1.

Influencers have become powerful in marketing, where genuine endorsements matter

more than traditional ads.

Introduction

Influencer marketing is one of the most recent emerging marketing tactics. The concept of
social influencers has emerged with the increasing popularity of using peer reviews,
comments, and tweets about products and services in making purchasing decisions. As a
result, marketers recognize the importance of user-generated content and use the power of
social influencers to promote their companies. However, there is always some uncertainty
about the ROI of this technology from the client's perspective (Guruge, 2018). Social media
influencers mostly rose to prominence through social media platforms while traditional
celebrities rose to prominence through movies, music, sports, and so on (Reviewzone, 2023).

The popularity of social media influencers has skyrocketed in recent years. And, the
coronavirus has had a significant impact on their success. People were stuck at home, and the
only way to communicate was through social media. As a result, social media influencers
started seizing opportunities to promote the most popular businesses. These companies
started engaging influencers because they have a diverse audience that wants to promote their
products (Reviewzone, 2023). Celebrity endorsements have long been used as an effective
marketing technique by hotels, restaurants, and travel destinations. Celebrity endorsements
have a beneficial effect on brand image, consumer buying behavior, and financial
performance of the company. Every year, businesses spend billions of dollars to have high-
profile celebrities endorse and promote their products, services, and brands (Lu, 2021).

Traditional Celebrity Vs Social Media Influencer

An influencer is a person who has a social media following because of knowledge of a

particular field and can influence potential consumers of a product or service by promoting or
endorsing it on social media (Reviewzone, 2023). Traditional marketing is a good bet.
Traditional marketing strategies have been used by businesses for decades and are always
effective. It's definitive and reliable in an influence marketing sense: businesses have
complete control over tone of voice, language, and color palette. There are three types of
influencers in marketing. It can be categorized as follows:
Types of Influencers in Marketing

 Traditional celebrities – These kinds of endorsers are often actors, musicians, and any
other public persons (Guruge, 2018). They are known for public visibility for their
achievements in areas other than the product class. A well-known and attractive
celebrity is perceived as having more “star power,” also known as celebrity power,
which has proven effective in satisfying consumers' need for status (Lu, 2021).
 Social Media Influencer - Social media influencers have evolved with the increasing
popularity of referencing social media content when they make the purchase decision.
Growing social media platforms enable “ordinary” people to create an online persona
by describing their daily lives on social media (e.g., blog posts, photos, and videos),
and use their authentic personal brands to gain attention and significant followers
(Ganga & Gaelle, 2019). These micro-celebrities, or social media influencers, vary
from unknown high school students, fitness trainers, and industry gurus to wealthy
individuals who prefer luxury products (Zhang, et al., 2019). Because of their wide
reach and authenticity, they have a similar influence on consumer buying behavior as
traditional celebrities (Cheng, et al., 2020)
 .AI Influencers – These influencers are computer-generated artificial characters with
large social media followings (Moustakas, et al., 2020). They have a human-like
physical appearance and personality, and they can think and act like humans using
software and algorithms (Veronica & Kendra, 2021). The main benefit for businesses
using AI influencers is more branding and marketing control based on corporate
preferences.

The endorsement of a product by a social media influencer is known as influencer marketing.

They promote the product by using it and expressing their thoughts with their target audience.
This alleviates a lot of people's uncertainty and converts them into potential consumers
(Reviewzone, 2023).

The Differences Between Celebrity Endorsement and Influencer Marketing

Social media influencers mostly rose to prominence through social media platforms while
traditional celebrities rose to prominence through movies, music, and sports. In recent years
there has been a tremendous growth in the trend of social media influencers. Moreover, the
coronavirus has played a big role in their success. People were stuck in their homes and the
only way to connect was through social media. As a result, social media influencers also
started taking opportunities to market more prominent brands. These brands started reaching
out to influencers as they have a range of audiences that want to promote their products.
Differences between celebrity endorsement and influencer marketing are pointed out in the
below table:

Difference Traditional Celebrity Endorsement Influencer Marketing

Connecting with the  One-way communication  Interact with the
audience audience
 Answer the customer
questions and clear it
as a friend
Credibility  Customers may not trust the  Consumers believe
credibility of the celebrity that the influencer is
because of the suspicion also using it
that the celebrity will be
paid
Expertise  It’s not necessary to have  Need expertise in the
expertise in the promoting promoting brand
brand
Content  Just endorse the product  Influencers create
their own content.
Table 1: Differences between celebrity endorsement and influencer marketing
Why does the company choose influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is described as the business of convincing people with a large social
network of followers to recommend their products. Due to the wide range of audiences
companies use influencer marketing to promote their brands. As an example: If the company
needs to promote their computer accessories brands, the company can choose a social media
influencer and within that company can use the computer expert to promote brands. Social
media influencers relate to regular people. If they recommend something to customers, it
means it is related to the customer. They are like the general public and their audience who
are everyday consumers. Influencers are more reachable for brands as well. Celebrities are
generally hard to reach, let alone for brands. Moreover, influencers are relatively cheap and
affordable. Also, the audience can reach out and connect with them (Reviewzone, 2023).
The internet world has increased the freedom of common people to communicate their
thoughts and ideas as long as it is considered legitimate and curious. It then sparked the
interest of followers of their work and the content went viral (Alic, et al., 2017). Influencer
marketing evolved into a marketing tactic in the current marketing era, as user-generated
content and social influencers gained the attention of both marketers and consumers. Because
of the rapid growth of technology and social media over the past ten years, the concept of a
social media influencer has expanded dramatically. Influencer marketing was previously
done through blog and online diary platforms, with a focus on delivering extensive written
entries; However, the events are happening now, and images and videos are being posted in
real time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (Alic, et al., 2017). Consumers are more
willing to buy things recommended by non-celebrity bloggers (Hal, 2016).

