The Power of Influencers: How Bloggers Use Social MediaSMU SMC

Influencers have a lot of credibility and trust with their followers. How do bloggers use social media to their advantage?

Most of us have that favorite blogger or stylist we follower on social media. Every day they post about a new product or gadget, making us want it too. Even though we may not realize it, this acts as a form of subliminal messaging. When we see someone we trust with a brand, we begin to trust the brand ourselves.

Influencers have a lot of “influence” on their followers, hence the name. Bloggers use social media to push out new trends and are most likely, paid by the particular brand or company to do so. Of course, when we see a post or photo on social media, we often forget this small, but major detail.

Yes, we might understand that the blogger was probably given that new Apple Watch for free, but does that make us want it any less? Even though all products are probably promotional, they still have a large influence on the blogger’s audience.

What many people do not recognize is that we constantly have brands represented in our day-to-day lives. Whether it is the clothes you wear or the car you drive, even necessities such as these can be promotional posts by bloggers. When influencers use social media to share a location or restaurant, even this can be a form of a promotional post. A recent poll by DailyMail says that influences with over 500 thousand followers can earn over $15 thousand per post. Did not expect that, did you?

Regardless of if the post is product placement, promotional or even just a brand mention, influencers use social media. It is the easiest way to push out a message to all of their followers. Today, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular. Both of these channels are quick, easy to update and most importantly all visual. They are the perfect outlet to display digital images of a product or place.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that audiences have a lot of trust in the influencers they follow. People are more likely to purchase something if it comes from a credible source. Often acting as the liaison between the consumer and the brand, influencers will continue to use social media to their advantage.