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On Feb 21, 2018, Kylie Jenner took to Twitter saying “So does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me..”. The impact was so high that Snapchat’s stock price dwindled significantly right after the tweet was made.

There lies the influence of an influencer - it has the power to affect people’s mindset and make them follow/mimic the action made by the influential social figure.

But what actually causes your audience to take a specific action? Why do they feel compelled to do something based on other’s views and why are some views more effective others. Let’s explore this and more about the science of influencer marketing here:

1) The Buyer-Buyer Connect

Creating a genuine connection with your audience can be difficult because of the “intrusiveness” of advertising. While your users appreciate useful content delivered by you, they might also be wary of believing your product to be the best solution. They are more likely to believe their fellow consumers, who actually invest in the product and give them an unbiased recommendation.

This is where influencers rule the roost. When they vouch for a brand using their social voice, people follow them. Because influencers, at the end of the day, are like their fellow consumers and more likely to be trusted for their opinions than the brand itself. In fact, 92% of people are more likely to trust peer recommendations as compared to brand content.

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2) The Influence of the Authority Figure

Not all influencers have the same impact on their audience. While a few of them can help you create more awareness for your product, some influencers actually have the potential to alter consumer’s behavior and create a long-term impact. Such influencers are often the subject experts who have established authority in a particular niche.

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Research has shown that buyers are more likely to make a purchase based on certainty. It makes sense, after all, to buy something which has a predictable outcome. And the influencer’s expertise makes him more certain which breaks the barrier of doubt making the consumer trust the recommendation. So partnering with thought leaders in your industry and making them the voice of your brand makes your content more believable and trustworthy.

3) The Ripple Effect of Influencers

Influencer marketing doesn’t just work for the time the influencer is around. It works well even when the influencer is no longer working for the brand. Named as the “ripple effect”, it helps brands make the most of their influencer reach even when the influencer campaigns have come to an end.

Similar to the ripples, this effect stays for some more time because brands have managed to gain access to an audience that they weren’t able to target otherwise and still have that reach even after the influencer window is closed.

3) The Behavioral Impact on Consumers

These social celebrities, as we know, create new trends and buzz. And this buzz sweeps the audience in its wake causing people to adapt. Loosely, it can also be referred to as the pop-culture effect where we tend to follow the fashion/symbolism that helps us be a part of the crowd.

Influencers exhibit this influence on the viewers which causes them to mimic the purchase made by these social figures, all of which stems from our psychological behavior of following what we see being celebrated and adopted by others. Ultimately it initiates a series of chain reactions sweeping more and more people in its radar leading to more sales.

5) The Power Of the Minority Voice

Multiple studies of group behavior reveal that minority voices hold power in majority groups with people following them and supporting their cause.

Micro-influencers, especially, hold this influence on the social channels. No wonder why micro-influencers are becoming more significant for businesses in building credibility and gaining their users’ trust.

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Closing thoughts

Influencer marketing, despite all the criticism it receives, has been ruling the online landscape for a while now. The above factors reveal that this impact is gaining deeper roots owing to various psychological reasons - pointing to the fact that this trend will stay and leave lasting impressions on the mind of the audience, making it an attractive marketing strategy for brands to adopt.