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Have you ever been on social media and seen your favourite celebrity talking about a product? These endorsements—might not be totally random, and are actually seen as a vital part of the marketing process. The question is: How do social media influencers ‘influence’ what you buy?

Human desire for status and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, make us susceptible to being ‘socially influenced’. Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity we admire to hawk or launch a product. So, what do these endorsements actually do?

Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform they operate on, and therefore can create engaging content that not only adheres to the brand image, but sparks their followers’ interests in a product they might never have seen before.

Secondly, influencers can improve a company or product’s relationship with their customer base. According to In Moment’s 2018 US Retail CX Trends Report on customer loyalty, 77% of buyers have been brand loyal for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of millennials. popular celebrity can target key demographics and talk or blog about a product, which can create an instant and lasting bond with the consumer.

Lastly, influencers can improve customer buying habits with seemingly ‘unbiased opinions’. We are more likely to respond to ‘peer recommendation’ than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a ‘friend’ can make us less likely to be sceptical about what we are seeing.

So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target your core needs. If you find yourself perusing a product you’ve seen on social media, you may well have been influenced.

1．Why can social influencers make such engaging content? Because they ________.

A．are internet celebrities

B．know how to use the platform they are working on.

C．have used the products themselves

D．are involved in the making of the products

2．Which factor does not help to make ‘social influence’ so effective?

A．Being independent	B．Making friends
C．Belonging to a group.	D．Human desire for status

3．How does seeing an influencer as a ‘friend’ affect our decision making?

A．We are not much influenced.

B．We believe everything they say.

C．We are less doubtful about adverts we are seeing.

D．We want to make friends with them.

4．What should you consider the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product?

A．It is exactly what I need.

B．We don’t need it at all.

C．There’s more to learn about the celebrity.

D．Our essential needs are being targeted.