Have you ever been on social media and seen your favourite celebrity¹ talking about a product? These endorsements² might not be totally random³, and are actually seen as a vital part of the marketing⁴ process. The question is: How do social media influencers 'influence' what you buy?

 

Human desire for status and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, make us susceptible⁵ to being 'socially influenced'. Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity we admire to hawk⁶ or launch a product. So, what do these endorsements actually do?

 

Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness⁷. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform they operate on, and therefore can create engaging content that not only adheres to the brand image, but sparks their followers⁸' interests in a product they might never have seen before. 

 

Secondly⁹, influencers can improve a company or product's relationship with their customer base. According to InMoment's 2018 US Retail¹⁰ CX Trends Report on customer loyalty¹¹, 77% of buyers have been brand loyal for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of millennials. A popular celebrity can target key demographics and talk or blog about a product, which can create an instant and lasting¹² bond with the consumer.

 

Lastly, influencers can improve customer buying habits with seemingly 'unbiased opinions'. We are more likely to respond to 'peer recommendation' than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a 'friend' can make us less likely to be sceptical about what we are seeing.

 

So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target your core needs. If you find yourself perusing¹³ a product you've seen on social media, you may well have been influenced.

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