Influencers and Social Media

Overview

From a communications perspective, “influencers” are individuals who seek to change the ways that members of their community consume products, engage in discussions, and participate in events. They are integral to the ways in which products are talked about, become popular, or fall out of favor. Influencers sometimes are chosen by corporations and placed into a community as a way to encourage the sale of the consumption of products. These individuals are sometimes called “brand ambassadors.” Other influencers are self-identified individuals who are determined to drive consumption norms and behaviors in the community. Social media platforms are ideal arenas for influencers.

There are several types of influencers working social media across platforms such as Instagram, "X" (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Some influencers have already become famous as musicians, actors, or other types of celebrities and are now using their online presence to sell a specific good or encourage a new type of behavior. Other social media influencers were not famous before they became influencers. These individuals may have positioned themselves as being the first to consume a product, the best at using a product, or in other ways as a valuable and reliable source of information, for example as an innovator.

Many of these influencers began as micro-influencers. This means that at first they influenced a small number of individuals. Then they scaled up their influencing behavior by attracting more followers and potentially by being recruited by a company to sponsor a specific good or activity. For many micro-influencers, the likelihood of gaining a large following is determined by a combination of factors including platforms that they use, their gender, age, and their ability to utilize social capital. The challenge for micro-influencers is to maintain their façade of intimacy and authenticity after gaining a degree of fame. If it begins to seem that a micro-influencer has gotten too famous, or too far removed from the experience of their followers, they may lose their level of authenticity and many of their followers. Even influencers who are able to maintain a level of authenticity have no guarantee of long-term influencer status. An influencer only keeps the title as long as the individual has followers. Therefore, influencers frequently search for products to support, or other ways to keep the attention of their followers. Scholars are interested in the ways that this process unfolds and focus on the likelihood that a micro-influencer will become larger and get more attention.

The relationship between influencers and corporations is sometimes difficult to determine. It ranges from a full sponsorship to no engagement at all. Micro-influencers will often purchase products to review. These reviews will be homemade, self-edited, and posted online. The level of authenticity in these posts is very high, and the influencer is free to compare any product that they choose. This means that they might compare competitors and give evenhanded feedback to both, or that they might post videos only about the products that they dislike. Some of these micro-influencers are able to make money by monetizing their videos. For example, they might post to YouTube and collect a small amount of money for allowing commercials to play before or during their videos, or to have banner advertisements added to their posts. However, many micro-influencers are unpaid in any way. The reasons that they work as unpaid influencers, and their connection to followers, have been studied in detail by scholars such as. These researchers indicate that the skillful use of hashtags is critical to an influencer’s success, as is a careful balance between self-presentation and narcissism.

When influencers gain more followers and the attention of corporations, they often enter into a paid agreement based on the promotion of a specific brand or corporation. This payment might come in the form of free goods to review or cash payments. Some influencers are direct about what payment they have received. This might be an acknowledgement that they received a product for free, or it could be a statement that they have been paid for their review. Brand ambassadors are usually very proud that they have been specifically chosen by a brand and eagerly announce that they are paid or otherwise supported for their activities. For many brand ambassadors, announcing this connection and highlighting the ethical work of the corporation is part of the agreement they have signed. Others may hide this element of payment in an attempt to maintain their authenticity. If their followers find out that they are being rewarded for promoting a product and covering up the arrangement, the influencer risks losing their level of authenticity, and with it many of their followers. Furthermore, in the United States, influencers must reveal the existence of any sponsorship agreement. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the social media platforms have rules governing such commercial relationships; both require that the agreement and parties involved be clearly explained.

Further Insights

Influencers are skilled at conveying opinions, social norms, and behaviors to followers who they seek to influence. Oftentimes they position themselves as someone who has mastered a particular skill and wants to help others master that skill as well. Other influencers attempt to contribute to society by encouraging participation in clubs or donations to charities. Some develop aspirational followers by documenting luxury lifestyles such as exotic travel or use of designer goods. Marketers and advertisers are interested in social media influencers because their generally younger audience represents a coveted group of consumers.

