationship with them and you feel that you know and understand them. Therefore, once someone posts something that you feel doesn’t fit their platform, it starts to taint their image. If an influencer is true to themselves and their brand, they are more successful than those who will promote anything for a deal.
Works Cited
Krupnick, Ellie. “The Sneaky Allure of the 'Bachelor' Instagram Influencer.” Racked, Racked, 27 Dec. 2017, www.racked.com/2017/12/27/16307098/bachelor-instagram-influencers-ads.
Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
While the world of celebrity spokespeople has existed for quite some time, brands and advertisers are turning to a relatively new form of celebrity-driven advertising through social media influencers (Glazer). Use of social media influencers to penetrate niche markets is called influencer marketing (Glazer).
One of the draws to influencer marketing is this access to specific circles. When influencers use social media to directly interact with an audience, they gain a large and devoted base interested in their area of expertise (Glazer). Companies then pay these influencers to use, review, or promote their product. The fact that the influencer has built a reputation in the field of what is advertised, coupled with the potential viral conversation that comes with the territory of social media is very attractive to advertisers (Glazer). On top of that, it provides a way to track the buzz as interactions can be seen as statistics (Glazer).
According to Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, it will soon be hard to find brands that don’t include influencer marketing as part of their advertising strategy (Glazer). However, this method is not without its problems.
One of the most glaring examples of this is Youtube star PewDiePie. As a person who follows Youtube, I often wondered how companies could back him with many of the anti-semitic jokes he would make. But when the Wall Street Journal picked up on it, the support of the brands he was tied to did not last long (Main). Disney and Youtube were quick to cut him out of their marketing plans (Main).
James Nord, CEO of Fohr Card summed up the risks well. “Any brand buying ads against an influencer, or working with them on a campaign, takes a risk of putting themselves into an influencer’s hand,” (Main) he said.
Because of this, it is very important for agencies to make sure they are vetting the content of the personalities they choose to associate their product with (Main).
Although the marketing technique is still developing and difficult to predict, Dominique Jackson provides some insight into the future in his blog, “Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2018.”
The first thing on Jackson’s list is transparency. The FTC put its foot down on influencers and companies who promoted products without informing the audience in 2017 and it’s going to force companies to follow the law which requires companies to inform the consumers of what content is sponsored (Jackson).
He also forecasts a spread of influencer marketing to more platforms from majority Instagram and Youtube. Jackson also predicts better use of influencer marketing tools, further measurement of ROI (tracking how much a user brings in to the company), use of creative content instead of ads for marketing, a larger pool of influencers, a stronger push to YouTube, and an end to one time transactions as payment for influencers (Jackson).
Glazer, Mikey. "Social Media Influencers Stump for More Seamless Product Placement," The Wrap 6 Feb. 2018. Web.
With the emergence of numerous platforms of social media into the hands of mainstream audiences, has also come the ability for advertisers to reach out to more specific audiences through these digital platforms. Specifically, we’ve seen this through the use of social media influencers. In discussing these influencers, Lauren Meltzer of CBS News states, “Influencers can be fitness gurus, gaming addicts, beauty bloggers, fashionistas, foodies, travel experts, etc. They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement.” In terms of how they influence, Meltzer states, “Influencers use social media platforms to connect with their audience on a personal level. They brand themselves within a specific industry by promoting content that coincides with their values and interests.” With such an established prescence among what range from thousands to millions of individual followers, brands and advertisers are now able to use these individuals to connect to a more niche audience with their product or service. They’ll use influencers to mention/endorse their product through whatever platform or platforms they may be dominant on. As stated in a New York Times from Nicholas Confessore, Gabriel J.X. Dance, Richard Harris And Mark Hansen, “According to data collected by Captiv8, a company that connects influencers to brands, an influencer with 100,000 followers might earn an average of $2,000 for a promotional tweet, while an influencer with a million followers might earn $20,000.”
