The question is, who do you need to wrangle to get that influence?
Naturally, an influencer might be the first place your mind takes you. It only makes sense since influence is in their very name! But believe it or not, influencers – while a great asset – aren’t the only people who can get you there.
Depending on your budget and campaign specs, there are two other ways to get outside influence into your inbound campaign: content creators and celebrities.
Together with influencers, these three types of personas have a similar job in your inbound campaign: to develop trust in your brand or product. "People listen to content creators, celebrities, and influencers because they see them as part of their tribe." So naturally, when a familiar face touts your brand as the best thing since sliced bread, your audience is inclined to believe them!
In this age of constant connection, influential faces aren’t just people you see headlining Netflix specials or topping the Billboard charts. They’re teenagers who blow up TikTok with crazy dance videos like Charli D’Amelio. They’re authentically straight-faced funnymen like Khaby Lame. Heck, they’re even gamer girls who stir the controversial pot by selling their bathwater like Belle Delphine.
That’s not to say that traditional celebrities don’t have their place in inbound campaigns – they definitely do. But don’t discount the power of content creators and influencers on social media before you learn more about why they work.
Celebrities and influencers have one thing in common: the average American probably recognizes their face. Where they differ is how they became recognizable. SmallBizTrends cites two real-life examples – Selena Gomez and PewDiePie – to show what makes celebs different from influencers.
Selena Gomez has a massive Instagram presence (she has 357+ million followers), but her fans mostly know her from TV she did as a kid (like Wizards of Waverly Place) and chart-topping hits like Lose You to Love Me.
On the other hand, PewDiePie rose to the top on YouTube, where he has over 111 million subscribers. It’s true Gomez might be more recognizable in traditional media, but PewDiePie has a niche audience: gamers, particularly young ones. Outside of enjoying her music and TV, Gomez’s fans might not have that much in common, but PewDiePie fans rally around him in a close-knit community (he even has his own subreddit).
Why do Pewds and other influencers have full-blown communities in a way normal celebrities often don’t?
It’s simple: Influencers are more relatable.
They build their brand by being authentic and sharing their lives openly. Their audiences feel like they really know them. When they recommend a brand, their followers trust their judgment like a friend’s.
This isn’t to say that all brands should choose influencers over celebrities for their inbound marketing campaigns. Celebs offer pure exposure as one of their biggest perks: they just reach a lot of people. They also typically appeal to a wider range of demographics, while influencers’ bread and butter is their ability to reach niche audiences and specific demographics.
According to content creator Jesse Ingalls, “content creators are artists.”
“Artist” could mean anything, so Ingalls elaborates. According to him, companies should think of a content creator as an affordable way to reach a niche audience and bring your message to life.
"Content creators are basically marketing magicians. Their job is to take an idea and make it a reality" – they develop kickass content based on your campaign goals, and then they get it in front of the right eyes for you.
That’s where content creators are different from influencers, who mainly act as media partners. An influencer doesn’t really create the content – they are the vehicle for that content to reach an audience or a community.
For example, a content creator might direct and produce a high-quality video ad, while an influencer might review what you’re selling in front of their webcam. Neither piece of content is necessarily better than the other; they’re just different. Sometimes content creators and influencers can work together on the same campaign.
Still not sure what a content creator does? Enter Casey Neistat. He’s a content creator who did a collaboration with Samsung.
In 2017, Neistat released the short video “Do What You Can’t” on his YouTube channel. An ode to dreamers and rule-breakers everywhere, the video – narrated and created by Neistat – was part of a much larger Samsung campaign. Rather than simply putting Neistat in a video, they trusted his skill and unique vision to bring an inspirational message to life.
Now that you know the difference between celebrities, influencers, and content creators, you’re probably wondering: Which do I choose for my inbound marketing campaign? The answer largely depends on the type of campaign you want to create and, of course, your budget.
Historically, celebrities are expensive to hire. They might ask for tens of thousands of dollars to post a single tweet. However, if you’re looking to reach the masses and a variety of demographics, working with a celebrity could be the right choice.
Or you could hire a few influencers to share a similar tweet or video review. Studies show that influencers usually garner more engagement than celebrities in the virtual world, so if you’re looking for a significant ROI, an influencer could be your best bet.
Last but not least is the content creator. If you’re looking for high-quality content that can take your campaign to the next level, whether it’s written, video, photo, or another kind of format, a content creator can help you.
Not sure how to pick the right source of outside influence for your campaign? Don’t sweat too much – ContentBacon can help guide you.
Our team of expert content marketers includes strategists who can help you navigate the ins and outs of influencer marketing. Instead of muddling through and getting the first celebrity who agrees to rep your brand, leave it to the pros to figure out how you’ll reach your target audience.
The sooner you leap, the quicker you’ll get there. Book a call with ContentBacon today to light a fire under your inbound marketing campaign!