Word-of-mouth is probably the most ancient weapon a PR professional has in their arsenal. In the modern era, with the emergence of social media, a new updated version of word-of-mouth called: “Influencer Marketing” has surfaced in the realm of digital PR. Social media influencers have fundamentally impacted the role of a publicist when it comes to reaching today’s audience. There has been a noticeable shift in balance of power between consumers and brands, consumers are more likely to develop a personal bond and relate with the people they see on their social media feeds than traditional marketing campaigns.
Social media has opened new doors of publicity and stardom for young people. In fact, some social media influencers hold higher honor than mainstream celebrities and TV personalities, particularly among millennials. A recent study pointed out that 30 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase a product endorsed by a non-celebrity blogger than a mainstream celebrity. The same report suggest that 70 percent of the millennial surveyed favored non-celebrity endorsements, particularly from influencers that they consider peers.
Social media influencers carry a lot of credibility on social media. When you engage them in your PR strategy, they can become your best and most effective brand ambassadors. Working with micro-influencers can be interesting in terms of ROI: although their audience is relatively small, their ability to influence or generate engagement is strong due to high levels of audience captivity and credibility. In other words, your younger sibling, who is active on social media, may suddenly seem very appealing to communication professionals looking to implement a micro-influencer program, since her 1,000 followers are attentive to the messages she posts.
We can therefore expect a rise in the number of people considering a career as an influencer, because for a micro-influencer campaign to have significant impact, many of them need to be spreading the word at the same time. In this digital world, social influencers can help marketers amplify their message across a wide range of audience. From earning credibility to generating a royal target audience, the advantages of influencer marketing are many.