While this form of advertising is fairly new, it’s become a booming new industry for advertisers and influencers. One of these influencers, Ryan Clark, is but one of many but completely changed career paths to find success in this industry. (CBS News) He states, "We have a set influence over the people who follow us in that regard. They want to aspire to do the things that we're doing or go to places that we're going or wear the clothing that we wear." Clark continued, "Managing engagement, managing my followers, managing my brand placement, my partnerships, all of those different things -- it's a full-time job. And I wish there were two of me. I would probably make a lot more money if there were two of me."(CBS News) Of course, if we’ve learned over the entire history of endorsements, they can always go south. We’ve seen recent cases where popular YouTube stars such as PewDiePie and Logan Paul face large backlash from controversial videos they’ve posted. In the resulting backlash, they both were dropped from the Google Preffered program, “a lucrative advertising network for certain YouTube channels that results in members having more favorable ad rates” (Berg). In these cases, we see the negative effects to these various influencers having their names associated with various brands. Many of these influencers are less-regulated to a certain degree with their original content, as noted with the controvery surrounding the two YouTube stars previously mentioned. This can lead to overall public image for both the influencer and the associated company, who usually would cut any ties with said influencer in the process.
Author Unknown. “Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer.” CBS News. Sept. 23, 2017
Confessore, Nicholas, J.X. Dance,Gabriel, Harris, Richard, Hansen, Mark. “The Follower Factory” Jan 27, 2018 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/27/technology/social-media-bots.html
Berg, Madeline.“Logan Paul May Have Been Dropped By YouTube, But He’ll Still Make Millions” Forbes. Jan 11, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2018/01/11/logan-paul-may-have-been-dropped-by-youtube-but-hell-still-make-millions/#5a67baf814fe
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
Using public figures to advertise products is nothing new to the business, and with social media proving itself to be the next frontier in content generation amongst young people, it is only natural that the millions of people that make up the audiences of famous Internet personalities like Jake Paul and PewDiePie would choose these personalities as conduits of advertising. While this has created a new industry in the Internet age, the aforementioned personalities sell their audiences to advertisers without thinking of the consequences their content may bring forth. As Sami Main writes for Adweek, “Wijesinghe suggests marketers spend time vetting influencers before placing ads against them or working with them for sponsored content to make sure their values are well aligned. He also recommends that brands monitor influencers after a campaign is over to make sure the messaging doesn’t slip.“Influencers become inextricably tied to brands that advertise with them,”Wijesinghe said.” (Main) I believe this to be an important point of the article – it is ultimately the responsibility of the advertisers to properly source influencers on Instagram. Influencers are not professionals, and in many cases achieve notoriety through grassroots exposure and original content generation. Many early Internet personalities formed on Youtube, which has become a platform for certain content creators who have become publicized celebrities in their own right, generating lucrative incomes from advertising and endorsements that they have hold much leverage and power in their relationship with advertisers. (Clay) Brands must be able to find only the most suitable influencers to synergize with the product, as the influencer is already obliged to create content that generates the response that advertisers pay for in the first place. On top of that, companies are given more exposure to begin with through the constantly updating feeds across the social media platforms influencer market on. When these obligations to representing companies on a widely accessible platform are ignored, it can create disastrous consequences for the influencer, as in the case of PewDiePie, who failed to see that “Death To All Jews” would not sit well with at least a couple of the 53 million subscribers he has, and is this ultimately conducive to the higher stakes advertisers are subject to when hiring influencers with an especially large amount of followers. In an interview for CBS News, Lauren Meltzer writes, “"If we match back the brand's personality to the influencer's personality, we're seeing a 30 percent lift in engagement in overall ROI [return on investment]," he continued. "All of these things allow for you to activate the best social influencer and then track back to see if it had some sort of impact… He urges advertisers to target the macro tier, which includes influencers who typically maintain 50,000 to 2 million followers.”(Meltzer) This level of intimate access between influencer and audience allows for an unprecedented foray into targeted advertising, as followers and subscribers are motivated through their own volition and/or fandom to continue to consume advertising content through these influencers.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/. Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/. Clay. “Is there a dark side to social media influencers?” The Stream - Al Jazeera English, 30 Jan. 2018, stream.aljazeera.com/story/201801311930-0025583.
Celebrity endorsements have always been an effective and successful way for companies and brands to advertise and market their products. When an item has the endorsement of a celebrity, it makes the consumer believe that if they buy this product, they will have some type of connection with that celebrity; it makes them believe, if this product is good enough for ‘insert celebrity name’, it is good enough for me too.
With social media being accessible to almost everyone, that basically means almost anyone can be an influencer. Influencers range from bloggers, fashionistas, travel experts, etc., and they typically have a large following. Lauren Meltzer’s stated in her article, ‘Social media “influencers” and a new twist to advertising’, “They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement. Generally speaking, each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more”.
