Influencing The Mass

Heya Hypies

Social media has made the world interactive, everything is at the touch of our finger tips, thanks to portable handheld device and the internet.
Traditional marketing in time is being dissolved and new trend are being used like social media to pursue potential stakeholders.

In the digital sphere we have influencers and celebrities. Influencers are ordinary people like you and me, who are popular on social media, on twitter they are called twelebs. An influencer is a person on social media who has a large following on twitter, instagram and Facebook. Celebrities are of course prominent people.

image: Khaya Dlanga tweleb on the cover of
The younger magazine

Public Relations and other professions have taken advantage of these influencers to publicize a specific brand. Ordinary people like you and me believe in the word-of-mouth "aren't we just gullible". Now lets me break it down for y'all...

I'm sure you know Khaya Dlanga  @khayadlanga? His a tweleb, he has a massive following. Khaya was an ordinary chap who had an opinion about everything; Life, Politics, sports and soapies etc.
What's a more creative then expressing;
1. Your frustration on social media in a comic and satire way.
2. Wanting to get people involved and have a conservation with you on a big platform.

Well Khaya did just that. He has developed a relationship with his follower and they trust  his opinion because he's an ordinary dude, that everyone at home can relate to; tweeting on has couch at home while watching Isibaya like you and me.

Here I am Brand. I want people to buy my product, what do I do. I get Khaya on broad. Khaya and I cut an endorsement deal, Khaya will get paid for tweeting about my product and recommending it to people, I will call my product  "The Explosive Air Mixer sneaker" for now.
Khaya wakes up in morning and tweets "Rocking my Explosive Air Mixer".
Gullible Judy, she's a liker of things, tweets back to Khaya "lets see it, twitpic please" Khaya my good friend sends a picture and it goes viral. The main objective is to create a buzz about the product for it to trend on social media.
The brand wants to sell and get new stakeholders to buy their product. The endorser has an opportunity to earn a income for endorsing the product. It is referred to the word-of-mouse (word-of-mouth) on social media because their is a buzz about the product.

The public trusts the opinion of  a social media influencer who has used a specific product. As the public feels its more genuine.  The same words with celebrities to push products but must of them will convince their fans to buying the product.




image: Kim Kardashian endorsing Midori

Why is it so simple to pursue the public? well  its like fashion trends, if people can see it looks good on someone automatically we think its going to look good on us. It is a bonus if  there are different ways to match and wear and it fits the individuals style. Yeah right!!!! People will buy into it.

image: Infographic on The Influence Landscape

 The problems is how genuine are people on social media, are influencers sell outs? who will do anything for a quick buck "just mention it" then a fat transaction comes into your account or are they wannabe celebrities.


I think it is more effective to use your social media accounts to rising an awareness, talking to people who share and don't share the same opinion as you, what you put on social media has to be a conversational topic that you feel passionate about and will get people thinking like

image: Poster for Save The Rhino Day

•  #Savetherhinos,
• #bringbackoursgirls
• #icebucketchallenge       
• #JeSuisCharlie etc        

more fun ones

• #nomakeupseflies,
•  #tbt 
•  memes.

image: An example of a meme

Even though one would not buy something they don't know or have heard about. The influence does reach the public. I have never been into sneaker etc. When the timeless converse Chuck Taylor came back in fashion I was jumped on that band wagon too.  

Why?
I saw there are different ways to wear the shoe and have it fit your lifestyle and style. I am sure the sells went skyrocket every second person has a pair... Not hating just embracing the power of social media and influencers.

Honestly between me and you, don't you think it is more effective if you see the influencer or celebrity actually using the product like in adverts? lol gosh I know people don't like to watch adverts anymore but then think about... Remember Emma Stone on the Revlon advert using the balm stain lipstick "I still remember the name, didn't Google it". Even girl was buying into the idea of red lips look good on everyone.
 Adverts are now posted on social media, search for a video on YouTube and an ad plays before the video. It is also an effective way to get the attention of potential stakeholders. People remember what they see visually, "How many adverts can you recite in your head right now?" It is also a way to create a buzz for your brand because people talk about it Word-of-mouth. Clearly people still prefer visual influencing even though its digital, I still think its more influential. A better way is to use both elements in influencing the public.

I will not deprive my readers from thriving, here are some tips of becoming an influential influencer on social media:  

1. Establish your motives.
2. Find your target audience.
3. Create a weekly.
4.Utilize your network.
5.Maintain your profile.