Digital influencers or celebrities: who has more influence?
This subject continues to spark discussions because it is relatively new in our market and there seems to be no exact formula for getting the best results by investing in influencer marketing. However, more and more companies realize its value and intend to invest large funds in this strategy. We, as consultants, are responsible for clarifying, managing expectations, and, above all, creating the most appropriate strategy.
In this context, it is increasingly important to analyze and select the most suitable people to communicate a certain brand and, in this box, where so many influencers fit, there are drawers that we must label. There are influencers who are not celebrities, there are influencers who become celebrities, and there are celebrities who become influencers. In the process of creating the right strategy, where the goal is to create organic content, how do we select the most influential group?
First, it is important to define Influence Marketing. A Forbes article from 2017 states that the hot topic had in fact been around for many years, however, from that year it came to the forefront of marketing professionals’ priorities because they were beginning to realize how powerful it could be — especially, as an alternative to traditional, expensive, and inefficient advertising. The definition is simple: influencer marketing is the practice of promoting and selling products or services through influential people who can affect the character of a brand.
The most interesting characteristic of an influencer is that, unlike celebrities, they are everywhere. A popular fashion photographer on their networks, an irreverent makeup artist, or a tech expert can all be digital influencers. Within any industry, there are influential people — and it’s up to us to find them. Regardless of the number of followers, there is one thing they have in common: they have developed and earned their reputation.
Within the sphere of influencer marketing, we find influencers and celebrities and the main difference is in how they gain their followers. It is common to see more and more celebrities migrating to social media, who end up gaining followers exponentially because people admire their work. On the other hand, digital influencers are born on the networks and reach followers based on a specific niche or interest. There is something that sets them apart, whether it’s their personal style, talent in the kitchen, or workout habits. Their followers share that same interest and want to learn more about that subject. Strategically speaking, when they are communicating a certain product, which aligns with their interests, it is very probable that it will impact their audience more. As influencers, they tend to relate to the product, creating and telling a story, making it meaningful to promote it, while celebrities are simply aligning their name to a particular brand, in order to increase their reach.
Therefore, an influencer must be able to influence the perception of other people or get them to do something different. This means that when we create a strategy, we should take influencers and celebrities into consideration, keeping in mind our goal and target. Influencer marketing, when done right, can achieve multiple results — with far greater reach and credibility than any ad can have. When creating a strategy, dedicate yourself to it and think like a consumer, because influence will never be measured by fame again.
