The Influencer Connection
It’s safe to say that in this day and age the average millennial - and even Gen Xer - has started to idolize social influencers much in the way that actors and musician celebrity names have been in the past. Why? Because they have a sense of realism and attainability. That guy or girl next door who shot to cyber fame is as relatable as a best friend. Kinda.
We connect with them more, we understand their lives, and we relate to them because there fame is more attainable than an A list celebrity. This is why brands have been embracing social influencers and shying away from big names. That, and the fact that these social influencers bring their own established platform AND ability to create their own branded content. In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at why social influencer's often drastically lower social media fan bases than celebrities mean higher engagement for your brand.
Targeting A Specific Influencer For Your Brand
When we say celebrity social influencer – we typical mean EITHER a celebrity OR a “real” person who happens to have hit social media fame. To hit the “celebrity” status, their numbers need to be typically over 1 million, and at least in the high six figures. But be warned – just because someone is an actual “celebrity” does not mean they offer as good a platform as the alternatively less famous influencer, nor does it mean they actually know how to (or care to learn) how to create branded content.
There are numerous brands associated with “celebrity social influencers” who are self-created on Instagram, ranging across all categories, and from ‘low end’ to ‘high end’. Brands such as Waist Trainer Calvin Klein and Laser Away have all crafted programs with these types of influencers.
And just as you wouldn’t ask Selena Gomez to represent Axe Body Spray, finding the right fit is about finding the right influencer who not only engages your fan base, but relates to your brand. Authentically. That’s where a precise marketing strategy comes into play.
The Self Made Social Influencer
Social media influencers like Anastasia Karanikolaou, aka Stassiebaby, and Lycia Faith are two celebrity social influencers known for their beauty, and who offer a great platform for brands from the fitness, health and wellness categories.
Anastasia Karanikolaou, better known as Stas, is Kylie Jenner’s BFF. Unlike Jenner, she didn’t grow up with a famous relative, but she has been able to capitalize on her friends’ social media, and extend it to her own persona. Stas has an ongoing deal, which works perfectly for her, that promotes the Kardashian clan’s also favored product, Sugar Bear Hair almost every month.
A Non “Celebrity” Social Influencer…And What Happens Next
And while Stas primarily sticks to just one brand, Lycia Faith is known for being diverse in the brand community. Starting out off of Vine as an expert lip-syncer, Lycia likes to portray health wellness and fitness on her Instagram as well as other beauty products like tanning products, laser hair removal, and FitTea.
Interestingly, we’ve found diet teas to be one of the more popular categories with influencers to have high fan engagement – and brand sales. Everyone likes the promised land of easy weight loss, and online sales can be massive. For most other brand categories, a post won’t garner the same type of sales, but will lead to longer term brand knowledge, affinity and potential to purchase.
Another Authentic Social Influencer
Rudy Mancuso, a Viner known to partner with technology brands, is a great example of an authentic social influencer. One of the more impressive musicians on Vine, Rudy has a very devoted following. His comedy sketches and music lend him the appearance of being very relaxed and likeable, and a great brand platform to leverage.
Why These “Smaller” Social Influencer Fan Bases Are Stronger
The more followers someone has, the more fake followers someone will have. Spam accounts – also bot accounts – are often set up to help drive traffic to other sites. Or, they may be set up to inflate the follower count by the social influencer. After all, if someone has a million fans, it looks to the average person that they must have some great content. And that has how many a social influencer has been created.
Influencer accounts with fewer followers typically have fewer fake accounts and more fan engagement. These influencers can see better their fan following engagement, and cater more to what the feedback is, creating a closer connection to their fans and to your brand.
Ready To Work With Influencers?
Are you interested in learning more on how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our infographic that provides case studies, rates and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.
