How Influencers Are Redefining the Field of Public Relations

Each and every day, our Instagram feeds are glossed with flawless photos of people holding products that claim promises that will do wonders to improve yourself, your looks - whatever it may be. These people are more commonly known as “influencers.” In the context of social media, the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines influencers as individuals who can develop a genuine interest in a product amongst others by creating content about their favorite products on social media. While many Instagram users may show off and discuss their favorite products as a hobby, some influencers now play a significant role in how public relations practitioners generate campaigns for their clients. 

According to the Oklahoma City-based public relations agency, Koch Communications, social media influencers have transformed how public relations practitioners communicate clients’ messages to their target audiences. In fact, the agency cites how consumers nowadays are more likely to trust the words of people on their social media feeds than traditional means of marketing, such as print advertisements and advertisements on television. If executed properly, social media influencer marketing campaigns can grow a stronger customer appreciation base, promote interactions between the brand and consumers, and expand a brand’s assemblage. 

Though influencer marketing campaigns can bolster consumers’ interest in a product or service, how does a public relations practitioner find the “right” influencers for a client?

New York-based public relations firm, 5W PR, specifies that micro-influencers are the influencer category that P.R. professionals should look to when finding influencers. The agency says that these influencers are “niche experts” in their respective fields. In turn, micro-influencers are able to develop deep connections with their followers, resulting in high levels of social engagement. 

5W PR has also found that influencers with a following base of around 1,000 or more saw about an 85% increase in engagement than influencers with a following around 100,000. These numbers allude to an even larger trend found in influencer marketing: when an influencer’s following increases, their engagement rates tend to decline. When it comes to picking influencers that will generate business for a client, P.R. professionals are more likely to find promise in these “niche” influencers that have a true love for a brand and interact with their follower base. In the case of influencer marketing, strength is not necessarily in numbers but in social interaction and authenticity. 

While public relations practitioners have realized that social media rules the world and is one of the top platforms to reach a client’s audience, influencer posts sometimes may not necessarily be more effective than a traditional advertisement. In fact, an article from the Institute for Public Relations states that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires social media users to use the hashtags #ad or #sponsored in their social media posts when a company is giving them a reward for their post in the form of money, gifts, or services. 

Even though FTC law requires influencers to use these hashtags, an influencer’s posts may create confusion for followers. The use of #ad and #sponsored may make an influencer’s followers think that the post is an advertisement as opposed to a genuine post created from the influencer’s own will. 

The influencer marketing model as a means for public relations professionals to relay messages about their clients’ products and services is one that is unique to the history of advertising. Influencers’ accessibility to a variety of brands’ audiences does breed a sense of authenticity to allow consumers to understand a product or service’s efficaciousness. However, the question still remains: Are influencers’ posts with #ad and #sponsored the same as a traditional advertisement on a billboard or in a commercial? It will be interesting to see if influencer marketing campaigns will continue to be utilized by P.R. professionals in a year from now, five years from now, or in the next decade.