Who doesn't know them: Semi-famous people who hold a product in the camera or pose at an event and convince their followers how great the company is. People such as Bianca Claßen, Pamela Reif or Farina Opoku are divided on whether you like it, what they bring to our screens and whether one or the other generation is influenced too subliminally by it.
These people all have one thing in common: They are so-called influencers, opinion leaders, which are used by many companies as popular advertising media. The most successful of them in Germany mainly represent the lifestyle and fashion sector, give their fans discount codes for facial care or fashion shops and of course show what they bought themselves. In spite of all gender roles, these are mainly issues that primarily appeal to the female audience. At least we are not aware of a male influencer who presents the latest men's fashion from Anson’s or Jack and Jones with a discount code.
Instagram and gaming
There is another area that could be seen as a counterpart to the lifestyle blog: the gaming industry. There have long been posts on the popular video platforms on which gamers upload their games, present great successes and share their thoughts and experiences with the community. What started on a small scale has been developing into a gigantic field for several years. More and more gamers are recording their games and even streaming them to Life on YouTube, Facebook or the specially designed platform Twitch. No wonder that sponsors and companies want to jump on the train and sense a profitable business.
The consequences are sponsorship contracts, large advertising deals and a much larger media representation of gaming. This has also given rise to completely new ideas. For example, there are groups in which you can take out a monthly subscription to receive the best trading tips for FIFA every day. Cost point: between 10-30 €. Not a bad wage once the group is well filled. For this, they always offer small, free insights into the group, post a tip or two on Instagram or show how successful the members have been. Linking to the respective profiles included, because #SupportistkeinMord. The same applies to other such groups who want to push followers to each other, like and comment on their posts, and also call themselves friends and colleagues. In addition to being nice, the idea is to pull the algorithm on its side, because it thrives on likes, comments and reactions. The holy trinity of Insta success, so to speak.
When a picture delights the masses
But even the industry continues to evolve based on social media. Sony recently presented the new logo of the PS5, which was not surprisingly designed, but was able to break the record for most gaming likes in a short time and was well before the Xbox Series X was presented. For many, this little piece of information was an absolute highlight, which already speaks for the success of Sony about Microsoft. A single picture moves millions of people without much information. That is influencing at it's best. But the big companies are also doing a lot to be represented on the portals. Each event has its own hashtag, livestreams and other interaction options, upload features are inserted into the games themselves, through which we can share goals, kills or special achievements directly with our followers. You could almost think that success didn't count if you didn't show it to the world. The companies have understood the direction of the march and are doing a lot in their games to ensure that these get a big present.
The same can be seen at trade fairs like Gamescom. Not only that, for influencers almost a separate area has been set up here, they also get exclusive appointment slots from many publishers to present their latest highlights to their followers and also to advertise how great the studios are. It's a shame that there is no slot left for the classic trade magazines. That is also part of it when new media are on the rise and are becoming more interesting for the marketing departments. Everyone can decide for themselves whether this development is good or bad. Or you just try to become part of it yourself with the right means and ways. There are many who try to build their own channel, try to generate reach and swim with the big ones. For this you need one thing above all: The right way to the goal. Fortunately, this is not that difficult once you understand it. If you find it difficult, luckily there are corresponding coaches who are there to help and advise you. This also includes the website "Instagamechanger" by Markus Weber, who himself generated over 100 followers per day using simple methods. While others only rely on simple bots, he teaches in his free webinars how to build a solid fan base with simple means such as the right hashtags, the perfect time to post, or mutual interaction.
Overall, it remains to be seen how the entire field of influencer marketing will develop further. In itself, it is of course interesting and more accessible for many if they follow a person whose life they may find exciting or desirable, and who will then also show you what products, games or experiences they can be with. However, one should not forget that the influencers also earn their money with their advertising contracts. This raises the question of how independent and free you are in your evaluation.
