We live in an era where it’s easy to become an “influencer” but also easy to “die” on your own.
Previously, we have probably heard the term “Public Figures”, which are people who are famous and in the general public’s attention. This type of person is considered to have given up the right to live their lives without the observation and scrutiny of the media. Public figures include celebrities, singers, actors, politicians, and athletes, etc. But nowadays, there are many branches under “Social Media”. If they are a person who has a lot of followers on social media, they can also be a public figure, as we know them as “Influencers”.
Influencer is a person who influences the thoughts and actions of the general public. They are experts in a certain area for persuading people to change their attitudes or actions (Attitude & Behavior Change).
The online world is a world where consumers listen to each other more than to brands or product owners. Traditional advertising that tries to make people believe that our products are good often doesn’t work anymore. Having a thought leader or a representative of consumers to speak on our behalf is something that many brands choose to use in “Influencer” marketing, which has become very popular today.
Not everyone can be a good “public figure”.
Who said that being famous or a public figure, having a good reputation in society, is always good and convenient? It’s not like that at all. The higher you go, the colder it gets. That’s the truth we already see. Working as a public figure is not easy because it means they have to abandon their “life” to work for others. If one day they want to do what they want, that day their credibility will be reduced and their social status will be immediately lowered. Because those who become public figures have to go through many levels, overcome many obstacles, meet this person and that person, have to have trustworthy people, have to put their hopes in the public to build a fan base, be liked, to help build fame.
Being a public figure is not just for politicians, singers, actors. Nowadays, everything has changed. Everyone can be a public figure. It depends on whether we will be a public figure in a good or bad way. In the past, before celebrities and artists could become famous, well-known, and public figures like this, they had to go through a competition stage with hundreds of competitors, screening their abilities, personality, and appearance, and going through many stages and brutal tests on many stages.
After passing the contest, it doesn’t mean that you will immediately become a star or artist. You have to go through a retreat, practice in various aspects, change everything about yourself to create a new image that follows the guidelines set by the ทางเข้า UFABET สำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ สมัครวันนี้ รับโบนัสฟรี agency until you become a “professional” in that field, and have someone to take care of your life to follow the rules that should be there.
But now, being a “public figure” is not difficult. Anyone who has a cool clip of themselves that becomes a social trend will immediately become a “public figure”. They are a role model for society, are criticized by society, are the talk of the town, are admired by society, and are many other things that society needs and expects you to be. However, there are probably only a few people who are “public figures” that are of quality, are good examples, and can create credibility.
Why are influencer standards not the same as actors?
Actors are people who are successful in the entertainment industry and are widely known. Brands use this group of people to create recognition or in marketing language, it is called Awareness. It also builds credibility and creates a good image for the brand, allowing people to interpret that if the brand were like a person, what would the personality and appearance be like?
In the past, if we took famous stars such as Aum Patchrapa or Nadech Kugimiya and said that they recommended products through advertising or regularly used the brand, we might believe them and decide to buy those products because the star helped build credibility for the brand and persuade us. However, becoming a star is not easy. We rarely see news or drama about stars ruining brands. If there is, it is only very rarely.
Being a celebrity or a public figure who has been famous in the entertainment industry for a long time is not easy. We all know that to become a celebrity or artist, you have to go through a selection contest and be a person with true talent to enter this industry. However, this path is not as easy as you think because you have to go through quarantine to prepare yourself in many aspects such as personality, acting lessons, singing lessons, dedicating both physical and mental strength to develop various skills to become experts. You have to sacrifice the word “personality”. If you step foot into this industry, you will never get your own identity back.
Furthermore, celebrities and artists need someone to take care of their image in order to be a public figure with credibility. Whatever they say or do in front of the public must be approved by their manager or agency first. This is because they are careful about their image and the reputation that will follow. We can see this from celebrities who are still famous in the entertainment industry. Some of them have been in the industry since they were young. But they are able to maintain their standards as celebrities or public figures very well.
Influencers are a great tool for online marketing. But they have a limitation in that we cannot control their behavior, attitudes, and content creation. This means that if we are going to use influencers to produce content for public relations, marketing, or advertising. We have to examine and look at all sides first. Otherwise, what we expect to be positive may turn negative and plunge into a pit of “destruction” to the point that people who disagree with it may flock to use hashtags to ban them.
Influencers create trends in the short term.
Influencers do not always have to be celebrities. But they are people who are experts in something that is recognized and accepted by their followers. They are a group that has the power to create and inspire some changes with their voices. The reason why brands choose to use influencers to market their brands is mainly because of their credibility.
Which is guaranteed by the number of followers or subscribers. They can reach the target group quickly. People are widely interested. Those who read the content or watch the clip want to try that product or service. However, influencers can only create a trend for a short while. You will notice that many influencers become famous very quickly. They come and go immediately.
We often see dramas arising from social media. Instead of selling creativity, it turns into the production of unethical content. Most of the time, each influencer doesn’t really break away from the others. When similar content is produced everywhere, this one is strong and popular. The other one has to be stronger to be more popular. This creates a competition that requires each other to fight with intensity, coarseness, and fierceness to create a dramatic trend in society quickly. The kind that with just one hit. It becomes a drama that people talk about and immediately becomes a trending topic on Twitter.
Because the intensity has led to the disaster of the brand. Many brands that hire influencers who focus on selling intensity have also been affected. The damage is that the influencers are criticized for not working creatively. While the brands are criticized for not having ideas and hiring these people to do marketing. Instead, their reputation has been damaged.