Benefits of Social Influencer Marketing

As social media replaces television, newspapers, and magazines as the main entertainment
and communication platforms, companies must be more innovative to get their product in
front of potential customers and keep their current client base engaged. Staying relevant in
such a fast-paced social environment is difficult but has its rewards (DigitalStrike, 2023).
Consumers are tired of traditional advertising shoved in their faces. Ad blockers are
becoming more and more popular. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB),
two-thirds of consumers use ad blockers.

The most effective social media influencers spend considerable time and effort building the
trust of their followers. It doesn't happen overnight. They tell a gripping story that captivates
their audience and keeps them coming back for more. The influencer establishes trust and
loyalty with an engaged audience. They trust the person they are following, so they are more
willing to trust their recommendations and give advice. Social media influencers are
“normal” people. They're the guy in the pub taking a selfie of his hand-made burger, but
they're not necessarily famous, so it's easy to believe their suggestions. There's a reason social
influencers have thousands of followers. Their followers don't just follow them to get or
explore more of their feeds. People follow influencers because they feel they will get
something from them. A fitness fanatic follower is looking for advice on how to keep fit and
healthy. They want useful information. They're already looking for that kind of support and
guidance, so it's a great place for product suggestions. Successful influencers have a specialty
that defines them. That's why their followers start by clicking the follow button. If the
company's offering is directly related to the influencer's specialty, more relevant leads are
more likely to be generated. It is a target audience that is interested in learning about the
company's offerings (DigitalStrike, 2023).

Disadvantages of influencer marketing

Some downsides to influencer marketing should be considered, such as the possibility of

having less control over the content and quality of influencer posts, which may result in
negative comments, backlash, or legal difficulties. It takes more time because have to
research, engage, negotiate, and manage different influencers while simultaneously
monitoring and evaluating their performance. Also, it becomes more competitive as have to
compete with other businesses and marketers who may offer more discounts or incentives to
the same influencers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Celebrity Endorsement

Celebrity endorsements can be more effective than influencer marketing because company
can use the power and notoriety of celebrities to reach a large audience and make a lasting
impression. Companies can verify that celebrity messaging and visions align with the
company brand's identity and ideals. Furthermore, celebrity endorsements can be more
prestigious as the company can increase brand awareness by associating with celebrities in
business and society.

Celebrity endorsements can be expensive as significant fees must be paid to obtain the
celebrity's services as well as cover production, distribution, and licensing costs. Also, if the
celebrity is involved in controversy or negative news, it may not be relevant to company
target demographic or group and may appear inauthentic. As a result, before investing in
celebrity endorsements, should check for possible drawbacks (community, 2023). Nowadays
people spend hours on YouTube watching their favorite influencers put product placement
into their work. Marketing has evolved dramatically over the last ten years or so. As the way
people consume materials has evolved dramatically, so has the way marketers deliver goods.
Knowing the target demographic, understanding the brand's message, and a savvy blend of
traditional and influencer marketing are the best strategies. Shein, the world's largest fast
fashion company, for example, has used both capacities in their marketing strategy: if
customers do not learn about their brand on TikTok, TikTok followers will see their
advertising on whatever website or app they are on.
Conclusion

According to the above explanation, both traditional celebrities and social media influencers
are in demand for brand endorsements, and social media influencers are expected to
outperform traditional celebrities. When they get the right blend of personality, branding, and
conciseness. On the other hand, if the target demographic is younger consumers, traditional
marketing may not be as effective as influencer marketing. Traditional marketing ROI is also
difficult to quantify. It is difficult to determine how many people saw a billboard or watched
a television commercial, so it is impossible to determine how many people become customers
as a result of such marketing efforts. There is no debate about the legitimacy of traditional
marketing or the effectiveness of influencer marketing. Marketing strategies must include
both reaching the widest potential audience and successfully conveying the messages the
company wishes to send about its brand. social media influencers can legitimately be
considered more powerful than celebrity endorsements (Linkedin, 2022). To ensure a
pleasant, long-term experience, brands must establish a long-term partnership with the right
influencer. Marketers and companies should select their corporate endorsers carefully, taking
into account the characteristics of each type of influencer, their respective influence
mechanisms and challenges, as well as the potential responses of the company's target
markets to the influencer's activities. At the end of the day, customer experience takes
precedence (Lu, 2021).

References
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