Influencer Marketing – The Next Step in The Evolution of Digital Marketing

The relationship between celebrities and marketing is as old as one can remember. From television commercials to flyers, all these marketing instruments flaunted endorsements from one of the celebrities. These celebrity endorsements have always been important for business results.

While these endorsements are still one of the best marketing weapons in a marketeer’s arsenal, their ammunitions have changed from celebrities to influencers.

You must be wondering what the difference is between celebrities and influencers. Celebrity is an umbrella term for anyone whose popular, like sportspeople, actors, etc.

However, influencers refer to the people who hold sway over the masses in particular domains influencing their choices. In the modern-day context, this influence comes in the digital space. This is why 67% of businesses use influencer marketing as one of their most prominent tools for their marketing endeavors.

Moreover, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc., have made it fairly simple to integrate influencer marketing efforts for better results.

What’s the difference between traditional influencer marketing and modern-day influencer marketing?

As mentioned above, traditional influencer marketing revolved around celebrities irrespective of the type of product you were selling. However, modern influencer marketing is much more targeted and utilizes the power of influence gained by their expertise in a particular field or product.

Let’s look at some prominent differences between traditional and modern-day influencer marketing.

●    Celebrities vs. influencers

The primary difference between these two marketing strategies is the celebrities vs. influencers mentioned above. This primary difference is the reason that leads to the difference in the effectiveness and results produced.

●    Targeted audience

Influencers always have a particular field where they have expert knowledge like travel, lifestyle, etc. So, for example, when a travel company enters into a partnership with a travel influencer, they instantly get access to the relevant customer base. This helps the brands to achieve substantial results. However, celebrity collaborations are more scattered and less effective.

●    No focus on the number of followers

One of the prominent differences between influencers and celebrities is that an influencer might have a small follower base compared to celebrities. However, the follower base of influencers is genre-specific and can be effectively used for marketing.

●    The creditworthiness of the opinion

When you see influencers giving a statement about a product or a brand, it is more trusted than a statement given by a celebrity. This is because the statement coming from an influencer is coming from a position of knowledge and expertise. For example, influencer such as Shawn Sharma speaking about credit  management has more weightage than any celebrity.

Key Takeaway

Celebrities had a good run as far as marketing is concerned. Many brands still collaborate with them. However, the trend is rapidly shifting toward influencers on various social media platforms. So, if you are a brand or a product looking for marketing, influencer marketing is the right way to go.