Kaitlyn Wynn
Using Influencers to Boost Your Brand
The world of PR is constantly changing. In order for your brand to not only establish itself, but hold public interest, it is vital to stay up-to-date on the best ways to get your message to your target audience. Right now, that's influencers.
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What are influencers and why are they important?
According to Strategic Planning for Public Relations by Ronald Smith, an influencer (or opinion leader) is "a person who has the ability to influence public opinion in favor of an organization." Now, that is kind of a broad definition. A lot of people can influence public opinion, especially now when anyone can have a platform of their own to share their own opinions. The book mentioned above separates influencers into two categories-
Formal Influencers- These leaders are able to influence people based on their structured roles. For example- critics, reviewers, designers, people who gain trust because of the role they hold.
Informal Influencers - These are individuals who influence others based on the trust they have built up with their audience because they are informed and recognized as leaders in particular issues. This can be as simple as someone who reviews products or tries different good on social media. These are the leaders we will be focusing on in this article.
Gaining the support of informal opinion leaders can be an amazing asset for any organization or brand because they have something that is invaluable- the people's trust.
Let's look at real life...
Celina, or @Celinaspookyboo as she is known on TikTok, has cultivated a huge following on the global platform for her amazing cosmetic reviews and tutorials. She has over 12 million followers on the app and is a verified influencer (Edante). People value her opinion on makeup and skin care. If she if a fan of the brand, so are the 12 million other people.
Photo from Endante.com (2022)
Tim Dessaint, or @timdessaint, is another popular TikTok influencer who specializes in men's fashion. With 2.2 million followers, he is not only setting trends, but creating more supporters of his most trusted brands (Jasman).
Photo from @timdessaint on Instagram.com
So, what does this mean?
Today's world is full of micro-influencers who have built a brand for themselves based on their knowledge and the trust they instill in their audience. The key to getting your audience to engage with and trust you brand is in the hands of influencers like these.
References
Jasman, A. (2020, April 30). #tiktokfashion: The Five men's fashion-centric accounts to follow. Esquire SG. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.esquiresg.com/tiktokfashion-style-fashion-men-tiktok-accounts-to-follow/#:~:text=%23TikTokFashion%3A%20The%20five%20men%E2%80%99s%20fashion-centric%20accounts%20to%20follow,%40boykawa%20...%205%20Young%20Emperors%20%E2%80%94%20%40young_emperors%20
Smith, R. D. (2020). Strategic Planning for Public Relations (6th ed.). Taylor & Francis. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781000201468
Top 20: Best tiktok makeup artists (influencers to follow). Endante. (2022, November 2). Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://endante.com/tiktok-makeup-artists/#:~:text=TOP%2020%3A%20Best%20TikTok%20Makeup%20Artists%20%28Influencers%20to,%40Kashees.official%20...%208%208.%20%40Aliya_hamidi%20...%20More%20items