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The new stars of web advertising
Today’s cult celebrities of the social media world are unknown names. How did they become famous?
Singer-songwriters Taylor Swift and Beyonce are online celebrity endorsers too but they became so after spectacular successes in other careers. But look at what happened at the Cannes Film Festival recently. Seventeen-year-old Amanda Steele, a beauty vlogger, was flown out to the French Riviera, dressed and made up, and given tickets to the premiere of Okja courtesy of Christian Dior – all in return for a caption shared with her 2.8 million followers that read: “Thank you sooooo much @diormakeup for treating me like a princess!!”
The power of blogs and platforms such as Instagram have thrown up stars who were never household names. As influencers on social media, they are probably much more effective than many supermodels or superstars – simply because of the following they command. In fact, a mega-following is not always the requisite to become a star influencer. Even users with 5,000 followers can attract $250 for a product post or endorsement if they have the right audience.
In the end, it is the trust factor that works in the new endorser’s favour. As long as customers are not misled, why should brands worry?