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Want to see how IZEA impacted the history of influencer marketing?

Travel back in time and take a deep dive into how marketers harnessed the power of social networking to reach new customers through the ages. In this SlideShare presentation trace Influencer Marketing’s evolution from early product placement at the dawn of the motion picture age to a social media phenomenon in the digital age.

History of Influencer Marketing SlideShare Transcript

  1. Influencer marketing dates back to the late 19th century when companies began paying celebrities to endorse products like cigarettes and home goods. The rising popularity of movies amplified the power of celebrity endorsements; fans wanted to emulate the stars they saw on the screen.
  2. Advertisers capitalized on the popularity of radio, film, and television’s most beloved stars, like Elizabeth Taylor. Each medium brought a new era of celebrity endorsements.
  3. Advertisers of the 1950s sold lifestyles, not products. Instead of showing consumers the benefits of items or demonstrating how they compared to competitors’ goods, advertisers gave consumers a glimpse of how the products could improve their lives.
  4. Public Domain During the 20th century, interest in psychology also grew as people wanted to understand the forces influencing behavior. This prompted several landmark studies in the fields of psychology and communication.
  5. One landmark study of the period is Personal Influence (1955) by Lazarsfeld & Katz. In it, the authors theorize that ideas move from the media to the general public through channels called “opinion leaders.” The study notes that opinion leaders are successful at changing others’ behavior and beliefs because of their similarity to those they influence.
  6. In the following decade, Stanley Milgram published the book Six Degrees of Separation, which discusses a study he conducted to determine how many acquaintances separate two randomly selected people. Milgram’s work helped bring the concept of social networks to the mainstream.
  7. By the time Malcolm Gladwell wrote his 2000 bestseller, The Tipping Point, the Internet was changing the face of marketing. It gave connectors a new venue for introducing the members of their networks, provided a forum where experts could share their information, and created avenues for salesmen to persuade the public.
  8. CC0 Public Domain THE POWER OF ACQUAINTANCES In 2003, sociologist Duncan Watts revisited Milgram’s theory on social connectivity, arguing that merely being in someone’s social network doesn’t automatically convey influence. According to Watts, acquaintances may provide more valuable information to people other than their close friends, an idea that supports the success of influencer marketing.
  9. In his 2012 report, “vv,” Brian Solis posits that ordinary people now have the ability to influence behavior through their social media networks. He argues that companies and organizations must learn how to leverage social media to reach out to customers by showing how their products & services improve consumers’ stature on social media platforms.
  10. The first mommy blogs appeared in the early 2000s, and by 2016 there were almost About 500 of these bloggers are considered influential, and their endorsements of products resulted in significant increases in sales for companies—which led to a spike in endorsements.
  11. RISE OF THE MOMMY BLOGGER In 2010, Old Spice took influencer marketing to a new level with its “Smell Like a Man, Man” commercials, which capitalized on the popularity of the advertisements’ recognizable character. The company sent personalized messages from the Old Spice Man to celebrities and social media users with large followings, resulting in more than Mike Mozart.
  12. Social media creates a new type of celebrity that utilizes a sense of authenticity to appeal to audiences. Some of the top influencer agencies are now harnessing the power of these celebrities’ popularity and ability to connect with users.
  13. According to an April 2016 study published by Google, YouTube videos now reach a higher percentage of the 18–49 age demographic than broadcast and cable TV channels. YouTube influencer marketing represents an innovative, integrated opportunity to reach target markets and drive consumer action via video reviews, product unboxings, and more.
  14. The beauty of Instagram lies in its simplicity, which encourages high levels of user interaction at an average 3+% user engagement rate. Instagram influencers engage in marketing campaigns via posting, tagging, liking, and hashtagging photos to reach audiences quickly.
  15. Facebook supports a diverse range of content types which decidedly illustrates its value as a marketing platform. With over 1.7 billion users around the globe, collaborating with Facebook influencers represents a compelling way for brands to engage with consumers they otherwise may not reach.
  16. IZEA offers influencer marketing at scale, giving clients access to a network of social media influencers. Reaching more than IZEA is revolutionizing influencer marketing through thoughtful campaigns and innovation.