At times influencing becomes illogical, encouraging people to participate in activities or consume goods that they do not need or even like. Influence conveyed in this way is often articulated through a bandwagon fallacy. According to this fallacy, because “everyone” is doing a particular activity one should also do the activity. This agreement to participate is made regardless of the logic, or lack thereof, that goes along with the activity. Many parents allege that children’s consumer behavior functions as a bandwagon fallacy, and some children’s commercials are designed to encourage this behavior. These commercials, especially those selling toys, demonstrate the joy brought by playing with a toy and then assert that the viewer could have just as much fun after purchasing the toy. For example, many young influencers engage in unboxing of and use of toys.

In contemporary corporate settings, marketing firms rely on various metrics to determine who is the best local social influencer, and how to gauge the buying behavior of those who are influenced. These metrics, however, were not initially available. Instead, companies had to determine who was the most influential member of the community and then work with that individual to develop additional influencers. For example, Mary Kay Cosmetics products have historically been advertised and sold by individuals who have determined that they either are or could become both influencer and salesperson. These influencers host parties at which they demonstrate the use of Mary Kay products, talk about the new products, and encourage sales. These influencers/salespeople also encourage their friends to become salespeople, growing a small sales force and network of customers. The influencing behavior at these parties is important to this discussion of influencers on social media. Demonstrations at Mary Kay parties are popular because of the social element that is included. The parties occur when a group of friends come together to discuss a product, as well as many other aspects of their lives. Additionally, consumers attending these parties are receiving information from someone that they already know and trust. Such parties became particularly popular among American suburban women, because they happen in a home. The living rooms of friends, family members, and neighbors provide a safe space that encourages the investigation of a product and discussion of its advantages and problems, while product demonstrations in a private setting encourage partygoers to try the product before making a purchase. Corporations are interested in how this type of personal, trust-fostering experience might be transferred to online marketing and consumption. For example, corporations encourage the practice of influencers trying out a new product and filming the experience to display on YouTube. This online review provides candid information and can be seen on a computer, tablet, or smartphone from any location. These types of video reviews allow consumers to consider and review products from a comfortable safe space where they do not feel as pressured from a salesperson to make a purchase.

Issues

Influencers on social media address many different products and services. There are videos in which individuals review toothpaste and laundry detergent. There are also Instagram photos posted by influencers that consider various outfits and the benefits of various clothing brands. Reviews also exist to show how products are made and to test whether they can withstand various forms of use and abuse. Some of the most popular social influencers are children who participate in unboxing videos in which they unwrap and promptly play with toys. These videos are posted to platforms such as YouTube. The videos are then viewed by children and parents, who are encouraged to buy them. These consumers appreciate such videos because they show a more authentic form of play and excitement than a staged commercial for a toy. Additionally, they are entertaining to watch as children express their delight at receiving a new toy and at times play with the toy in novel ways. These consumers are frequently encouraged to buy the same product and then create their own videos and images of unboxing and playing with the toy. In this way, they are able to connect with the influencer on a personal level and are encouraged to continue following that influencer. Scholars are interested to find out how children, who have grown up with this new form of video-based review and influence, will receive and respond to information in the future. Already, scholars are predicting that young people have low levels of trust in corporate messages and advertisements. As such, corporations are beginning to question how they will market to skeptical consumers. Maintaining authenticity among influencers may be critical to this effort.

Influencers are often friendly and are used to help children learn proper social behavior, ethics, and cultural norms. For many children the closest influencer is the family, especially parents and older children who are reminded to be on their best behavior and influence their younger relatives. These attempts to influence children’s behavior were also displayed in television cartoon series. For example, G.I. Joe episodes ended with public service announcements (PSAs) from a campaign called “The More You Know.” These PSAs informed children about proper behavior, gave an example of how that behavior should be used, and sometimes showed what would happen if that behavior was not used. Public service campaigns were also designed for use in schools, such as the “Just Say No” campaign that worked to encourage children to refrain from illegal drug use. Both of these campaigns utilized influencers—G.I. Joe cartoon characters in the first case and First Lady Nancy Reagan, as well as a variety of celebrities, in the second. The use of social media-based influencers has allowed children to access a variety of messages aimed at affecting their behaviors. Some of these attempts follow the example of PSAs encouraging moral behavior. Others use influencers to help children understand and respond to threats such as skin cancer. For example, Falzone et al. have explored the use of social media to encourage children to use sunscreen. However, as social media is largely unregulated experts have concerns about what children are seeing and the ways that influencers who are targeting adults may also be influencing the behavior of children.

