Opinion leaders…

Throughout the history of humanity, they have taken their place in different subjects under different names and have been the people who guide and give advice to the masses. They set an example with their lives and played a role in making groups better, more productive, and perhaps more up to date. So, is there a place for opinion leaders in a world order where access to information is so easy? Of course, there is! Now they have become influencers of digital media.

So, what place and importance does this influencer world have in the business life? From the accounts we follow for recipes, to users who share shopping and fashion advice; collaborating with these people, who appear in many media from instagram to tiktok, has the potential to provide great advantages for brands. However, in the rapidly developing digital world, it can be a little difficult to find your way, since even the existence of social media dates back to 2004. While the number of companies that realize the importance of influencer marketing is increasing day by day, the intricacies of this marketing method are not known by most companies.

Until a few years ago, the return of advertising campaigns on social media was measured by the increasing number of followers. However, in the new order, it was realized that this was not a correct evaluation method. The main thing is to establish a bond with potential customers and followers, to interact with them in the long run. Therefore, influencer marketing is getting more and more important. Because while a brand’s advertisement of its product appears to be a purely commercial transaction, an influencer doing this creates a much more friendly atmosphere. When social media users see that these people, whose story they know, find parallels with their own lives, and perhaps see as role models, prefer your brand’s product; their mirror neurons that lead them to purchase come into play.  A type of neurons of our brain called mirror neurons allows us to imitate the behavior of others and to empathize with them. Thus, people who see themselves as one with the other, have a positive impression of the product with the positive comments of the influencer, even before they try the product themselves. Thus, the paths to purchase are opened.