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Writer's pictureSarah-Jayne Gratton

The Yellow Brick Road of Influencer Marketing

Updated: Jul 11, 2019

Any truly successful influencer campaign builds a yellow brick road for its audience to dance down.


In today’s ‘get out of my way’ rush to come up with the next big thing in terms of ‘killer’ sales, it makes sense that consumers have returned to the traditional values of retail instilled in us by our parents and grandparents. The message is simple: “Buy from who you know and who you TRUST!” This last word is the golden egg in the crowded basket of consumerism and the foundation upon which all successful influencer marketing campaigns are based.


But it’s not all granny’s apples pie and chats around the fireplace! In our Instagram-infused world, we both crave and trust in what we see around us every day, touted by our idols and reinforced by our peers. It’s a world where a picture really can replace a thousand words and where we know that our lives will be just a little bit better if we have that bag, those shoes and that table arrangement. Likewise, we trust that the boards we follow on Pinterest will lead us to the golden gates of eternal contentment. But, of course, what we really buy into are not boards, but the people behind them, the ones we re-pin, re-post and retweet on a daily basis.


These are the people who govern the choices we make every day.

Some say that celebrity endorsement isn't influencer marketing and I get that to some extent, with micro-influencers creating their own network waves, but, as I've stated time and time again, influence isn't necessarily about who you know, it's about who you trust! These are the people whose choices govern the choices we make every day. It’s a multi-million dollar industry for both the influencers and the brands behind them, as a single tweet from the ‘Kards’ can result in hundreds of thousands of sales in just a few hours.


And the slow burn effect of all this is equally intriguing.


The revenue flame from a well-crafted influencer campaign keeps burning long after the initial fire from post, tweet or pin has been lit. The audience themselves go on to become the catalyst for the brand drive, each one, eager to become a part of the messages from their icons. It allows them to feel a part of a glamorous and elite club where, through immersing themselves in the campaign by purchasing the products, they can virtually sprinkle themselves with the fairy dust of their idol’s lifestyle, in turn, making them a part of the marketing fire - and keeping it alight!


Any truly successful celebrity influencer campaign ultimately builds a yellow brick road for its audience to dance down; onward towards the Emerald City of perfection, where the lights shine just a little brighter and everyone looks amazing at 3am. 


It’s all simple psychology of course – but, as my mother always told me, the cleverest things in life are often the simplest. 




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