Are Influencers More Effective Than Traditional Television Advertisements?

Written by Taylor Beach

Account Executive

Commercials and long-form advertisements used to be analyzed and obsessed over by viewers. But, if you think about it, television commercials don’t have the same impact as they used to. In a day when almost every family had either satellite or cable television, commercials were seen by millions of people across the country. Some would go viral on media platforms like YouTube or be spread by word of mouth. In today’s technologically advanced world, more families have switched to utilizing streaming services over cable or satellite. I rarely watch commercials on television, and if I do, I watch them during a significant event like the Super Bowl.

While some streaming services still have ads throughout a program, many give users the option to pay for an ad-free experience. With fewer and fewer people being forced to sit through commercials, the effect they used to have on their audience has diminished. Not because the quality has decreased, but because their past audiences no longer see them. 

With the decrease in typical television advertising, there has been an increase in influencer marketing. Consumers depend on influencers to recommend what to purchase through short-form content, like TikTok videos. Influencers are able to connect with their audience through their videos, allowing their content to be more engaging than traditional advertisements. Statistics show that influencers generate a higher return on investment for companies than other marketing tools that were previously utilized. 

Influencer marketing can be the best way to influence consumers to purchase products.

Consumers can see influencers use the product and can then purchase based on their (supposedly) honest opinions. Many people are persuaded to buy something just because an influencer they follow is using it. They may not even think twice about whether the sponsored product review was genuine or not. 

Social media-based advertising will continue to increase, especially with many people choosing to be content creators as either their career or on the side. Influencer marketing continues to catch the attention of a brand’s target audience and can be integral in engaging with consumers in a two-way conversation.