Opinion: Everyone’s an influencer
Have you noticed everyone and their grandmother has a discount code to offer you?
Whether through Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, it’s incredibly common to see one of your friends promoting a new or already well-established brand.
We’re living in the golden age of influencer marketing, and a quick scroll through Instagram confirms our suspicions that this might be getting out of control.
Social media outlets offer a unique advertising experience for countless consumers each year, so it’s no surprise that hundreds of companies would join the trend of recruiting independent influencers.
MediaKix recently published a study that expects global influencer marketing to become a $5 to $10 billion industry by 2020.
Platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have introduced business profile features to keep up with the fast-paced trend. These tools make it easier for both micro and macro-influencers to receive insight into their real influence while controlling their reach across the site.
Posting monetized content allows for a quick and easy way of bringing in income while receiving any befits or incentives the brand offers them in return for exposure.
At roughly 167 million Instagram followers, Kylie Jenner is the world’s highest-paid influencer — drawing in around $1.3 million per post.
Macro-influencers, such as Jenner, rely on their follower count and reputation to reach their audience.
Each year, more young adults flock to Instagram in the hopes of gaining a following and making a name for themselves through influencing.
We’re seeing a rise in micro-influencers due to their unusual effectiveness in prompting their followers to take part in brands. Micro-influencers can connect directly to their followers by sharing their personal experiences with the products they promote.
Influencers have enthusiastically helped advertisers reach their target audiences by initially disguising their promotions as stories, and the greater sense of authenticity has statistically inspired more followers to purchase or promote items from the brands.
The effectiveness of web-influencing paired with the rising popularity of social media among young adults and teens means we can expect influencer marketing to become more prevalent throughout the next few years.
