Social Media Technology: Social Sciences Research Paper

Social Media Technology
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Social Media Technology
Social media has influenced many aspects of personal, professional, and business activities. Various social media technologies play a role in providing a platform to share ideas and develop virtual networks. Many of the technologies not only support personal social media endeavors but have also helped businesses reach great heights. One of the social media technologies embraced in the modern world is influencer marketing. The paper explores influencer marketing, its purpose, how it has evolved, demographics that use it, and potential influence into the future.
Influencer marketing is a form of social media promotion or marketing technology that incorporates endorsements or product mention by influencers. In this case, influencers denote individuals, groups, or organizations with a dedicated social media following and often viewed as experts in that niche (Glucksman, 2017). The purpose of influence marketing is to sway the views of people about a particular product or content. Glucksman (2017) adds that influencer marketing thrives because of the high level of trust that influencers have created with their followers. For example, if a celebrity endorses or purports to use a particular product, many of the celebrity's followers may be inclined to purchase the product because they trust the celebrity. The endorsements become a recommendation and a form of social proof about the product to potential customers (Tabellion & Esch, 2019). It is important to note that influencers are not limited to celebrities, but they are also people with authority in social media and their field.
Before influencer marketing, traditional advertising dominated the market. However, soon companies saw the need to leverage influential individuals. In the early stages, influencer marketing was dominated by celebrities and well-known personalities. However, this has largely changed over the years, with influencers being people who have slowly built reputation overtime (Tabellion & Esch, 2019). For example, while in the past, any celebrity endorsement gained people's attention, today, consumers look at the authenticity of the influencer. Often, consumers feel compelled by an individual who has spent time building a reputation they can trust. Also, while an influencer could not be criticized in the past, social media creates a platform where everyone can share their views about the product and circumstances surrounding the endorsement (Glucksman, 2017). It is the authority, credibility, and thoughtfulness involved in endorsing a product and not appearances that matter.
Just like other forms of marketing, influencer marketing should be planned carefully. People use influencer marketing by tailoring the...