See how local social media influencers connect with consumers on an individual level
By Christian Osborne | Staff writer
Some of the Augusta bloggers pose for a fun Galentine’s Day photoshoot for a collaboration with Augusta hair salon, Trust and Mane and makeup artist, Renew You Makeup Artistry. (Photo from Augusta Bloggers’ Instagram)
According to the Influence Marketing News website, consumers trust micro influencers, influencers with less than 25,000 followers, identical to a close friend or acquaintance.
This type of influencers is usually more relatable which makes the public gravitate to their opinion. You cannot log into your favorite social media website without seeing an influencer trying to entice to buy a product.
Paid posts are usually labeled or marked as, “ad” to let followers know that that the post was made in collaboration with the brand mentioned in the caption.
Many want to know why social media marketing is so popular and why big brands choose average people to promote their products verses known celebrities.
“To me, marketing is all about connecting people with the human elements of a brand, the brand’s personality and the way it makes you feel,” said Aubrey Hinkson, Augusta University’s associate vice president for marketing.
“Influencer partnerships present a powerful opportunity for marketers to connect actual individuals with their brands. What that person stands for and represents, if aligned with the company’s values and purpose, can help transform the customer’s connection with a brand from transactional to personal leading to loyalty and advocacy,” Hinkson said.
Some of the Augusta Bloggers pose for a fun fall photo. (Photo from Augusta Bloggers’ Instagram)
“There is an authenticity and relatability to social media influencing," Anna Freeman, local Augusta blogger (@life.and.lattes) and founder of the Augusta Bloggers said. “Consumers are just casually engaging with content they enjoy and passively also being educated about brands in the process. It’s kind of like word of mouth on steroids and consumers trust it more than large scale media.”
Some do not realize how closely related social media influencing is to marketing or how successful influencers need to adopt some marketing skills to be successful.
When Freeman is not on Instagram partnering with brands like McDonalds, or Fabletics, she is working a local marketing firm.
“Social media influencing, and marketing go hand in hand,” said Freeman. “Marketing is what I do full time and my experience in that fuels so much of what I do as an influencer. And on top of that, being an influencer has also made me better at my job and has encouraged me to think of more out of the box ideas for my clients too.”
As alluring as getting paid to promote products sounds, Freeman informed aspiring influencers that social media influencing isn’t always effortless.
Freeman said, “you have a thick skin and take things with a grain of salt. Brands are going to reject you. Followers are going to say mean things to you. Instagram is going to continue to change the algorithm and restrict your content from even being seen. It’s easy to get defeated, but if you can hold on and create content that you enjoy and are passionate about, it’s worth it.”
Contact Christian Osborne at NEOSBORNE@augusta.edu.
