Why are fashion influencers important today?

Who is an Influencer?

An Influencer is an individual who has a certain following in a particular niche, that they actively engage with. The reason they have a powerful influence on their followers is because their opinions are valued. Influencers are real people and often looked at as friends and audiences are looking for reality that they can emulate and buy into, as opposed to glamorous ads. An influencer’s audience size is important, but what is more important is the right kind of audience.

Example, Chriselle Lim is a Korean-american beauty and fashion influencer, who has a 1.1m following on Instagram. She shares how her interest and influence in beauty came from her mother. Lim discusses her beauty regime, make-up, food, beauty, culture, and now her family in her Instagram posts to her followers. Her followers respect her opinion and consider her an expert in her subject matter.

There is a strong relationship between her and her community, which makes her a trustworthy “friend” that they would listen to and engage with. Hence if she strongly recommends a product, her followers are very likely to give it a shot ✨

Why is Influencer Marketing so effective and popular on Instagram?

Your target audience will trust a friend’s recommendation over something a brand is trying to “sell or market” to them. Influencers are removed from traditional marketing. They are the trusted “gatekeepers” of their community. Hence it’s more credible and organic when they recommend a product or service.

Example, H&M took advantage of fashion influencers on Instagram, to promote their latest product line. It proved to be more effective to share real people wearing their clothes in real situations, as opposed to doing a glamorous print ad. They tag the influencers in their posts to bring in new audiences.