By Miguel Madrigal
Have you ever bought something because your favorite influencer, celebrity, or social media account recommended a product? I'm certain you have, especially if you are between the ages of 16 and 40. According to Forbes, “Gen Z — a demographic aged 16-26 — now makes up 40% of consumers”.
The past decade has moved consumers towards the digital realm. Influence marketing has grown astronomically this past decade, according to Influencerhub.com the industry is worth 16 billion.
It was once important to get consumers into the door of a big-box retailer with advertisements, billboards, TV commercials, and other traditional marketing tactics. However, consumers have altered their habits, buying from people who influence them and who they trust. Businesses rely on influencers, brand ambassadors, and other social media accounts to promote and push their products and services.
Consumers are people, primarily interested in being entertained on social media. Integrating creative content with marketing has altered marketers' approaches and tactics. The main psychological tactic is to have someone the consumer trust recommend products and services.
According to Christoph Kastenholz, a Forbes Council Member “ Brands no longer talk to consumers; consumers talk to each other about brands. This is the fundamental psychology of trust: consumers prefer peer recommendations”.
One of the greatest examples I personally can think of is Alphalete. Alphalete targets its consumers using influencers and Youtubers. You will never see an Aphalete commercial on Youtube, Google Ads, cable, or even on your feed. They have mastered influencer marketing. They created a team of influencers, providing them with gear to wear and promote.
We associate Aphalete with beautiful and athletic influencers. People want to be like the people they admire. Aphalete successfully took the market by storm and is now one of the leading gym brands. Alphalete is one of the many examples of why influence marketing is so crucial in 2022.