Methods:
This research project explores the creation and operation of influencers as their presence and use as a marketing tool continues to grow. I conducted research and interviews to create articles, videos, and an audio piece. Finally, I created this customized website to showcase my findings.
This process was intended to answer and expand on the following research questions:
How is an influencer created?
How does an influencer operate?
What is key to an influencer’s audience growth?
This project began with a review of the literature focused on influencers, influencer marketing, and limitations or gaps in this research. Discussion of influencers traces back to 2005, when creators utilized blogs and blogging platforms to reach their initial audiences. The trend then quickly spread to various other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
To compile and conduct the interviews for this project, I created an email and direct message pitch to send to influencers, requesting an interview. I contacted 30 total micro and mega-influencers, five of which agreed to interviews. I created a list of 38 questions broken into three categories: Creation, Operation, and Big Picture.
The creation section included the following questions:
Do you consider yourself an influencer? Why or why not?
What platforms do you have a following on?
What was it that lead to your following?
Why and when did you initially create your account?
How did you grow your platform?
What is influencer marketing to you?
What is your target audience and how do you reach them?
What content do you produce?
What is your strategy to engage and grow your platform in the future?
Where do you get ideas for your content? Or inspiration?
What influencers do you look up to?
What event or person influenced your follower growth most?
The operation section included in the following questions:
How do you operate day-to-day?
Do you currently work with brands? If so, list.
What does the process look like start to finish working with brands?
Generally, what types of brands reach out to you?
How frequently do you produce sponsored content?
How do you decide which brands you want to work with?
When would you turn down a brand deal?
(If relevant) When did brands begin to reach out to you?
Do you reach out to brands?
How do you decide which brands to reach out to?
In your opinion, what kind of content works on the platforms you use?
What are key takeaways you’ve found from previous brand partnerships?
How many hours a week do you spend working as an influencer?
Do you use any tools to help manage your account?
How do you tailor your content from platform to platform?
What is something you always keep in mind when preparing your content?
Why do you think your content is successful?
What is the most important thing you’ve learned about influencer marketing?
What is the key, in your opinion, to being successful in your position?
Why do you feel like your audience continues to grow?
The big picture section included the following questions:
What advice would you give brands looking to work with influencers?
What advice would you give people who would like to be influencers?
Do you predict a shift in influencer marketing going forward?
What are some characteristics of a successful influencer marketing campaign?
What do you think is most misunderstood about influencer marketing?
Who is an influencer you suggest I reach out to next?
I also conducted an interview with a Client Solutions Manager at TikTok, where I asked the following questions.
What is your role at TikTok?
How would you define an influencer?
How would you define influencer marketing as it relates to TikTok?
Do you work with influencers at TikTok? What does this operation look like?
How do brand deals on TikTok operate?
Do you predict a shift in influencer marketing? If so, please explain.
From these interviews, I established common themes to then construct two articles, intended for publishing on Newslab.org a website operated by The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media. In “Types of Influencers: Celebrity Impact,” I elaborate on the creation of influencers as well as categories and genres of influencers. I also discuss why influencers are often more effective brand ambassadors when compared to celebrities. In “Are Influencer Promotions Authentic?” I dive into the interviews I conducted with the five micro-influencers and explore their attitudes toward choosing which brands to work with. In this article, I also included a content analysis of a macro-influencer and her brand promotions on Instagram.
Employing a multimedia approach to the project, I created two videos that visually expand on the subjects established in the written pieces. I did so by utilizing the screen recording feature on both a mobile device and desktop computer. I then spoke over the recordings to discuss the themes that emerged from my interviews. In these videos, I present the five influencers I interviewed, and we hear them describe their practices on social media regarding their content and brand promotions.
I created an audio piece that discusses influencer marketing and dives into my interview with the Client Solutions Manager at TikTok, which furthers the conversation on influencer operation, success, and future anticipated shifts in the industry. Both the video and audio pieces were created and edited using Adobe Premiere Pro and were then published to YouTube and SoundCloud, respectively.
The final piece for this project was creating this website that serves as a showcase for my findings. This website is created through Squarespace.
In conclusion, the combination of secondary research and original interviews allowed me to address each research question. I present these findings in the form of articles, videos, and audio.