Many brands and advertisers have been using social media influencers as a way to target certain audiences and demographics of consumers. However, the question of ‘How are brands using influencers to target audiences’ has come up. Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, gave readers an insight as to how this is done. He stated, “We have created a multistep process where it's not just influencer marketing. But instead, we're using our technology, our data, to provide the most transparent sites to deliver on a campaign. If we match back the brand's personality to the influencer's personality, we're seeing a 30 percent lift in engagement in overall ROI [return on investment]. All of these things allow for you to activate the best social influencer and then track back to see if it had some sort of impact."
However, even with learning more about how brands choose their influencers some consumers and companies are still on the fence about this business technique. Its gotten so much buzz that social networks such as Instagram added a feature that displays a “paid partnership” header for when a commercial relationship exist between and brand/company and an influencer (CBS News). I think it is important for social forums to hold their users whom are influencers responsible to making it known when they are in fact endorsing and are being compensated for doing so because it keeps the consumer aware that this is an ‘endorsement’ rather than just an influencer saying ‘I like this product’.
With that being said, there are many pros and cons when it comes to social influencers promoting products. A con of using a Youtuber or Instagram star to promote products would be that consumers/fans could feel that the partnership is inauthentic. “With more and more influencers partnering with brands, consumers are starting to catch on. Be careful in how the influencer promotes your brand. If it seems inauthentic, it won't resonate with their followers and will seem like the influencer has sold out” (Patel). Their have been several times when I’m scrolling down my news feed and will see a certain influencer endorsing a product and the first thought that comes to my mind is “this influencer is only doing this to get a check, and not because they truly believe in this product”. I think its important for influencers and companies who have a partnership to truly believe in the brand and actually use the product they are endorsing; because lying to your fan base is a quick way to lose support and jeopardize your reputation as an influencer.
But, there are still many pros when it comes to using influencers to promote a product, one of the best pros being that the company will have access to potentially powerful results. Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz stated, “"An influencer promoting and amplifying your message, your brand, to their audience means credibility, it means additional reach and it means you get an outsized modifier to the conversion process” (Patel). If consumers feel that the influencer is truly supporting this brand, and not only endorsing it for compensation purposes, they will mostly purchase this product. This is beneficial for the influencer and the company as it gives more data as to whom your targeted demographic is and how to cater to their desires.
Over all, I think social media influencers hold a great deal on influencing how regular consumers purchase certain products. Their partnerships with companies have been a smart business deal for both parties; however, I think that it is up to us as consumers to keep these companies and influencers honest.
Works Cited "Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer," CBS News 23 Sept. 2017. Web. Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/. Patel, Sujan. "Should You Pay For Social Influencers? The Pros And Cons Of Paid Promotions." Inc.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Brands and advertisers are reaching younger audiences using the direct pipeline that is their favorite social media influencers/personalities. Lauren Meltzer defines a social media influencer/personality in her CBS MoneyWatch article Social media “influencers” add a new twist to advertising as, “Influencers can be fitness gurus, gaming addicts, beauty bloggers, fashionistas, foodies, travel experts, etc. They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement. Generally speaking, each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more.” The ability for advertisers to connect with and have a strong relationship with social media influencers paints them in the same positive light that audiences view their favorite social media stars in.
There is a tremendous amount of upside to building a relationship with influencers for advertisers. To begin, social media influencers have a greater amount of support from the individuals who follow them than a star who is famous from traditional media platform such as film or television. When an advertiser is supporting a social media influencer financially it can feel as though, for the audience, that the advertiser is supporting a friend so that they can make the content they want to make. The loyalty that social media stars get can also translate to more sales. If a fan knows that the discount code they use for a website leads to helping out their favorite YouTuber then it is in their own interest to use the discount code for this service as opposed to a competing service that may provide similar deals and products.
But because of the closeness that audiences feel towards their favorite social media influencers some may also feel as though their ‘friend’ is selling out when they take on a sponsorship that is not on brand or seems to be a money grab. Another reason why using social media influencers can be a double-edged sword is because of the lessened control over a message as well as the association with a person who has a medium to say whatever they want. A Podcast host can say whatever they like during an Ad-read and could possibly upset an advertiser or misconstrue the message. If the advertiser reacts by dropping an influencer the influencer then can tell their audiences this and their advertiser risks losing that audience’s future business. The lack of control over a message when the middle man is an influencer can be demonstrated by both the PewDiePie and Logan Paul incidents.
