The Downfall of Influencer Marketing



As a marketing and sales enthusiast, I have become familiar with the influencer industry that has boomed in the last few years over digital media. Influencers have provided brands with the opportunity to generate content on a digital platform to an audience of endless demographics. Brands are now jumping to invest capital in influencers because they fulfill marketing campaigns online, as well as handle an extensive form of public relations.

Many people are now jumping onto the opportunity to become an influencer. Whether it be for beauty, sustainability, business, fashion, motivation, events, or even travel, influencers are practically bombarding the digital landscape. The downfall is that, rather than authentically and sincerely influencing their audiences, they’re acting more as if their ultimate goal is to become an instagram model, a reality TV star, or a public figure.

Working as an influencer means bringing yourself down to the audiences level by acting as a consumer of the brand you are influencing. Forbes magazine reported that a study was done by a company named Stackla, stating that only 23% of people believe content from celebrities and influencers is truly influential. In contrast, 60% of respondents said content from families and friends influences their purchases.

This happens because influencers become too caught up in marketing themselves rather than the brand, therefore they become untrustworthy. In order to be successful in sales and marketing, you must represent to consumers that you truly believe in the brand and that you have the best interest in the consumer’s needs rather than your own. I believe influencers should adapt to this same approach, otherwise people will assume they’re only influencing a brand for their own popularity and wallet.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/10/05/the-real-problem-with-influencer-marketing-youre-focusing-on-the-wrong-influencers/#57043dd742d7

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