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Social Media & Influencers

Business: AQA A Level (2023 Specification), topic 3.4.9

Social Media & Influencers

Social media platforms have transformed promotional decisions for modern businesses through digital campaigns. Influencer marketing allows brands to connect directly with specific target audiences.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing

  • Influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who have a dedicated social media following to promote goods or services.
  • This strategy relies on the influencer's perceived authenticity and relationship with their audience.
  • It shifts promotional decisions away from traditional media channels towards organic-looking content.
Influencers by follower count

Influencers by follower count

  • Influencers are categorised by their audience size.
  • Micro-influencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers) retain strong niche credibility and excellent engagement rates.
  • Macro-influencers (100,000 to 1 million followers) provide much broader reach.
  • Mega-influencers (over 1 million followers) offer massiveglobal exposuree but can be very expensive.
Benefits of Influencer Marketing

Benefits of Influencer Marketing

  • It allows precise audience targeting, as businesses can select influencers whose followers directly match their target market profile.
  • Higher engagement rates are common because followers trust the influencer's personal recommendations over corporate ads.
  • The results can be easily measured with views, click rates or the use of discounts.
Drawbacks and risks

Drawbacks and risks

  • Businesses face a loss of control over how their brand is presented, as content creation relies heavily on the influencer's style.
  • If an influencer behaves unethically, it can negatively impact the reputation of the brands.
  • The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) now strictly enforces rules for influencers to state #Ads or #Gifted at the start of posts.
  • Some influencers have inflated follower counts or low engagement rates.

Test yourself on Social Media & Influencers

  • Why does influencer marketing often achieve higher engagement rates than traditional corporate advertisements?

  • Which of the following are risks for a business using influencer marketing?

  • How are the following influencers called according to their follower count?

  • According to the regulations enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), what must influencers do in their posts?

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