Advertisers have so much to gain from the relationships they create with influencers, but this practice requires strong vetting, excellent communication, and trust. It may not always be best to choose an influencer just based on their numbers, but rather advertisers should look at their character.
Main, Sami. "Pewdiepie And The Potential Dangers Of Social Influencer Marketing For Brands." Adweek.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Meltzer, Lauren. "Social Media "Influencers" Add A New Twist To Advertising." Cbsnews.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Vincent, James. "Youtube Suspends Logan Paul’S Ad Revenue, Blames ‘Recent Pattern Of Behavior’." Theverge.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
For a very long time the use of celebrities for advertising has been very effective. Celebrity endorsements make consumers think ‘well if they like this product, I might too, and so I should try it”. That is a very effective method, however, as the definition of what a celebrity is changes, so should how advertisers use them.
ReplyDeletePerhaps there is no better case study for this concept than the largest YouTuber Pewdiepie. This is because what advertisers have to understand is when they use internet influencers their baggage comes with them. For instance, looking at the article “Pewdiepie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands” by Sami Main for Adweek we see Main highlight some of the less savory past of Pewdiepie as an example as to why influencer relations are risky. That being said I think this article highlights an even bigger issue than that, that advertisers need to do their own research. The unsavory past Main highlighted was an out of context hit piece by The Washington Post on the YouTuber, which is to say most of it wasn’t true if you actually watched his videos. Jumping to know from that incident and when this article was written we can see that Pewdiepie is doing just fine, has learned to compensate for being removed from the Google preferred ads list and is still getting partnerships with brands (He was recently flown to Japan to work with Sanrio for the launch of their new character Aggretsuko).
Taking this idea further, looking at the “Forbes Top Influencers: Meet the 30 Social Media Stars of Fashion, Parenting and Pets (Yes, Pets)” by Clare O’Connor for Forbes published in September of 2017, the stand out inclusion on this list for me is Logan Paul. This list of course was published before the several controversies he found himself in at the beginning of 2018, however this then highlights how quickly the image of these influencers can change.
That being said, there are also extreme positives to using influencers for advertising. Looking at the CBS article written by Lauren Meltzer called “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising” we see that if brands select the influencers they work with effectively they typically see “a 30 per cent lift in engagement in overall ROI” (Meltzer). This is substantial when considering that in other mediums advertisement effectiveness has seen a decrease. The article also brings up how in some cases it is easier for companies to target specific audiences for their product because influencers have very specific and niche audiences. As compared to TV for instance where you generally know your audience but it’s not always as specific. With YouTube’s analytics you can get very specific with audiences, similarly with other social media platforms.
Works Cited:
Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
O'Connor, Clare. “Forbes Top Influencers: Meet The 30 Social Media Stars Of Fashion, Parenting And Pets (Yes, Pets).” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Sept. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/09/26/forbes-top-influencers-fashion-pets-parenting/#75736b957683.
In Today's advertisement market the landscape has changed dramatically recently in this age of social media expansion. Companies are using people know as "Social Influencers" or "Social Media Influencers" these people could be one of many things. Anyone on Instagram or YouTube primarily that makes videos and has a legitimate following of fans that continuously watch their posted content. According to CBS MoneyWatch ", each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more." In modern media, someone on one of these platforms can have more viewers than television ads, so companies are adapting to the times and using these influencers to spearhead some of their new marketing now and in the coming future.
ReplyDeleteSocial Media influence can be big business these days considering the number of money advertisers will spend for sponsored posts, according to CBS News "Beyoncé can earn up to $1 million for each post." When people are willing to pay this kind of money for social media advertisement, you can see how the business is expanding, and influencers have more importance. Another example of this is Cameron Dallas who has over 20 million followers and is considered to be one of the biggest social media influencers today according to CBS News.
Using influences that have made their fame via Instagram or YouTube can be a good or bad thing. On the right side of this, the young stars have a loyal following of mainly a younger fan base that is very connected to them via social media. They also have an even more significant impact because their profile can continuously be viewed with their posts viewable anytime whereas any TV commercial or billboard advertisement will come and go and not able to be seen multiple times. On the contrary side of this, these young influencers will not be very connected to the older population. The market of people that did not grow up in this favorite social media age is a large one, and I do not think they could effectively reach this audience. Also, there can be a backlash from sponsoring these young influencers because they are not monitored on what they will post or how they will keep their image clean for the public. An example of this is YouTube star Jake Paul who videoed a dead body in Japan causing outrage among fans and will tarnish anyone's reputation-making unfortunate decisions. Another minus to using these influencers is that it is almost uncharted territory because the world of using these people is somewhat unknown but it seems to be the future of advertisement for different businesses betting on the fact these people will help them market their product through outlets that are not traditional compared to advertising in the past.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising .” CBS News.
