When did Influencer Marketing Begin?
Earlier than you might think, actually! Celebrity sponsorship and endorsements are nothing new, of course: pottery company Wedgwood described their products as ‘Queen’s Ware.’. The queen in question? Queen Charlotte—who enjoyed a lengthy reign that started all the way back in 1761.
Fictional brand characters, meanwhile, are often viewed as pioneers, almost proto-influencers that encouraged people to part with their cash. We can count Homepride Fred, Uncle Ben, and even jolly old Saint Nick from those iconic Coca-Cola ads in this method’s ranks.
Let’s look at the more recent past, though. What comes to mind when we think of what influencer marketing is today? With the increased use of social media in the 2010s, along with the ongoing rise of reality TV and vlogging, this period saw brands increasingly work with celebrities and other visible figures to amplify their products and encourage the public to buy them.
Since then, it’s shown no signs of slowing down, despite a YouGov study showing that a whopping 96% of UK consumers said they did not trust influencer marketing back in 2019—put a pin in this because consumer trust is something we’ll return to later on.
Why is Influencer Marketing So In-Demand?
Above all, where brands and companies tie up with influencers, influencer marketing begins.
They are individuals with a strong media following. They help promote products or services. Yes, these influencers can definitely range from celebrities to niche content creators who have gained trust.
Here, the content shot by influencers also gets more likes, shares, and comments. So, the brand gets more engagement. Influencers also help brands connect with specific audiences more effectively and they can definitely reach the target audience.
Some Top Influencer Marketing Channels and Examples
What we can point to as its successes, when it comes to influencer advertising examples, in spite of its negative view of the practice? Let us explore how it has been used in the past among some of the most popular social channels.
Why is it so useful?
Big on visuals and highly scrollable, influencers and brands can make use of powerfully creative content that encourages followers to purchase—the channel has reported nearly 130m users tapping on shoppable posts each month. Brands can also use Instagram stories to increase visibility. Over 24 hours, they can highlight themselves or an influencer in the long term and engage audiences through the likes of polls, sharing, and tags.
How is it used?
Ice cream icons Häagen-Dazs used Instagram in partnership with local influencers from across New York City to capitalize on ice cream as a summertime food, as well as the brand’s ‘buy one get one free’ offer by hosting sampling events at specific New York-based stores.
Meanwhile, influencer Kendall Kremer hosted a rooftop summer ice cream sundae party, while Katelyn Calautti shared a sponsored blog on how to host a summer party with Häagen-Dazs products.
What are the results?
The social coverage of both, along with the sampling events, saw the brand generate 14.3 million impressions and 27,400 engagements—400% above the average engagement rate.
- YouTube
Why is it so useful?
YouTube lets brands, influencers, and content creators use highly engaging videos to truly highlight the best of what a product has to offer. And with 1.86 billion users across the globe, there’s real potential to reach a lot of people.
What’s more, since the content stays there indefinitely, its ability to remain evergreen shouldn’t be ignored. And with a link to the product or service in any given video’s description, it’s a great way to increase conversions.
How Is It Used?
Virtual private network NordVPN has used YouTube to great effect, working with some of the biggest YouTubers and content creators across the entertainment, tech, and gaming spheres to increase their presence—by featuring in these creators’ videos and including a ‘limited time offer’ link in the videos’ descriptions.
What are the results?
By sponsoring 598 videos, NordVPN received 5.7m likes, 91.5m views, and a reach of 2.2b.
- TikTok
Why is it so useful?
Using short video content combined with big and bold audio, brevity is the name of TikTok’s game, a model that’s proved a hit with almost 21% of the world’s 4.8 billion internet users. Boasting some of the highest engagement across any social channel, it’s made for a highly effective platform for brands to sell their products through—especially when it comes to targeting Gen Z.
How is it used?
The gymwear brand partnered with a range of influencers for their ‘66 Days: Change Your Life’ challenge, a campaign that asked their audience to challenge themselves for 66 days through positive, active habits for a year’s supply of the company.
What are the results?
By using hashtags across its TikTok video content, the brand amassed 252.6m views on the platform.
