This is Bigger Than Instagram

For the better part of American pop culture, celebrities were the face of all major product endorsements. At the time, no one knew that another form of marketing in the 21st century, social influencer marketing, would prove to be a much more effective tactic. And not only do these influencers market things ranging from makeup products, downloadable apps, some of them have transcended endorsements and have begun using their influence for social good, instead.

Jason Neubauer, CEO of the social good influencer group called the Santa Claus Affect, is one of the leaders of the social good trend.

Prior to social media taking off, marketers for big companies relied on big-name celebrities to win the business of their targeted audiences. Though the idea of conveying a lifestyle, and not the product, through advertising is not at all a new concept, the choice of character portrayal is a new strategy. Americans have become more active consumers, meaning that they want to interact with the content that's being presented to them, not just passively absorb it.

Jason Neubauer, founder of the Santa Claus Affect

Neubauer said he was near hitting rock bottom a few years ago when family circumstances forced him to uproot his life and businesses from Los Angeles to Miami. He was away from his friends and family, unsure of where his businesses lay, and had a pregnant wife and a rocky marriage.

"I had two choices at that point. What do I want to do that makes me happy? And I was like, 'I want to help people, I want to teach,'" he said.

Neubauer was having a brainstorming session with friend and colleague, Allen J. West, when he birthed the idea of the Santa Claus Affect.

"It's always a phrase I would say to myself at my low point. And it basically just means to believe in something, because if that one thing doesn't work out, then something else along the way will."

The world's new style of active consumerism brought changes in how brands choose to market. Marketers realized that consumers were showing discernment in measuring the authenticity behind celebrity endorsements, meaning consumers were able to tell the difference between a celebrity being paid to say a brand is great, versus a random person saying they genuinely vouch for a brand.

With that growing discernment, brands have transitioned from celebrity endorsements, to social influencers, to now micro-influencers on some levels. Micro-influencers are not people with huge followings, but people that have a small number of loyal and engaged followers. Brands are now seeing the benefit of using social influencers and micro-influencers in their ad campaigns for these main reasons: higher engagement, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Higher Engagement

When a celebrity posts an advertisement on their personal page, depending on their level of popularity, they can receive anywhere from 400 to 5,000 comments. Assuming that social media endorsement is not their full-time job, they probably will not be able to read through all their comments, answer questions about the product or service, and give the consumers the proper attention they need. Social influencers are usually more dedicated to social media in a more holistic approach, and are able to respond to consumers at a quicker rate, causing consumers to feel like they have a personal relationship with the influencer. This ability to engage makes social influencers more desirable to marketers.

Reliability

Social influencers are more likely to give their personal testimonies about brands than traditional celebrities, and consumers are more likely to read an Instagram post from an influencer than to pay attention to a television commercial about that same brand. A Harvard Business School study found "The market for consumer attention (or “eyeballs”) has become so competitive that attention can be regarded as a currency." Brands who purchase television advertising now spend 38 percent of the commercial airing non-related, attention-grabbing entertainment at the beginning of commercials, versus 13 percent in 1980.

A modern "quick fix" to that dilemma is targeting niche populations online via social influencers. Consumers are more likely to not only pay attention, but take a step further and engage with the brand in some way.

Cost-Effectiveness

We all know that celebrities come with a hefty price tag. Brands are trying to cut costs as much as they can, especially smaller, up-and-coming ones. The easiest way to cut costs and still reach your impressions target is by using social influencers to get customers.

Q&A with Social Influencer Jessica Zollman

Jessica Zollman, former employee of Instagram, photogapher, and social influencer

Q: You were the fifth employee at Instagram and were knee-deep in the start up culture. Did you foresee Instagram growing this large, and did you think you'd ever be a social influencer on the platform?

A: I don't like calling myself an influencer. Now I would say the first two years it was very clear that's what I was doing. I worked at Instagramand people would tell me 'my account's been deleted, fix it for me' like over and over and over again. So that was a big part of it. Honestly people needed help. I was the face of the community. And then they followed me when I helped them.

Q: With that large following, have you ever used your platform for social good?

A: So Sweet Green is a restaurant. And they're all over, not just in Los Angeles, They are sustainable and they like working with local farmers, so no matter what city they're in, they'll find someone local and make sure that they're both promoting them and selling their products and using their product in their food. But they also know that when they come into a major city they're like this bright white clean symbol of gentrification.they like it's a salad bar that's like $4000.

Q: What's so cool about Sweet Green and what do you do with them?

A: So what they've been trying to do is make sure that they are reaching out to underfunded schools in the area elementary schools and they're teaching fourth and fifth grade classes about sustainable food and fresh produce. They're like literally giving them meals. They're teaching them you can eat raw corn which is a thing that kids don't know because they're so used to the mess meal that they get at school. And so I helped document those classes that they taught in East L.A. here in Los Angeles just to spread the word about what they are trying to do for the community. They aren't just coming in trying to shift everything.

Q: What was it like being a part of that project?

A: Watching a whole room of fourth graders 'Wow' over learning they can eat eat raw corn and their minds exploding with wonder and excitement was probably the cutest and also the most heartbreaking thing to see.