News, CBS. “Top Social Media Influencers of 2018.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/pictures/social-media-influencers-influential-2018/2/.
“Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer.” CBS News.
I think the use of social media influencers to promote different brands is fostering a brand new way of targeting potential consumers. We view celebrities are admirers and people we trust, so when they enforce a product, we trust them enough to try the product for ourselves. A problem does arise though when these influencers are willing to promote anything for the money and sponsorship deals. An article from Racked describes the different levels of influencers. “Influencers come in various tiers based on their followings. A cast member on a reality TV show can typically expect to fall in the micro-influencer range, with anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000 followers” (Krupnick 2017). It isn’t very typically that you see A-List celebrities becoming influencers, because the likelihood of fostering a sense of a relationship with them is minimal.
ReplyDeleteRecently I have been heavily involved in companies using social media influencers to promote their brand. I think that this marketing tactic fosters a sense of trust and community between the influencer and the consumer. In fact, I have been asked by a jewelry company to promote their products so I understand how the process works and what the benefits are. This method actually benefits both parties involved. The company gave me a coupon code to give to my follows, and every time they use the code, I get 20% of the profits. The buyer also receives 20% off their purchase, so it’s a win-win.
YouTubers are also really great with product placement, whether they are being sponsored or not. Most of the time they share with people what products they are using and what clothes they are wearing. Even times companies will find out about how these people are endorsing their products and offer them a deal. An AdWeek article discusses this as “whether or not you work with [influencers] for paid marketing or happen to advertise on their videos, the standard of vetting should only be getting higher” (Main 2017).
Before Instagram/YouTube users start endorsing brands, they have to realize that they themselves are a brand to begin with. We as users look to certain influencers for guidance on different accounts. For example, if I’m looking for fitness inspiration ill look to Kayla Itsnes but if I’m looking for beauty advice I’m going to look towards Olivia Jade. I think that it is super important that brands know what influencers to target. If an influencer that I trust starts promoting products that I feel aren’t genuine, I begin to lose trust in them. A CBS article states, “They brand themselves within a specific industry by promoting content that coincides with their values and interests. For example, someone who correlates with fashion would be more inclined to promote a clothing company's T-shirt as opposed to a travel agency's sale on a vacation package to an exotic destination” (Meltzer 2018).
Social media influencing becomes an issue when the message comes as ingenuine. After following an influencer for so you, you develop a sense of relationship with them and you feel that you know and understand them. Therefore, once someone posts something that you feel doesn’t fit their platform, it starts to taint their image. If an influencer is true to themselves and their brand, they are more successful than those who will promote anything for a deal.
Works Cited
Krupnick, Ellie. “The Sneaky Allure of the 'Bachelor' Instagram Influencer.” Racked, Racked, 27 Dec. 2017, www.racked.com/2017/12/27/16307098/bachelor-instagram-influencers-ads.
Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
While the world of celebrity spokespeople has existed for quite some time, brands and advertisers are turning to a relatively new form of celebrity-driven advertising through social media influencers (Glazer). Use of social media influencers to penetrate niche markets is called influencer marketing (Glazer).
ReplyDeleteOne of the draws to influencer marketing is this access to specific circles. When influencers use social media to directly interact with an audience, they gain a large and devoted base interested in their area of expertise (Glazer). Companies then pay these influencers to use, review, or promote their product. The fact that the influencer has built a reputation in the field of what is advertised, coupled with the potential viral conversation that comes with the territory of social media is very attractive to advertisers (Glazer). On top of that, it provides a way to track the buzz as interactions can be seen as statistics (Glazer).
According to Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, it will soon be hard to find brands that don’t include influencer marketing as part of their advertising strategy (Glazer). However, this method is not without its problems.
One of the most glaring examples of this is Youtube star PewDiePie. As a person who follows Youtube, I often wondered how companies could back him with many of the anti-semitic jokes he would make. But when the Wall Street Journal picked up on it, the support of the brands he was tied to did not last long (Main). Disney and Youtube were quick to cut him out of their marketing plans (Main).
