Are celebrity influencers done with their share of spreading positivity or was that never the case to begin with?
We all are well aware of the social stigma caused by celebrities and influencers supposedly promoting their 'true self' but it turns out not many people support their views or actions. The general public tends to prefer following 'normal' people with more authentic online lives than these faux influencers. A new research conducted amongst social media users worldwide had quite a shocking result.
Normal people got the public's heart by securing a follow rate of 56%, way more than one would normally presume as compared to celebrities that managed to gain only 34% follows. Furthermore, users also chose following experts on different subjects over influencers with a ratio of 29% to 25% respectively.
It turns out people have very little trust on social media stars or influencers when it comes to anything basing off reality. Yes they're a fun source to spend your time watching however experts (39%) and family members (38%) are the best choices for authentic and relatable content. Celebrities (14%) were even more relatable here than social influencers (9%), defying the whole purpose of being 'influencers'.
This research was based on some of the largest and most active countries including UK, Australia, USA, Germany, and France hence the results are indeed global and accurate. It was done through a poll subjecting 9000 people on the Bazaarvoice.
It also turns out that not many people blindly trust influencers as 86% of the users look for genuine authentic reviews from 'real' sources before buying a new product. As it's been on the wave for some time, users were also questioned if the strictness on the ad consumerism rules have affected their trust level with influencers and brands. Turns out 36% of the users agreed to having their trust regained, 25% denied while 39% were oblivious to the change.
One discovery that wasn't surprising at all is how every 8/10 users think that influencers should actually bare themselves i.e. let users know if and to what extent filters have been used on a particular post. If influencers started doing this, with the amount of body positivity and acceptance going around the media right now, they will not only grow their fan base but have a huge effect on how people perceive themselves as well hence fulfilling the 'influencer' role.
If you have received a message request from a brand asking you to be their ambassador when you barely have 300 followers, that is because they are looking for more authentic and real people to represent their brands. As the Bazaarvoice senior vice president agrees, people are on the lookout for genuine and authentic experiences, looking away from influencers and towards people with real lives and social media presence that will help them build connection and trust.
He also mentioned how what matters now is genuineness, expertise, quality, and the nature of the content, leaving the influencer age well behind.
Photo: iStock / izusek / Getty
Read next: Poll Shows Gen Z Places More Important on Digital Life Than Real Life
We all are well aware of the social stigma caused by celebrities and influencers supposedly promoting their 'true self' but it turns out not many people support their views or actions. The general public tends to prefer following 'normal' people with more authentic online lives than these faux influencers. A new research conducted amongst social media users worldwide had quite a shocking result.
Normal people got the public's heart by securing a follow rate of 56%, way more than one would normally presume as compared to celebrities that managed to gain only 34% follows. Furthermore, users also chose following experts on different subjects over influencers with a ratio of 29% to 25% respectively.
It turns out people have very little trust on social media stars or influencers when it comes to anything basing off reality. Yes they're a fun source to spend your time watching however experts (39%) and family members (38%) are the best choices for authentic and relatable content. Celebrities (14%) were even more relatable here than social influencers (9%), defying the whole purpose of being 'influencers'.
This research was based on some of the largest and most active countries including UK, Australia, USA, Germany, and France hence the results are indeed global and accurate. It was done through a poll subjecting 9000 people on the Bazaarvoice.
It also turns out that not many people blindly trust influencers as 86% of the users look for genuine authentic reviews from 'real' sources before buying a new product. As it's been on the wave for some time, users were also questioned if the strictness on the ad consumerism rules have affected their trust level with influencers and brands. Turns out 36% of the users agreed to having their trust regained, 25% denied while 39% were oblivious to the change.
"Three quarters of consumers (75%) do not care about the number of social media followers they have, it is all about the content.", Bazar Voice.
One discovery that wasn't surprising at all is how every 8/10 users think that influencers should actually bare themselves i.e. let users know if and to what extent filters have been used on a particular post. If influencers started doing this, with the amount of body positivity and acceptance going around the media right now, they will not only grow their fan base but have a huge effect on how people perceive themselves as well hence fulfilling the 'influencer' role.
If you have received a message request from a brand asking you to be their ambassador when you barely have 300 followers, that is because they are looking for more authentic and real people to represent their brands. As the Bazaarvoice senior vice president agrees, people are on the lookout for genuine and authentic experiences, looking away from influencers and towards people with real lives and social media presence that will help them build connection and trust.
He also mentioned how what matters now is genuineness, expertise, quality, and the nature of the content, leaving the influencer age well behind.
Read next: Poll Shows Gen Z Places More Important on Digital Life Than Real Life
