Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing. It involves endorsements and product placement from influencers, people and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field.

In this social media marketing, there are endorsements and product mentions from influencers. This word ‘influencer’ came to be used in 2020. Several people make a living as influencers. Are they really admirers of the products? Or are they paid to do so?

Internet in general and social media in particular has blurred the distinction between editorial and advertising to begin with, almost a decade back and mommy bloggers exerted influence on communication. That led FTC to enact a law in 2012 asking them to declare the compensation received at the beginning of the blog. They talked about diapers and P&G supplied lots of them the following day. The law is applicable to bloggers and not other influencers.

Mainstream media news outlets make money from sponsors.

The onus is placed on influencer to make the disclosure via a hashtag.

However, we should also consider whether the public cares. The disclosures are not heeded. They are in fine print or in fast talk. These are overlooked. The attention is drawn to the material with glamour and excitement penned by a celebrity and life style icon.

In the long run, disclosure is in the interest of the brand as well as the influencer.