We all know that actors, musicians, sports figures, fashion models and other celebrities wield significant power in shaping consumer behavior. This has been, after all, the basis of paid brand endorsements which are among the pillars of traditional marketing. In the age of social media marketing, this power has only become more manifest.
Through social media, pop culture icons are able to reach their millions and millions of followers (about 68 million and counting, in Taylor Swift’s case) with the click of a button. While some – including Adele and Kristen Stewart – understandably remain iffy about the medium, most generally recognize that they have to maintain some form of presence on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Many have been known to tap professionals to do the job of managing their accounts because dealing with gazillion notifications can be a challenge.
But the ones who invest considerable resources towards their social media presence do reap rewards. They can grow their following, and foster fandom by creating a “virtual home” for their admirers to be updated about their endeavors, and feel close to their idols with their selfies, OOTD posts, or musings. They can also use their accounts as a selling platform for their products. And, they can score very lucrative online brand endorsement campaigns with some of today’s most popular brands.
For someone like Taylor Swift who may be too busy promoting her album in different cities across the globe, social media campaigns can be a quick and easy way to earn. According to an article recently released by Adweek, some of the top social media influencers can now fetch as much as $230,000 for a single brand post. That could only require a shoutout on Facebook, a tag on Twitter, or an Instagram shot of them wearing or eating or drinking the product in question. Where possible, they will also publish links to the company website, and use the official hashtag for the campaign.
Brands are willing to pay that much because apparently, the celebs do bring in the money. D’Marie, a New York-based technology company that uses a proprietary algorithm to evaluate the impact of social media content, claims that posts of the likes of Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez will generate significant conversion: “12 times the return-on-investment compared to average digital marketing efforts,” the article says.
The key, then, is to find the right influencer looked up to by one’s target market, and one who will believably use the products to be endorsed. With a well thought-out concept for the social media marketing material, the campaign will surely be a success.
To learn more about digital marketing solutions, get in touch with us here at GreyBox Creative. We have helped countless brands – including small, medium, and large businesses from a diverse range of industries – harness this emerging platform to foster brand loyalty and reach out to new markets. For almost 20 years, we have honed our skills in promoting our clients’ products and services online, and enhancing their online reputation among customers, industry partners, and the general public.