My latest TikTok obsession is Emilie Kiser. She’s reached a whopping 1.8 million followers and counting recently and it’s easy to see why. Emilie’s personality is fun, and she feels like a friend. She also shares the best products... Product’s I need too, for obvious reasons. I saw a post recently where she shared everything she pulled the trigger on in her Amazon cart. As I was watching, I found myself pausing the video and going to her storefront to get this, buy the same things. I blacked out. I don’t remember much else after that. Except for the ping on my phone notifying me of all my Amazon purchases. Cringe.
The fact of the matter is, whether it’s Emilie Kiser, Alix Earle, or any other number of TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram influencers, everywhere I turn, I’m faced with beautiful things I want to buy. What can I say? I’m very easily influenced. I find that I’m lacking a lot of self-control, a spineless jellyfish when it comes to shopping, so to speak.
Apparently, I’m not alone. Many of you are swayed by influencers and their marketing of products. And because I’m truly intrigued by how this all works, I did some research as to why we fall prey to influencers and their marketing of products.
I came across an article from November of 2020 titled “How Social Media Influence 71% Consumer Buying Decisions,” that talks about the impact of social media on consumers buying decisions. It goes into detail about the rise of consumer online purchases due to increased social media usage.
Now, this article is two years old, but I feel it still applies, nevertheless. The pandemic changed a lot about how we as humans operate. We are now able to do so much from home including our shopping. And with all our extra time on the internet, we see an increase in online purchases. The article reports that “consumers who are influenced by social media are four times more likely to spend more on purchases.” Which, quite frankly, is dangerous for the majority of us. I mean, have you seen my screen time report? Not good.
I found another article on Forbes discussing “4 Ways Social Media Influences Millennials Purchasing Decisions'' and it was an interesting read. The article quoted entrepreneur Andrew Molz who stated, “They [influencers] start trends, determine what’s cool and desirable, and curate the must-have items as fashion magazines used to do.” It’s a shift in how we buy things and it’s working.
The research in the article shows that influencers have a profound impact on our online spending habits, and according to Forbes, that's because millennials trust their peers over traditional advertising. So, when influencers like Emilie and Alix come along, we don’t see traditional advertising, we see people just like us using products they love and trust.
I still love to hop on social media. I love checking in with my favorite influencers and content creators. After all, I follow them for more than just product recommendations. Just remember, the next time you go to scroll aimlessly, proceed with caution, or have your credit card on standby.
Until next week! Emily xx
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