CONCLUSION

QUESTIONNAIRE

In order to gain more knowledge on this topic, I conducted a questionnaire so that I could strengthen my argument and gain the perspective of a variety of different points of view that I may not have considered. Question 1) How likely are you to buy a product based on a social media influencer’s promotion of it? I asked this question as I thought it may help me to gain more background knowledge from the perspective of someone who maybe doesn’t think of influencing as a stable career choice.

3/3 people answered yes to this and explained that if a product looks nice or works well for someone else, they will feel more inclined to purchase it as they trust the influencer that they follow and have built a connection with. I would agree with these answers and state that many people underestimate the power of influencers. However, many consumers relate to influencers on such a personal level that they would almost consider them a friend. This level of trust in an influencer's recommendation is what leads us to buy into the products they are advertising or selling. Question 2) In your opinion, is social media influencing a valid career path? If yes/no, why? While all of the participants addressed that it was not the “usual” or “traditional” career path it was valid. However, one person stated that they were unsure of the stability and longevity of influencing as a career path. My response to these results is that as an outsider it may seem that influencers are a new thing, however, content creators have been at large for a long time. If we look at YouTube and Myspace as platforms, we can see creators such as Jeffree Starr and Zoella, who built brands off these platforms that gave them fame. I think that again adaptability and expansion into other business ventures outside of but in conjunction with social media platforms will help to stabilise and increase the longevity of a career in influencing. Question 3) In your opinion are influencers celebrities? And what is the difference between the two?

This was the only question that had a mixed result, as illustrated by my pie charts. 2/3 of people stated that influencers are celebrities while 1/3 of people stated they are not. However, 3/3 of people stated that there is a difference between influencers and celebrities, however as I have explained previously, I think this is due to the conception of what an influencer is. as not every celebrity is a household name in the same way that not every influencer is.