As a communications professional I am an advocate for creating and owning content. The rise of regular-folks-turned-influencer on platforms like YouTube has the potential to make any of us content creators and if the content is good enough, the market will reward us accordingly.
Much to my delight, the popularity of television (in relation to advertisement) is dwindling and the influence of regular folks is rising. These regular folks have gained the trust of consumers like me.A few years ago when I had questions about the correct way to apply make-up, a friend suggested Patricia Bright’s YouTube Channel.
Today, I trust Patricia Bright way more than I trust an advertisement by any make-up brand...so I’m one of those people who have come to trust “regular folks” on YouTube in relation to some products. Not quite sure when my trust shifted.
As the spending power of millennials increase they have become the targets of brands, but because they hardly watch TV, brands are approaching from unsuspecting angles.
Hence the rise of influencers.
But corporations have been wooing influencers with their products via gifts and other goodies so consumers are now forced to consider authenticity when taking advice from these personalities.
Thinking out loud: Patricia Bright has been featured in a L’Oréal ad and I am happy for the success of her Channel, in the same breath, I am hoping authenticity of advice on certain products will not become an issue. Do you think she has a responsibility to me in that regard?
I can’t quite put my finger on when I started trusting the regular people over brands that have been good to me in terms of product quality. Research has shown that digital content makes viewers “feel good” about themselves (and who wouldn’t want that!). An online survey of 1,350 US consumers between the ages of 13-24 carried out by Hunter Qualitative Researchers showed that:
63% of their respondent felt good about themselves, while 40% reported the same feeling with TV.
67% of respondents said they can better relate to digital content while 41% said the same of TV.
FYI: the study was paid for by Defy Media which produces content for YouTube...so keep that in mind.Notwithstanding the stats, I have personally experienced a shift and I am sure I’m not the only one. I have a certain level of trust for my influencers. But with influence comes responsibility.
My reflections on this will form the topic of my next blog.
Thank you for reading and continue to watch this space :-).