Pulse December 2016 | Page 44

The rise of social media has given birth to a new kind of marketing called "influencer marketing." “Social influencers are well-positioned to reach millions of engaged followers through brand-sponsored content.” Influencers: Who Are They? Upping the ante on the fun element of social use is a new breed of “celebrity status” individuals known as “influencers.” With their explosive brand of content that is in parts quirky, informative, un-biased and hugely relatable, these social media darlings have amassed a massive social following by serving content that is either comedic, informative and/or entertaining. The rise of social media has brought “influencer marketing” into the digital marketing mix with videos, tweets, shares, traffic and even search engine authority coming into play. Connecting with the Right Kind of Audience According to The YouTube Generation 42 PULSE ■ December 2016 Study, commissioned by Google, four in 10 millennial YouTube subscribers say YouTube creators understand them better than their own friends. Social influencers are well-positioned to reach millions of engaged followers through brand-sponsored content. They can use their uniquely interactive and intimate relationships with their fans to effectively increase brand awareness and drive sales. The rise of YouTube and Instagram content creators with celebrity-like status has enabled many of the world’s top companies like Maybelline, Toyota, and Macy’s as well as a number of innovative startup brands like Blue Apron to get their marketing in front of the right kind of audience. By partnering with social influencers, not only do these brands enjoy fantastic return on investments (ROIs) across current advertising options, but they also have effectively improved the organic growth of their brand channels. Who Are The Influencers? Consumers today look to their favorite YouTubers, Instagrammers, bloggers, and vloggers for motivation to indulge in any kind of brand engagement activity. If you are on YouTube, chances are you are already more than familiar with names such as PewDiePie, The Fine Bros, Zoella and Smosh, to name a few. These are people who have successfully spearheaded shortcuts to building brand affinity on their channels. People who