Influencer Markerting | University Work

Over the years the way in which brands are marketing themselves to consumers has changed they are no longer using the same old marketing and advertising campaigns. From research you can see that consumers now want a product or service recommended to them by a family member, friend or even an influencer. More marketers are beginning to notice that they can use social media to target their customers indirectly and one of the main ways they do this is by using influential marketing.

I feel like most of you already know and have heard of influencer marketing, but in case you haven't here is a little summary.

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that brands use to target a group of consumers indirectly. Brands do this by paying/hiring influencers to promote and make content for the brand. This is usually through Bloggers, Youtubers and influential Instagrammers etc.

A brand that are currently working with an influencer are The Body Shop and they are working with Emily Canham who is an influential Youtuber she does also have a blog and Instagram with a wide following which allows her to influence on different platforms. She has over 700,000 subscribers on Youtube and nearly 600,000 on Instagram. She shares videos of her daily life and her thoughts and opinions on products. The Body Shop are currently working with Emily Canham on their Stand Up Stand Out campaign and Emily has posted a video on her Instagram promoting the new products. Emily will be expected to spread the word through her personal social channels. With all the followers she has you can see why a brand like The Body Shop would want to associate their products with her - this will lead them to obtain customers who seek a similar lifestyle and interests.

emilycanham on Instagram

To help you understand what the hype is all about heres some reasons why influencer marketing is one of the best ways to market and why ever brand should consider it:

Consumers now more than ever like to make their own decisions. One of the main successes of influencer marketing is the fact it helps people feel confident in their own choices. Consumers are depending on these self proclaimed gurus to recommend the best products and services the market has to offer.

The social aspect - people have moved further away from the usual traditional marketing channels and have adopted social media. Social media allows the consumers to search for the kind of influencers and products they are looking for. It allows consumers to get realistic reviews whilst learning more about the products through the influencers. Which results in better purchasing decisions.


A lot of people now see influencers as the new age celebrities, due to their new found online fame and many businesses this is the route they are now deciding to go down. In the beauty and fashion industry research has shown that 60% of brands now have a influencer marketing strategy in place (Media Kix, 2016). Brands are using the most influential people with high social status' to promote their brands and it's working.