By: Alexandra Martinez, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – Companies in 2024 are beginning to rely on influencers to drive market searches rather than traditional advertising, with Hubspot claiming influencers are the primary discovery avenues for the youth.
An influencer might just be the newest occupation in the job market and appropriately, one of the most influential roles in digital marketing and media out there.
The term “influencer” has drastically changed over the past decade, taking on a new meaning of being “someone in a niche or industry that has sway over a target audience.” Someone who coins themselves as an influencer seeks to partner with brands who use their image to advertise and build brand awareness to key audiences. This can look like gifting public relations packages, formal long-term contracted partnerships or even a simple, one-time paid sponsorship designed for an influencer to give a quick “shoutout” on the brand’s behalf.
Influencers can exist on primarily four different levels. Types of influencers include celebrities, industry experts and thought leaders, micro-influencers (individuals who have built a strong social media following and presence), and bloggers or content creators. Despite the prestigious status and image of celebrities, Gen Zers generally tend to lean more toward influencers when it comes to trust. Around 55% stated in a Morning Consult 2019 study, that they trust influencers over celebrities due to the ability to gain a real-life perception of the individual using the product/service, and the authenticity that exists in conversational reviews.
For brands, companies, and industries, choosing to pair with an influencer is a cost-effective way to reach their target audiences and accomplish ambitious business goals. What’s more, the data shows it really works. The Digital Marketing Institute reveals that in 2024, as much as 75% of people use social media as a tool for purchasing advice, and 69% of these individuals trust the opinions and recommendations from influencers. When customers and clientele are searching for product reviews, it is very common for them to check their favorite influencers first for leads, or using social media apps as their go-to search engines.
Traditional search engines like Google, Safari, Yahoo, etc., are being reserved for the post-search process when it is time to find which company is selling the already chosen product for the best price. What influencers do is help increase the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of specific products, as links created build connections and direct consumers to the desired places.
Though working with (and being) an influencer has its list of positives; generating growth and visibility for brands, an interactive way to advertise, a new way to make financial income digitally, the pitfall list can be just as long. For influencers themselves, the income and work does not always provide such security and stability. Just because you landed one good partnership, does not guarantee another and certainly does not ensure another gig in a timely manner. Brands who work with influencers also run the risk of their name being tarnished if the influencer’s reputation suddenly takes a dive, especially in today’s cancel culture movements.
While every influencer’s claim to fame is different, they all began with an electronic device, a strategy, and a drive to persist in an industry that is extremely saturated and unknown. Millions of content gets created and shared each day, and influencers must develop strong marketing tactics that can filter through it all to reach the audiences they hope to attract, with no guarantee that their efforts will be met with reward.
For some, success came flooding in. New Jersey native, Jessica Lisboa, is a Latina mom and creator who shares content related to beauty, style, and travel. Her lifestyle blog is called This Season’s Gold, which attracts a unique community of moms, fashion fanatics, New Jersey fans and aspiring travelists.
Lisboa is also the founder of “Raise A Heart,” a platform meant to bring awareness and support to mothers who have experienced child loss, just like she had. Throughout her journey of rising as an influencer, she has been able to sponsor well-known brands like Neutrogena, and partner with name brands like Kate Spade. Her story is just one of many influencers who find their work intertwining with their dreams and passions, being able to take it on as an unexpected and fulfilling career.
Separately, with the uptick in influencers who share about parenthood, a genuine concern for child safety has followed. For many parents who document their personal journeys of parenthood and everything in between, this means showing their children’s lives on camera as well. A handful of “social media children” who are now grown and old enough to comprehend just how much of their privacy was jeopardized, are speaking up to lobby for legislative laws that protect children from their influencer and excessive social media using parents.
“I plead you to be the voice for this generation of children because I know firsthand what it’s like to not have a choice in which a digital footprint you didn’t create follows you around for the rest of your life,” Cam Barret, “social media baby” who is now 25, tells the audience at a Washington State legislature hearing.
Though there are obvious implications and reasons to worry about child influencers including their safety on the internet, what about teen influencers? At what teenage year does it become appropriate for a teenager to create content and receive compensation for it?
This past May, New Jersey authorities passed a law that requires parental permission for any teens under 18 to create a social media account and post content. It was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy and will be effective come July 1, 2024.
The law’s goals are to increase the safety and well-being of the youth, ensure that minors are not being exploited, safeguard against any threats associated with online fame, and keep parents involved in their kid’s social media use. Though opposing sides claim this law may be a stifling of young expression and creativity, both sides remain eager to see how this first-of-its-kind law will play out in New Jersey.
- WATCH: What’s Good in South Jersey? American Training Center Graduation Celebration
- WATCH: What’s Good in South Jersey? Cinco De Mayo Celebration
- WATCH: What’s Good in South Jersey? Salem Donates House For Full Renovation
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
