If you’re developing influencer marketing strategies, this episode is for you.
Online influencers are an increasingly important way for companies to find new customers and drive sales. But if you’re a marketer hoping to target consumers, it’s important to understand how the social media industry works., a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that influencers grew out of Great Recession-era job cuts that forced people in creative fields to innovate.
Others might think of the trendsetters that you follow online, maybe the ones who encourage you to try that new workout routine, buy that magnetic golf towel, invest in that carry on luggage set. If you work in marketing or for any consumer facing brand, you probably immediately think of influencers as potential endorsers, people who can help you sell your products and services for a price.
A lot of the earliest influencers worked in fashion, beauty, things like that. There’s a rich history of the early mommy blogosphere as well. A lot of these earlier influencers were women who were sharing their ideas about a range of topics, but mostly tied to commercial industries like fashion and beauty.
Another reason is there are particular high profile influencers, too, that take up all the air in the room, if you will. People like Kim Kardashian or Addison Rae or these banner name influencers, they get a lot of press attention. These are people who beg the question I think of why are these people who are hawking hair growth gummies, why are they making so much money? Or, these women are propagating unrealistic beauty ideals or they’re engaged in cultural appropriation and all these things.
EMILY HUND: In the beginning, it was mostly bloggers and maybe people on the earlier platforms like YouTube and such. They were really talking about topics that were near and dear to them in some way. Like I mentioned, there were a lot of people who were unemployed or underemployed and creating content that centered on their professional expertise or their particular professional niche. They fell backwards into this work because it was not something that had existed before.
ALISON BEARD: Is there a particular influencer that you would point to who’s done a good job navigating that balance between authenticity and maintaining credibility with their followers? But then, also drawing in the endorsements and advertising that will earn them a real living. He has a partnership with Trupanion, the pet insurance company. He’s started his own foundation to support dogs in need who are sick or need medical attention. He even has a product line. And so, this is really an entrepreneur, who has started a business around his passion, and found ways to get compensated for it.
ALISON BEARD: Yeah, a big criticism of the influencer industry has been that the people who do rise to that high level of prominence, maybe not Kim K, but just a tier below, are predominantly fairly wealthy white young women. ALISON BEARD: What about from the company’s side though? How do they ensure that they’re getting their money’s worth? Especially if they’re a small company, for example, a startup that’s investing in influencers to really kick off their marketing efforts in an inexpensive way.
EMILY HUND: Yes, absolutely. And both of those things are really happening and seeming to gain traction. So as far as the cultivating employees goes, there are programs out there.
EMILY HUND: There are a few reasons. The first, I think, is the role of broader economic precarity in this space. Surveys continually show there’s mounting distrust in traditional pillars of society. We’ve had a lot of economic turmoil in the 21st Century where careers that were previously thought of as stable are proving to not be. There are a lot of societal factors that I think drive people to want to pursue this work.
Preserves the positive things about the influencer industry, which is opportunities for entrepreneurialism, effective ways of getting media messages out there, networking, finding community, all these things. How can we preserve the benefits and reduce the harms? Whether it’s the rapid spread of misinformation, mental health toll that being an influencer and also having a lot of exposure to particular types of influencer content can bring.
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