Influencer Marketing: What it Entails, Benefits, and Harms
Instructions
As we discussed in class, sociotechnical imaginaries are “collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable [or undesirable] futures, animated by shared understandings of forms of social life … attainable through…advances in science and technology.”[1] In other words, sociotechnical imaginaries are widely-shared visions of how technologies could shape our future. For your second assignment, you will analyze the social imaginaries connected to EITHER targeted digital advertising OR influencer marketing.
Choose one of the two options below and write your responses to the questions. There is no length limit for your responses, but your responses taken all together should sum up to at least 500 words in total. Make sure to answer all the questions: your response should include answers to questions 1, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b.
Option 1: Targeted advertising
1. First, explain what the practice entails. How does targeted digital advertising work, according to Turow and Watkins? What particular kinds of data does it draw upon? (30 points)
Next, explain the kinds of sociotechnical imaginaries—both positive and negative—that are associated with the practice of targeted digital advertising.
2a. According to Turow and Wu, what kinds of future benefits are imagined to be available through targeted advertising? (20 points)
2b. According to Wu, Turow, and Tarnoff & Weigel, what kinds of harms could targeted advertising pose to individuals or society? How are these future visions themselves problematic, according to Tarnoff & Weigel? (20 points)
Finally, use ideas from the course to assess these imagined futures (hint: these questions ask you to use your imagination and the readings to develop and support an informed opinion).
3a. First, in your opinion, are these imagined futures likely to become real? Why or why not? Use ideas from course readings in the course to support your reasoning. (40 points)
3b. Second, in your opinion, what could be done to minimize the harms of targeted advertising while maximizing the benefits? Use ideas from course readings in the course to support your reasoning. (40 points)
Option 2: Influencer marketing
1. First, explain what the practice entails. In class, we discussed the different means by which social media influencers and creators get paid. In your own words, explain what they are and how they work. How does this differ between Instagram and YouTube? Cite Duffy and Alexander in your response. (30 points)
Next, explain the kinds of sociotechnical imaginaries—both positive and negative—that are associated with the practice of social media influencing.
2a. According to Duffy, Alexander, and our lecture, what kinds of future benefits are imagined to be available to a person who becomes a social media influencer or creator? (20 points)
2b. According to Duffy, Owens, and Alexander, what kinds of harms could influencer marketing pose to individuals or society? (20 points)
Finally, use ideas from the course to assess these imagined futures (hint: these questions ask you to use your imagination and the readings to develop and support an informed opinion).
3a. First, in your opinion, are these imagined futures likely to become real? Why or why not? Use ideas from course readings in the course to support your reasoning. (40 points)
3b. Second, in your opinion, what could be done to minimize the harms of influencer marketing while maximizing the benefits? Use ideas from course readings in the course to support your reasoning. (40 points)
Citation requirements and other practical matters
In your responses, avoid quoting more than three or four words at a time from course readings or lectures: instead, use your own words whenever possible. This does NOT mean using a thesaurus to replace words in the author’s sentence, it means explaining the idea as you understand it.
Give credit to the authors when you refer to ideas from the readings, using the bibliographic information found in the syllabus. For example:
- You may use parenthetical citation, in which you place the author’s name and the date of publication in parentheses at the end of the sentence: “Branding can be a signal of consistent product quality (Jones, 2017).”
- Or you may cite in a sentence: “Jones (2017) explains that branding can be a signal of the consistent quality of a product.”
- If you directly quote from a reading, include the page number from which you are quoting.
- If you wish to cite lectures, you may cite them as “Lecture, [date].” For example: “Advertising is both a commercial force and a social force (Lecture, January 6).”
A separate works cited page is not required. You do not need to write a formal introduction or conclusion.
Influencer Marketing
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course Name
Date
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on using key leaders to drive a brand’s message to their target audience. Influencers are typically celebrities, industry experts, well-known figures, or social media personalities who have a large following on social media platforms. The purpose of influencer marketing is to increase brand awareness, build trust, and drive sales by leveraging the influence of the influencer (Vrontis et al., 2021).
