It’s getting harder to spot the difference between influencers and celebrities. Considering that both sides have a fascinating social media audience, and take part in brand campaigns, it is not difficult to understand the reason for this confusion. Celebrities gain fame through traditional media channels. Influencers on the other hand gain their audience through new media, aka social media platforms. We can say that this is the main difference between the two.
What Sets Influencers and Celebrities Apart?
It is obvious that celebrities grow their reputation by standing out in one or more areas in the entertainment industry. These areas can generally be sports, cinema, music or television. The fame that celebrities gain is usually because they are successful and talented in their field. And the reason they have a huge following is usually due to the fascination and curiosity that people have for their work. In particular, they do not appeal to a specific age group, region, or social group, but to several groups at once. So, their audience is extremely diverse. This huge and diverse audience can of course make it a little difficult for celebrities to get closer to and be engaged with their followers. Not only because of this, but also, celebrities are commonly associated with luxury living by many, so followers may not relate to celebrities very easily.
Marketing campaigns with celebrities can be both a high-paying and a difficult process to set up. Since celebrities have a certain personal branding that most of them have created in front of the media and want to protect it, the content of the campaign and the character of the brand are of great importance to them.
On the other hand…
Influencers are people with power to influence and direct a certain community. They carry out promotional and marketing activities by sharing their experiences about any product or service through their social media accounts with their followers. Often, they earn their reputation through sharing their knowledge and experience in a particular field. They inspire and guide people. If they’re not Mega Influencers, they’ll have much less of a following than celebrities. It is easier for them to engage with their followers, as they usually are people interested in their area of prominence. In fact, most of them get ideas from their followers for the content they will create, and they take care to create content that will make them fancier. Therefore, they draw a friendly and relatable characteristic. Those with a small follower base regularly respond to dm’s and comments, and even have follower meetups.
For campaigns involving the niche region of influencers, a marketing campaign can use low budget but still create benefits for both the influencer and the brand. The downside of this is, of course, the number of people to reach will be relatively low, as the number of followers of influencers can vary.
What are other differences between celebrities and influencers?
Celebrities usually don’t have to be experts in the field to promote a product. But Influencers, especially on macro and micro level, are usually experts in their fields. They build a community of their own in their niche area.
Celebrities are generally not involved in the planning process of the marketing campaign, unlike influencers. Influencers usually carry out the entire process of the campaigns they collaborate with the brand. They take part in the creative area as well strategic planning of going live.
A difficult choice for brands
Brands may remain in a dilemma in this world of influencers and celebrities. Which one should they work with?
As you know, influencer marketing campaigns have become one of the most preferred and most beneficial marketing strategies for brands. Worldwide celebrities are still selected for some campaigns, while for some campaigns, niche-specialized influencers are more preferred. So, which one makes more sense?
Neither. Because there is the most advantageous group, Celebrity influencers. Celebrity influencers are actually people who first gained their reputation from traditional media channels, and then started to actively create content on social media. Since they are celebrities, they already have fame and opportunity to reach people in their hands. They engage more with their followers through social media to form a close relationship with them. Their engagement rate is also higher than other celebrities.
There are several reasons why it may be more advantageous to work with celebrity influencers. First, they are already very popular around the world. Everyone from every age knows them. Second, as they are so active on social media, they become increasingly relatable, and they engage with their followers. Especially for the social media campaigns which can appeal to a diverse group of people, they seem like a perfect choice.
Pretty Little Liars Actress Shay Mitchel became a YouTuber a few years ago. She even collaborated with YouTube for a reality series called “Almost Ready” in 2019. She is currently taking over both Instagram and YouTube, while also starring in TV Shows. If you know “You”, then you know what we are talking about.
We see that there are actually many differences between influencers and celebrities. However, blurred lines still exist. These generalizations on the differences of celebrities and influencers can be made, but it is still not possible to draw a clear line between the two parties with firm judgments.
What do you think of celebrity influencers? What is the main difference between influencers and celebrities for you? Let us know by commenting below and don’t forget to follow us on our socials!