Overall, influencing works because individuals want to fit into larger society. Online social media influencing works because it helps individuals to feel as though they have a specific connection to a subset of society with which they share the same values, goals, likes, and dislikes. Some influencers have had well paid careers beyond social media. For example, some individuals have gotten modeling contracts after producing portfolios of themselves modeling various brands on YouTube. In the 2020s increasing numbers of young influencers were using their platforms to inform and engage others in social justice issues, such as by explaining the issues and making concrete suggestions of how to bring about change.

For scholars, there is concern about who becomes an influencer. For fashion topics and children’s toys, individuals are well equipped to determine who they would like to be influenced by. There is, however, concern that for topics such as scientific policy, climate change and similar topics, and vaccines the public is not well educated enough, or given enough information to determine who is a good influencer. Some scholars have called for more scientists to work as social influencers. While scientists might be hesitant to work in this role, the alternative of having unqualified individuals giving scientific advice is even more troubling. Similarly, there are questions about when scientists can become influencers. Corporations have been reported recruiting medical students to work as influencers. These individuals may be well educated in some subjects, but perhaps not as well educated as a certified doctor. The concern is that the viewing public may not be able to tell the difference, or at least that many will believe that the medical student is bound to give good, credible advice. This example demonstrates the ways that influencer and consumer behavior are changing. As social media continues to develop, scholars expect to see the emergence of more influencers and debates about their roles in consumer behavior.

Bibliography

Audrezet, A., De Kerviler, G., & Moulard, J. G. (2020). Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation. Journal of Business Research.

Burch, J. K. (2016). “Soap and Hope”: Direct Sales and the Culture of Work and Capitalism in Postwar America. Enterprise & Society, 17(4), 741–751. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=119447203&site=ehost-live

Carter, Timothy. (2021, June 14). Does Being an Influencer Mean Anything Anymore? Entrepreneur. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/371200

Coughlan, A., & Goldman, E. (2017). Mary Kay Inc.: Direct Selling and the Challenge of Online Channels. Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1–23.

Crouch, R., Ewer, M., Quester, P., & Proksch, M. (2016). Talking with you—not at you: how brand ambassadors can spark consumer brand attachment? In Marketing Challenges in a Turbulent Business Environment. (pp. 189–194). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

El Qudsi, Ismael. (2020, Apr. 3). What to Know About Influencer Marketing on TikTok. Forbes. Retrieved on June 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/03/what-to-know-about-influencer-marketing-on-tiktok/?sh=690262726f30

Erz, A., Marder, B., & Osadchaya, E. (2018). Hashtags: Motivational drivers, their use, and differences between influencers and followers. Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 48–60. Retrieved December 23, 2018 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=132529851&site=ehost-live

Falzone, A. E., Brindis, C. D., Chren, M. M., Junn, A., Pagoto, S., Wehner, M., & Linos, E. (2017). Teens, tweets, and tanning beds: Rethinking the use of social media for skin cancer prevention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(3), S86-S94. Retrieved December 23, 2018 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=124527367&site=ehost-live

Galetti, M., & Costa-Pereira, R. (2017). Scientists need social media influencers. Science, 357(6354), 880–881. Retrieved December 23, 2018 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=125029469&site=ehost-live

Kim, J. & Kim, M. (2022, Feb. 19). Rise of social media influencers as a new marketing channel focusing on the roles of psychological well-being and perceived social responsibility among consumers. Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042362.

Leeby, Cheralyn. "The Psychology of the Modern-Day Social Media Influencer." Reviewed by Ray Parker. Psychology Today, 2 Jan. 2024, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/consciously-creating-your-soul-life/202401/the-psychology-of-the-modern-day-social-media. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Nicoll, B., & Nansen, B. (2018). Mimetic production in YouTube toy unboxing videos. Social Media+ Society, 4(3).

Shane-Simpson, C., Manago, A., Gaggi, N., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2018). Why do college students prefer Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Site affordances, tensions between privacy and self-expression, and implications for social capital. Computers in Human Behavior, 86, 276–288. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=130225674&site=ehost-live

Smith, B. G., Kendall, M. C., & Knighton, D. (2018). Rise of the brand ambassador: Social stake, corporate social responsibility and influence among the social media influencers. Communication Management Review, 3(01), 6–29.