When I think about influencer marketing, I do not usually think of myself as someone who is influenced by influencers. I do not spend a lot of time on social media, and I am not someone who constantly buys products just because someone online recommends them. However, there are a few creators I follow because I genuinely enjoy their content, and that has made me realize how effective influencer marketing can be when it feels natural instead of like an advertisement.
One creator I follow is Brynne (@brynnemarieeee). I originally started following her because she is funny and an amazing makeup artist. One of my favorite things she does is “Color Me Mondays,” where she draws random colored pencils from a cup and creates a makeup look based on the colors she picks. I also relate to her because she is bisexual, and I have enjoyed following her personal journey as she recently left a difficult relationship and became sober. Her content feels personal and authentic, which makes it easy to become invested in what she shares. If she recommended a makeup product that she genuinely used, I would probably be much more interested in trying it than if I saw the same product in a traditional advertisement.
I also follow Alli and Hallyn Bellair (@thebellairs), a married lesbian couple who share funny and relatable content about their lives. One of their series, “Fruits Trying Fruits,” features Alli trying different fruits because she is an extremely picky eater. It is simple, funny content, but I keep watching because I enjoy their personalities. I also appreciate seeing another married couple who happens to be two women. Their content creates a sense of community and makes their followers feel like they are getting to know them rather than simply watching advertisements.
Another creator I follow is Serena Neel (@serenaneel), whose content is much more focused on creativity, generosity, and doing things for other people. She is known for redecorating her guest bathroom for different holidays and months of the year, but she also shares her charity work and donations to schools and other organizations. One of her more unusual projects involved buying 50,000 damaged jars of pickles, creating a pickle pool, and eventually using the glass jars to build a giant 16 foot pickle jar before recycling everything. She even created a “Free 7 Eleven” at her house for delivery drivers. Her content shows that influencer marketing does not always have to focus on selling a product. Sometimes the influencer is selling an idea, personality, lifestyle, or experience.
These creators use several strategies that make their content successful. They use humor, storytelling, consistency, personal experiences, and audience interaction. Most importantly, their content feels authentic. According to Zahay et al. (2023), social media marketing is most effective when organizations understand their audience and use social platforms to create meaningful connections. Influencers can help create those connections because consumers often feel that they know the person behind the content.
Influencers also act as a bridge between companies and consumers. Instead of a company simply telling people that a product is good, an influencer can demonstrate how they actually use it. This can make marketing feel more like a recommendation from someone you trust. However, that trust can disappear if influencers promote too many unrelated products or make advertisements feel forced. For me, the reason these creators are effective is because I followed them for their personalities and content first. If they eventually promote something that fits naturally into what they already do, I am much more likely to pay attention.
Ultimately, I think the biggest lesson from influencer marketing is that people want to connect with people, not just brands. The influencers I follow have built audiences by being funny, authentic, creative, relatable, or generous. When companies are able to work with influencers without taking away what makes their content unique, the relationship between the company and consumer can feel much more genuine. That is what makes influencer marketing different from traditional advertising and, in my opinion, what makes it so effective.
References
Zahay, D. L., Roberts, M. L., Parker, J. M., Barker, D. I., & Barker, M. S. (2023). Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach. (3rd ed.). Cengage.
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