Influencer marketing (also known as influence marketing) is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, individuals and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Influencers are people (or something) with the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others by uploading some form of original—often sponsored—content to social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok or other online channels. Influencer marketing is when a brand enrolls influencers who have an established credibility and audience on social media platforms to discuss or mention the brand in a social media post.
Influencer content may be framed as testimonial advertising, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States. The FTC started enforcing this on a large scale in 2016, sending letters to several companies and influencers who had failed to disclose sponsored content. Many Instagram influencers started using #ad in response and feared that this would affect their income. However, fans increased their engagement after the disclosure, satisfied they were landing such deals. This success led to some creators creating their own product lines in 2017. Some influencers fake sponsored content to gain credibility and promote themselves. Backlash to sponsored content became more prominent in mid-2018, leading to many influencers to focus instead on authenticity.
Influencer marketing began with early celebrity endorsements and has rapidly spread since the rise of popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Influencer marketing shows how influencers have become very important figures in fashion and beauty with a very impactful voice and opinion among consumers. The legacy of influencer marketing highlights its power in shaping consumer behavior, with concerns about authenticity and transparency continuing to grow.
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