Influencer marketing is an amazing way of promoting products. I can honestly say I have purchased a few products based on what an influencer has said or done. I can even say I have tried my hand at it once before as well..

This type of marketing has grown much more than I am sure anyone expected. There are a few noticeable things about influencer marketing, but the most important one is the followers. While companies focus on who is buying their products influencers focus on their followers. Their followers are what contribute to the success of an influencer. Andrew Bachelor also known as King Bach has over twenty million followers on Instagram and over two million on Twitter. Without a large following an influencer can only go so far.

Just like every other marketing style there are a few strategies to choose from. It seems as though the most effective ones for social media influencers are found through creativity and an influencer’s everyday life. Creative influencers prefer to create content that matches their style. A good example of this is when Maybelline released their Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara; some influencers took to blogs to explain how they felt, and some took to Instagram. What Maybelline did was remove the need for an identical presentation. That freedom of expression would have successfully appealed to more than one kind of consumer. Companies who incorporate influencers through their everyday life get a truer experience promotion from their influencers. Gymshark seems to be working solely with influencers to promote themselves. Tyra Arleezia is what she calls a “fitshon” (fitness fashion) and hype girl. Her entire Instagram, YouTube and Twitter have several mentions of working out. Two weeks ago, she was posted on Gymshark’s Instagram and the post reached 35,379 likes.

According to a blog written by Relevance there are five roles an influencer can play, an inspirer, a collaborator, the main star, an amplifier or the critic. As it stands today it appears that most influencers are collaborators and amplifiers. When a collaboration is established between the company and the influencer it is called co-creation. As of 2019, “forty-four percent of marketing and communication professionals [were] already working directly with influencers to co-create content (Relevance).” These relationships are usually best formed when the company is asked. Sometimes it is better to just be upfront and not wait for a representative to reach out. However, amplifiers are influencers who “broadening the scope of content’s exposure” so that the brand can receive more attention.

The relationship between the company and the consumer is on the chopping block when it comes to a third-party being involved in the promotion of their product. Most consumers would like to see the truth be projected to them and real feelings. Companies who pay for social media influencers have to be sure that the people they choose are actually enjoying the product, using it and understands the message behind it. A failed connection with a product and brand can create a fall out between the consumer, company and influencer.

If there is anything to learn from social media influencers it is to be true to what you feel. Being transparent with online users is vastly important whether it is the company or the influencer.

- Tia Renai