The concept of influencer marketing has been around for over two decades, with its roots in early web forums and bulletin board sites. Influencers have evolved from proto-influencers to micro-influencers, and the industry now faces challenges such as engagement fraud and undisclosed marketing relationships.
The History of Influencer Marketing
The concept of influencer marketing has been around for over two decades, with its roots in early web forums and bulletin board sites.
Proto-Influencers Emerged Among Posting Peers
In these early online communities, proto-influencers emerged as authentic sources of quality recommendations and valuable expertise. As users joined virtual communities, marketers began to understand their potential to shape public understanding.
The Rise of Personal Blogs
The rise of personal blogs brought about many tropes of modern influencer culture more than a decade before it became widely understood. Companies sent freebies to influential bloggers in hopes of earning a review or promotion, sparking discussions around the ethics of disclosure.
Early Influencer Marketing Platforms
In 2005, BlogStar paid bloggers $5 or $10 per post. PayPerPost was launched in June 2006 as an automated digital marketplace connecting advertisers with influencers. Brands could pay to put a listing on the site detailing what sort of influencer they were looking for, what they wanted promoted, and how.
The Rise of Sponsored Content
Influencer marketing campaigns grew more overt in the coming years with brands offering free products or paying influencers for their consideration. By 2018, influencer marketing had grown into a multibillion-dollar industry with brands large and small using the practice to hawk their products.
Micro-Influencers as a Solution
The rise of micro-influencers, who have smaller but more engaged followings, may provide a solution to the engagement fraud problem. Despite the benefits of working with micro-influencers, the industry still faces challenges, including undisclosed marketing relationships on platforms like YouTube and Pinterest.
Tricks Used by SMM Panels
SMM panels, or social media marketing panels, are illicit engagement marketplaces that sell fake views, likes, followers, comments, swipes, and more. These services claim to provide subscribers with likes, comments, and story views from Instagrammers with large followings.
Power Likes and Automation Apps
Power likes are a type of SMM panel service that aims to trick the Instagram algorithm into thinking an account is cool enough to be promoted in other users’ Explore page. Automation apps will send a user’s profile into an automated frenzy, liking, commenting, and following other accounts en masse in an attempt to snag them a follow back.
The Account Switcheroo
The account switcheroo is a tactic used by some influencers to amass a large amount of followers as quickly as possible, often by engaging in follow-for-follow schemes. Once they have amassed a sizable following, they sell their login credentials to the highest bidder and start posting to a prebuilt audience.
Product Placement Deals
On YouTube and Instagram, product placement deals are now common, as are the use of affiliate marketing links and sponsored coupon codes. Influencers can charge upwards of $40,000 to promote products in story and feed posts, with payouts increasing if they tag or shout out the brand specifically.
The Cost of Promotional Posts
The cost of a single promotional photo posted by an Instagram influencer with a million followers starts at $10,000, while YouTube is more expensive. A video from a YouTuber with 3 million subscribers will cost at least $40,000. Influencers can charge up to $10,000 to $30,000 more to post a negative review of a company’s competitor.
Conclusion
The history and evolution of influencer marketing have been shaped by the development of social media platforms and the rise of digital influence. While the industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar market, it still faces challenges such as engagement fraud and undisclosed marketing relationships. As the industry continues to evolve, trust and authenticity are essential components in building successful partnerships between brands and influencers.
The term “influencer” has become ubiquitous, describing individuals with middling social followings and megacelebrities alike. However, not all popular social media users are influencers, nor are all celebrities influencers.
- wired.com | Whats an Influencer? The Complete WIRED Guide