Influencers typically get paid in a variety of ways for their work. One way is through sponsored posts on their social media channels, where they are paid to promote a brand's products or services. They can also be paid for attending events, creating content for the brand, or providing product reviews. Additionally, influencers may be compensated through affiliate links or commissions on sales they generate. They can also be paid for video collaborations, virtual events, and other promotional activities (Campbell & Farrell, 2020).
Instagram typically pays influencers through sponsored posts and deals with brands. Influencers can also make money from brand partnerships and product placements. Additionally, influencers can monetize their accounts by selling their own products or services, such as an online course or eBook. YouTube typically pays influencers through ad revenue. Creators make money when viewers watch ads that appear before, during, or after their videos. YouTube also pays creators through their YouTube Partner Program, which allows influencers to earn a share of ad revenue from the videos they upload. Additionally, YouTube creators can make money through brand deals, product placements, and sponsorships (Alexander, 2019).
On Instagram, influencers are paid mostly through sponsored content and brand deals, while on YouTube, they are more likely to get paid through pre-roll advertisements and subscription fees. Instagram influencers also tend to be paid more than YouTube influencers, as the platform is more conducive to direct and immediate engagement with consumers. Additionally, Instagram influencers are more likely to be paid through a variety of methods, such as sponsored posts, brand deals, and affiliate links, while YouTube influencers are more likely to be paid through a single method, such as pre-roll advertisements. Finally, YouTube influencers have the potential to earn more money in the long run, as their videos can be monetized and viewed for years after they are posted (DUFFY, 2017).
There are positive and negative sociotechnical imaginaries that are associated with the practice of social media influencing (Campbell & Farrell, 2020). The positive social technical imaginaries are: increased reach (social media influencers have the potential to reach large audiences and create powerful messages that can be spread quickly and effectively, which can be beneficial to businesses, as they can leverage influencers’ large followings to reach more potential customers and engage with established communities, increased engagement (influencers can be used to foster meaningful connections with their audience, giving brands the opportunity to engage with potential customers in a more personal and authentic way, this type of engagement is more likely to lead to conversions and sales and increased awareness (influencers can help to raise awareness of a brand, product, or service and drive more interest, which can be beneficial for businesses, as it can lead to increased sales, more followers and subscribers, and a stronger online presence).
The negative socio-technical imaginaries are: loss of authenticity (social media influencers can be seen as inauthentic, as they are often paid to represent a brand or product, which can lead to a lack of trust from their followers, as well as a feeling of being manipulated by the influencers), misrepresentation (influencers may not always accurately represent the brand or product they are promoting, leading to a disconnect between the product and the influencer’s followers, this could lead to a loss of trust and credibility for the brand, as well as more negative impressions of the product or service). And unregulated content (influencers may not always be aware of the regulations surrounding the content they post, leading to content that could be seen as inappropriate or offensive, which could lead to a negative reputation and brand damage) (Campbell & Farrell, 2020).
A social media influencer or creator can benefit from an array of opportunities in the future. They can monetize content, collaborate with brands and other creators, build an audience for their content, and create a platform for their own voice. They can also gain access to specialized events and exclusive experiences, as well as build relationships with other influencers and creators. Additionally, influencers and creators can use their platform to share their message with a larger audience, build relationships with their followers, and create a community around their content (Alexander, 2019).
The future benefits imagined to be available to a person who becomes a social media influencer or creator include financial reward, higher social status, increased recognition and credibility, and the potential to create a larger and more engaged audience. Additionally, social media influencers and creators have the potential to create new career paths, shape public discourse, and provide a platform for others to share their stories. Finally, the article mentions that social media influencers and creators may be seen as role models, inspiring others to pursue their dreams (DUFFY, 2017).
According to Julia Alexander (2019) in his article “The golden age of YouTube is over. The platform was built on the backs of independent creators, but now YouTube is abandoning them for more traditional content...