James Nord, CEO of Fohr Card summed up the risks well. “Any brand buying ads against an influencer, or working with them on a campaign, takes a risk of putting themselves into an influencer’s hand,” (Main) he said.
Because of this, it is very important for agencies to make sure they are vetting the content of the personalities they choose to associate their product with (Main).
Although the marketing technique is still developing and difficult to predict, Dominique Jackson provides some insight into the future in his blog, “Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2018.”
The first thing on Jackson’s list is transparency. The FTC put its foot down on influencers and companies who promoted products without informing the audience in 2017 and it’s going to force companies to follow the law which requires companies to inform the consumers of what content is sponsored (Jackson).
He also forecasts a spread of influencer marketing to more platforms from majority Instagram and Youtube. Jackson also predicts better use of influencer marketing tools, further measurement of ROI (tracking how much a user brings in to the company), use of creative content instead of ads for marketing, a larger pool of influencers, a stronger push to YouTube, and an end to one time transactions as payment for influencers (Jackson).
Glazer, Mikey. "Social Media Influencers Stump for More Seamless Product Placement," The Wrap 6 Feb. 2018. Web.
Jackson, Dominique. “Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends for 2018.” Sprout Social, 31 Jan. 2018, sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing/.
Main, Sami. "PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands." Adweek 15 Feb. 2017. Web.
With the emergence of numerous platforms of social media into the hands of mainstream audiences, has also come the ability for advertisers to reach out to more specific audiences through these digital platforms. Specifically, we’ve seen this through the use of social media influencers. In discussing these influencers, Lauren Meltzer of CBS News states, “Influencers can be fitness gurus, gaming addicts, beauty bloggers, fashionistas, foodies, travel experts, etc. They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement.” In terms of how they influence, Meltzer states, “Influencers use social media platforms to connect with their audience on a personal level. They brand themselves within a specific industry by promoting content that coincides with their values and interests.” With such an established prescence among what range from thousands to millions of individual followers, brands and advertisers are now able to use these individuals to connect to a more niche audience with their product or service. They’ll use influencers to mention/endorse their product through whatever platform or platforms they may be dominant on. As stated in a New York Times from Nicholas Confessore, Gabriel J.X. Dance, Richard Harris And Mark Hansen, “According to data collected by Captiv8, a company that connects influencers to brands, an influencer with 100,000 followers might earn an average of $2,000 for a promotional tweet, while an influencer with a million followers might earn $20,000.”
ReplyDeleteWhile this form of advertising is fairly new, it’s become a booming new industry for advertisers and influencers. One of these influencers, Ryan Clark, is but one of many but completely changed career paths to find success in this industry. (CBS News) He states, "We have a set influence over the people who follow us in that regard. They want to aspire to do the things that we're doing or go to places that we're going or wear the clothing that we wear." Clark continued, "Managing engagement, managing my followers, managing my brand placement, my partnerships, all of those different things -- it's a full-time job. And I wish there were two of me. I would probably make a lot more money if there were two of me."(CBS News) Of course, if we’ve learned over the entire history of endorsements, they can always go south. We’ve seen recent cases where popular YouTube stars such as PewDiePie and Logan Paul face large backlash from controversial videos they’ve posted. In the resulting backlash, they both were dropped from the Google Preffered program, “a lucrative advertising network for certain YouTube channels that results in members having more favorable ad rates” (Berg). In these cases, we see the negative effects to these various influencers having their names associated with various brands. Many of these influencers are less-regulated to a certain degree with their original content, as noted with the controvery surrounding the two YouTube stars previously mentioned. This can lead to overall public image for both the influencer and the associated company, who usually would cut any ties with said influencer in the process.
Author Unknown. “Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer.” CBS News. Sept. 23, 2017
Confessore, Nicholas, J.X. Dance,Gabriel, Harris, Richard, Hansen, Mark. “The Follower Factory” Jan 27, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/27/technology/social-media-bots.html
Berg, Madeline.“Logan Paul May Have Been Dropped By YouTube, But He’ll Still Make Millions” Forbes. Jan 11, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2018/01/11/logan-paul-may-have-been-dropped-by-youtube-but-hell-still-make-millions/#5a67baf814fe
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
Using public figures to advertise products is nothing new to the business, and with social media proving itself to be the next frontier in content generation amongst young people, it is only natural that the millions of people that make up the audiences of famous Internet personalities like Jake Paul and PewDiePie would choose these personalities as conduits of advertising. While this has created a new industry in the Internet age, the aforementioned personalities sell their audiences to advertisers without thinking of the consequences their content may bring forth.
