How Influencers Control Fashion Trends

How Influencers Control Fashion Trends

By: Akilah Frye

Social media influencers are altering the marketing and branding process daily as the world continues to shift to a digital advertising landscape. The average American spends about 7 hours staring at their screens per day. As technology and social media rule our daily lives, they also have a way of controlling our fashion trends. Social media is the best place for a trend or brand to grow quickly. 

From Kim Kardashian to Sofia Richie Grainge to Monet McMichael, people are picking up fashion and beauty trends from people with different aesthetics and styles. When it comes to promoting a product, however, most teenagers and young adults will trust a product promoted by a social media influencer over a mainstream celebrity. 

As social media grows, almost anyone can make videos on YouTube or TikTok with products they buy on their own, which can then grow into a brand partnering with them to promote their products. Even those with a minimal amount of followers can now influence a big crowd. Forbes calls individuals with a small following (1,000-100,000) but high follower engagement micro-influencers. One contributing factor to products growing in popularity from the recommendation of a micro-influencer is their ability to be more relatable than larger influencers. 

While the fashion marketplace on social media is likely to continue to evolve, it is important that we recognize both micro-influencers and celebrities, and the roles they play in brand marketing. The ideal strategy for fashion brands may involve a mix of micro-influencers and celebrities to cater to various marketing objectives and audience segments. The future landscape is likely to be a dynamic blend of both, with more of an emphasis on authenticity and relatability.

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