Influenced by Influencers

Sam Romstadt
sr448016@ohio.edu

Social media has become part of nearly everyone's life at this point. Consuming our thoughts from how to pose your morning coffee or where to study for the day to get the best picture for Instagram, social media has quickly integrated itself into our daily routine. Oftentimes, influencers, both well-known celebrities and micro-influencers, lesser known social media users, make money by sharing products or services on their accounts to generate traffic to different websites and in turn, make either a lump sum or commission on each item sold. There has been a significant shift in recent years from traditional marketing to marketing with the help of social media influencers. In fact according to GroupHigh, a company working closely with influencers, "Mid-level influencers like bloggers have a smaller but more loyal audience and drive 16 times more engagement than paid media and "mega influencers"." What this means for us, as consumers, is that marketers have discovered that we because we resonate more with a "normal" people we are more likely to trust their judgement and therefore buy the product/service.

The New York Times shared a story about Lil Miquela, a computer-generated character with over 1.6 million followers. While this may sound harmless to some, this adds to the level of unknown with social media. Rather than paying a celebrity or popular blogger to promote the brand, companies are now creating their ideal brand ambassador from scratch. Social media users are getting younger and younger each year and for many, it has caused problems with self-esteem and the way one is viewed. Comparison is a natural habit for each of us, but social media has made this comparison even worse. Having unattainable looks whether it be photoshopped photos or characters such as Lil Miquela, has led to many problems for the younger generation. It is also important to note that while social media does have an incredible influence on us as consumers, there is also a line that has to be drawn. Social Media Today shared six dangers of influencer marketing, including that "47% of customers are tired of influencer content that appears inauthentic and 62% of customers believe that influencer endorsements take advantage of impressionable audiences."

The FTC requires brands and influencers to disclose the partnership/relationship when advertising a product, however even big names such as the Kardashians, do not always disclose whether something is or isn't an add. This calls into questions one's legitimacy and honesty when audiences are unable to decide whether the opinions are true or if the influencer is just saying whatever is necessary to get paid. According to AdAge, the government continues to update policies, essentially allowing anyone to become a paid representative/spokesperson for a product or brand.

At the end of the day, social media is not going anywhere, nor are influencers. However, it is important for us, as consumers, to be honest with ourselves and look into whether the Kardashians would really be taking the vitamins they are promoting or if they are just being paid by the brand to say that they are. Social media marketing can be great when used in the correct way, but when it is deceptive to consumers, brands and companies cross the line where they can no longer be trusted.

Photo from InTouch Weekly