Social media may still be fairly young, but the concept of social influencers is not. In fact, it predates computers. One early example of the use of social influence to sell products dates back to 1765.
In that year, British entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood was looking for a way to convince customers to purchase his sets of fine china rather than those of his competitors. He created a special china set for Queen Charlotte, who was King George III’s wife. Queen Charlotte clearly adored the set because she designated Wedgwood as the “Potter to Her Majesty,” and the line of china became known as “Queensware.”1
Naturally, Wedgwood sought to capitalize on the royal stamp of approval by publishing advertisements aimed at aristocrats and those with high society aspirations. He also named some of his china pieces after various members of the royal family. To this day, the Wedgwood name is still considered a luxury brand, and customers are, therefore, generally willing to pay more for these china sets.1
This example demonstrates the power of social influencers. When someone as important as the Queen of England endorses a product, the endorsed brand is instantly elevated in prestige. This increased prestige leads to greater sales and more loyal customers.
The methods of brand endorsement have changed significantly over the years, but the concept remains the same. Today, social influencers are generally those who fit the following characteristics:
- Someone who holds a position of authority or credibility (in other words, someone who has an established personal brand)
- Someone who actively posts engaging, entertaining, and/or informative content in a niche area
- Someone who has attracted a fairly sizable following of fans on social media
- Someone who can leverage their authority to influence their followers’ purchasing decisions
It’s important to stress that the power of a social influencer stems from their ability to cultivate relationships. A social influencer must build trust with their audience, and they must paint themselves as someone whom their audience would aspire to emulate.
As such, a social influencer cannot simply post advertisements all day long. Rather, to attract and retain a following, an effective social influencer must provide their audience with a variety of quality content. Some of that content can consist of promotional material for specific brands, but an audience can quickly become disillusioned and disengaged if 100% of an influencer’s content is promotional.
