Influencer Marketing: Who Deserves the Accolades?

I deserve some accolades! Photo credit: Charles Okocha

Have you paid your dues? Do you deserve some accolades? If you must have accolades, who should give you any? This is a question that has firstly arisen from the current viral phrases 

“I Paid my dues, I deserve some accolades, Give me some accolades.”

Now before you go shouting on the rooftops and on the streets as the controversial campaigner of this viral phrase you might have to stop for a while to ask yourself the questions mentioned above.

New Media and Brands

The gap between the virtual world and the real world is getting thinner. Everyone is digitally enabled, well maybe not everyone but to be fair, 60% in Lagos Nigeria uses a smartphone and for most of you, It has become your first information medium. What does this mean? It means that there is a large consumption in digital content, which has ultimately consolidated digital media houses, also known as New Media such as Linda Ikeji, KraksTv, BellaNaija, Pulse, Instablog9Ja, Y!Naija to mention the leaders.

credit:Pulse.ng

credit:Linda Ikeji

credit: krakstv

These media houses have played a role in keeping people like you glued as they continue to serve content in the best context tailored for their target audience, as a reward, they didn’t get accolades. Instead, brands approached them to place ads to be seen by you. Yes, you were the target for brands. 
Guess what happened next;  the audience became more fixated to the entertainment and informative value these blogs offer for free but their behaviour changed when the adverts became overwhelming and literally overtook these infotainment hubs. The media houses couldn’t stop brands because their business must remain profitable with the selling of Ad Spaces.

The Rise of Social Media Influencers

The aftermath was, you turned to social media for information and entertainment, and your social peers began to serve you good content that is either informative, entertaining or thought compelling, yes thought compelling. Once again, you found joy away from the overwhelming Ads and enjoyed what your social media peers turned Social media Icons were dishing and these Icons became the darling of the digital public.

So, this is what happens, you log in to either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and search for your favourite profiles and there you stay, looking for the freshest content type you desire. Soon too the brands began to notice the traction, following and support these icons garner and make them an influencer deal in form of subtle advertisements and a lot of you have noticed.

Now, here is the big Question; “Which of these Social Media Icons have won your heart so much that you would follow their directive to make your decision?” let me rephrase: “In your decision-making process, how much input of your social media Influencers come to mind”? 

Are you swayed by the commedian social media icons or the thought compelling ones who have seemed to impress their audience with the kind of rare insights they have in the niche they have chosen?  Whose opinion really count when you want to make that payment?

Would it be Lasisi, Broda Shaggi, Maraji or Fisayo, Ogbeni Dipo and the likes?

Fisayo Fosudo @Fosudo on Twitter

Maraji on Instagram

Some have argued that the difference between the thought leading influencers and the comedian influencers can be likened to the difference between Aeschines and Demosthenes. who were two orators in the ancient Greek empire.
Or maybe you are the influencer? The unpaid, unassuming, and un-advertising person who advocates for a brand in the bid to give quality information and advice to the people around them. Do you think you have a greater weight of influence because of closeness in the relationship?

Who deserves the accolades?