ReplyDeleteAs Sami Main writes for Adweek, “Wijesinghe suggests marketers spend time vetting influencers before placing ads against them or working with them for sponsored content to make sure their values are well aligned. He also recommends that brands monitor influencers after a campaign is over to make sure the messaging doesn’t slip.“Influencers become inextricably tied to brands that advertise with them,”Wijesinghe said.” (Main) I believe this to be an important point of the article – it is ultimately the responsibility of the advertisers to properly source influencers on Instagram. Influencers are not professionals, and in many cases achieve notoriety through grassroots exposure and original content generation. Many early Internet personalities formed on Youtube, which has become a platform for certain content creators who have become publicized celebrities in their own right, generating lucrative incomes from advertising and endorsements that they have hold much leverage and power in their relationship with advertisers. (Clay)
Brands must be able to find only the most suitable influencers to synergize with the product, as the influencer is already obliged to create content that generates the response that advertisers pay for in the first place. On top of that, companies are given more exposure to begin with through the constantly updating feeds across the social media platforms influencer market on. When these obligations to representing companies on a widely accessible platform are ignored, it can create disastrous consequences for the influencer, as in the case of PewDiePie, who failed to see that “Death To All Jews” would not sit well with at least a couple of the 53 million subscribers he has, and is this ultimately conducive to the higher stakes advertisers are subject to when hiring influencers with an especially large amount of followers.
In an interview for CBS News, Lauren Meltzer writes, “"If we match back the brand's personality to the influencer's personality, we're seeing a 30 percent lift in engagement in overall ROI [return on investment]," he continued. "All of these things allow for you to activate the best social influencer and then track back to see if it had some sort of impact… He urges advertisers to target the macro tier, which includes influencers who typically maintain 50,000 to 2 million followers.”(Meltzer) This level of intimate access between influencer and audience allows for an unprecedented foray into targeted advertising, as followers and subscribers are motivated through their own volition and/or fandom to continue to consume advertising content through these influencers.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
Main, Sami. “PewDiePie and the Potential Dangers of Social Influencer Marketing for Brands.” – Adweek, Adweek, 14 Feb. 2017, www.adweek.com/digital/pewdiepies-downfall-shows-the-potential-dangers-of-social-influencer-marketing-for-brands/.
Clay. “Is there a dark side to social media influencers?” The Stream - Al Jazeera English, 30 Jan. 2018, stream.aljazeera.com/story/201801311930-0025583.
Celebrity endorsements have always been an effective and successful way for companies and brands to advertise and market their products. When an item has the endorsement of a celebrity, it makes the consumer believe that if they buy this product, they will have some type of connection with that celebrity; it makes them believe, if this product is good enough for ‘insert celebrity name’, it is good enough for me too.
ReplyDeleteWith social media being accessible to almost everyone, that basically means almost anyone can be an influencer. Influencers range from bloggers, fashionistas, travel experts, etc., and they typically have a large following. Lauren Meltzer’s stated in her article, ‘Social media “influencers” and a new twist to advertising’, “They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement. Generally speaking, each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more”.
Many brands and advertisers have been using social media influencers as a way to target certain audiences and demographics of consumers. However, the question of ‘How are brands using influencers to target audiences’ has come up. Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, gave readers an insight as to how this is done. He stated, “We have created a multistep process where it's not just influencer marketing. But instead, we're using our technology, our data, to provide the most transparent sites to deliver on a campaign. If we match back the brand's personality to the influencer's personality, we're seeing a 30 percent lift in engagement in overall ROI [return on investment]. All of these things allow for you to activate the best social influencer and then track back to see if it had some sort of impact."
