Influencer marketing: An essential strategy or just a trend?

People feel the need to communicate, to exchange ideas, to interact, to learn and to seek ideas, forming beliefs and cultures. Media channels provide a means of communicating and influencing consumers’ perceptions and purchasing decisions. The rise of social media has gained the attention of consumers who are increasingly turning away from traditional media. Within this context, new methods of promoting products, such as influencer marketing, have emerged. Today’s consumers expect more from advertising than traditional promotional methods, and are seeking interaction and engagement. They like to follow the lives of other people, such as friends, celebrities and subject matter experts, and are influenced by their own preferences and suggestions. A successful campaign reaches as many product-related customers as possible and influences them. This can be achieved by influencer marketing through social media, which has become essential to companies’ marketing strategies. This paper takes a deeper look at the strategy of using social media influencers and its contribution to brand awareness. It presents real examples of influencer marketing campaigns and discusses the factors behind their success.