Celebrity vs. Social Media Influencer: Who Works Best For You?
Since it can’t be an age old question because this competitive environment of celebrity spokespeople vs. social media influencers has only existed for maybe 2-3 years, brand managers and business owners are deciding right now on the right spokespeople for their 2017 advertising, marketing and social media campaigns. The headache these days is over the quandary about which direction you should take the brand. Do you hire a celebrity or a social media influencer?
Do you follow the traditional path of utilizing a celebrity and leverage all that they have? Name recognition, fans, face ID, likeability and sometimes relevancy. Or, do you go down the slippery slope of social media influencer with their mysterious powers over large herds of people mostly millennials and try and get the bang for your buck that you would perceive in your media and advertising spend to purchase social media posts, video and content creation to be leveraged on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to name a few?
A true analysis of your brand’s objectives including ROI would need to be executed to determine the choice between hiring a celebrity vs. a social media influencer. But there are definitely other ancillary considerations when evaluating whether to hire a celebrity or social media influencer. The following 5 tips are devised to assist in making this difficult yet essential branding decision:
- How accessible is the celebrity/social media influencer to execute the specific requirements of any spokesperson agreement they were hired for?
- What are the social media numbers for either the celebrity or social media influencer(s) you are considering?
- How often does the celebrity/social media influencer post on their accounts commercially?
- What other brands are they currently working with as a celebrity spokesperson?
- How much is the celebrity/social media influencers’ agent or manager asking for based on the scope of work the brand has conveyed as part of the deal they would be hired for?
The appeal of a social media influencer is clear, they are both a celebrity and a completely relevant star with their own fan base. By having such a large follower base, a social media influencer is relevant regardless unlike a traditional celebrity who either lives off of their past fame or the home they can re-connect with a fan base that may be there or may have moved on. If they have, the celebrity is now a celebrity mirage. They look as big as they once were, but in all candor, they are a shell of what they used to be!
Brands have more choices than ever before when considering hiring a celebrity spokesperson or social media influencer to shout out their branded message. The decision in many ways could be a career changer so the pressure on making the right choice has never been higher. At Celebrity Speakers Bureau, our team of world-class booking agents have decades of experience helping start-ups, emerging brands and Fortune 100 companies book the best celebrity talent or social media influencer for your next campaign.
To contact Celebrity Speakers Bureau for a free consultation on your celebrity or social media influencer needs, please contact us at booking@celebrityspeakersbureau.com or call us at (212)410-2853.