However, even with learning more about how brands choose their influencers some consumers and companies are still on the fence about this business technique. Its gotten so much buzz that social networks such as Instagram added a feature that displays a “paid partnership” header for when a commercial relationship exist between and brand/company and an influencer (CBS News). I think it is important for social forums to hold their users whom are influencers responsible to making it known when they are in fact endorsing and are being compensated for doing so because it keeps the consumer aware that this is an ‘endorsement’ rather than just an influencer saying ‘I like this product’.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, there are many pros and cons when it comes to social influencers promoting products. A con of using a Youtuber or Instagram star to promote products would be that consumers/fans could feel that the partnership is inauthentic. “With more and more influencers partnering with brands, consumers are starting to catch on. Be careful in how the influencer promotes your brand. If it seems inauthentic, it won't resonate with their followers and will seem like the influencer has sold out” (Patel). Their have been several times when I’m scrolling down my news feed and will see a certain influencer endorsing a product and the first thought that comes to my mind is “this influencer is only doing this to get a check, and not because they truly believe in this product”. I think its important for influencers and companies who have a partnership to truly believe in the brand and actually use the product they are endorsing; because lying to your fan base is a quick way to lose support and jeopardize your reputation as an influencer.
But, there are still many pros when it comes to using influencers to promote a product, one of the best pros being that the company will have access to potentially powerful results. Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz stated, “"An influencer promoting and amplifying your message, your brand, to their audience means credibility, it means additional reach and it means you get an outsized modifier to the conversion process” (Patel). If consumers feel that the influencer is truly supporting this brand, and not only endorsing it for compensation purposes, they will mostly purchase this product. This is beneficial for the influencer and the company as it gives more data as to whom your targeted demographic is and how to cater to their desires.
Over all, I think social media influencers hold a great deal on influencing how regular consumers purchase certain products. Their partnerships with companies have been a smart business deal for both parties; however, I think that it is up to us as consumers to keep these companies and influencers honest.
Works Cited
"Inside the Big Business of Being a Social Media Influencer," CBS News 23 Sept. 2017. Web.
Meltzer, Lauren. “Social Media ‘Influencers’ Add a New Twist to Advertising.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-influencers-brand-advertising/.
Patel, Sujan. "Should You Pay For Social Influencers? The Pros And Cons Of Paid Promotions." Inc.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Brands and advertisers are reaching younger audiences using the direct pipeline that is their favorite social media influencers/personalities. Lauren Meltzer defines a social media influencer/personality in her CBS MoneyWatch article Social media “influencers” add a new twist to advertising as, “Influencers can be fitness gurus, gaming addicts, beauty bloggers, fashionistas, foodies, travel experts, etc. They offer an authentic presence on social media based on their copious numbers of followers and level of engagement. Generally speaking, each influencer maintains an audience of at least 10,000 followers on one platform, if not more.” The ability for advertisers to connect with and have a strong relationship with social media influencers paints them in the same positive light that audiences view their favorite social media stars in.
ReplyDeleteThere is a tremendous amount of upside to building a relationship with influencers for advertisers. To begin, social media influencers have a greater amount of support from the individuals who follow them than a star who is famous from traditional media platform such as film or television. When an advertiser is supporting a social media influencer financially it can feel as though, for the audience, that the advertiser is supporting a friend so that they can make the content they want to make. The loyalty that social media stars get can also translate to more sales. If a fan knows that the discount code they use for a website leads to helping out their favorite YouTuber then it is in their own interest to use the discount code for this service as opposed to a competing service that may provide similar deals and products.
But because of the closeness that audiences feel towards their favorite social media influencers some may also feel as though their ‘friend’ is selling out when they take on a sponsorship that is not on brand or seems to be a money grab. Another reason why using social media influencers can be a double-edged sword is because of the lessened control over a message as well as the association with a person who has a medium to say whatever they want. A Podcast host can say whatever they like during an Ad-read and could possibly upset an advertiser or misconstrue the message. If the advertiser reacts by dropping an influencer the influencer then can tell their audiences this and their advertiser risks losing that audience’s future business. The lack of control over a message when the middle man is an influencer can be demonstrated by both the PewDiePie and Logan Paul incidents.
Advertisers have so much to gain from the relationships they create with influencers, but this practice requires strong vetting, excellent communication, and trust. It may not always be best to choose an influencer just based on their numbers, but rather advertisers should look at their character.
Main, Sami. "Pewdiepie And The Potential Dangers Of Social Influencer Marketing For Brands." Adweek.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Meltzer, Lauren. "Social Media "Influencers" Add A New Twist To Advertising." Cbsnews.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
Vincent, James. "Youtube Suspends Logan Paul’S Ad Revenue, Blames ‘Recent Pattern Of Behavior’." Theverge.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.