Social Media Influencers versus Traditional Influencers: Roles and Consequences for Traditional Marketing Campaigns

Through collaborations between “Instafamous” individuals and marketers, influencers have thus gone from amateur online personal brands seeking attention and approval from the wider public, to a monetized and established occupation. In this chapter, we first give an overview of the types of marketing strategies used for influencer marketing, starting with the use of traditional celebrities. We then turn to social media influencers and argue that the emergence of social media influencers has challenged the way influencer marketing traditionally works. Although further research is still needed to fully understand social media influencers’ practices, we identify three success factors that can explain how social media influencers can influence consumers. Finally, we conclude with two case studies, which illustrate two successful marketing campaigns supported by, or led by, social media influencers who launched their own brand or collaborated with brands.