The 20th century has signified a shift away from traditional communication and advertising channels like TV, radio, and newspaper advertisements towards the internet and social media marketing. There is an increased need to create publicity and awareness for products to customers who are spending a lot more time on the internet and social media lately.
Influencer marketing used to be limited to the most famous celebrities and a couple other popular personalities. Not anymore though, as social media influencers are now being increasingly explored by brands to promote their products and get brand messages across to consumers that follow them. The rise of this form of marketing began nearly a decade ago, driven by the need of brands to be at the forefront of consumers’ thoughts and sight.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is similar to celebrity marketing in concept but they are different marketing techniques at the end of the day. Influencers are famous social media and online individuals that are contracted by brands to help them promote their products or service on the channels they’re known for. The similarity to celebrity marketing is that influencers are popular people with a sizable following similar to that of celebrities, so they help create publicity for products.
Influencer marketing is a modern marketing technique in which word-of-mouth publicity and endorsements are created by people known as influencers on behalf of organizations and companies for their products. This form of marketing’s effectiveness is predicated on the authority and trust that influencers have built on social media and the circles of the internet.
Consumers see recommendations from influencers as a form of validation for a brand’s products and as a result a number of potential customers are reached when brands contract influencers. It works because social media users and consumers trust brands and this trust is extended to the products they discuss and promote on their channels.
Benefits of Influencer Marketing
● It allows brands to take advantage of the trust that influencers have built over the years
● Influencer marketing is cheaper than celebrity marketing, though Influencers aren’t as flexible with the kind of content they upload
● Brand engagement is improved and publicity is generated with the help of influencers
● Influencers are often knowledgeable individuals and they give honest opinions that their followers can relate to because they’re true.
Celebrity Marketing
Celebrity marketing is also referred to as celebrity endorsements. This is a kind of personal testimonial or review from a musician, sports personality, actor, or popular figure in the society. These individuals are approached by brands to promote their products for them. Celebrity is the more traditional marketing method employed by brands to leverage on the popularity of celebrities to create a buzz around their products.
When using a celebrity to promote their products or services, a brand is basically taking advantage of the massive popularity of celebrities
Benefits of Celebrity Marketing
● Celebrities are adored and they exist in their own space in society. This amount of influence becomes available to brands that leverage celebrities to promote their products
● Being endorsed by a celebrity improves the appeal of products to customers as celebrities have a large following
