Endorsements via Instagram Influencers
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/fashion/your-instagram-picture-worth-a-thousand-ads.html?module=inline
This article from the New York Times, examines the role of Instagram posts as a form of currency for those with an influential social media presence. In essence, companies strike deals with Instagram influencers in which they pay them or give them an in kind contribution, in exchange for a post on Instagram from that individual.This system of exchange has developed into a “thriving economy” which marketing units have embraced in an attempt to appeal to younger consumers who are active on social media. These “influencers” are more important than celebrities for many companies, because social media traffic is so heavy and has such a large influence.
We can analyze this relationship in terms of link analysis using hubs and authorities. The Instagram pots act as hubs, and by promoting a certain product, link to the authorities selling or promoting them. Additionally, we can explore these posts as “endorsements”. We know that a page is important if it is cited by other pages, and this is often the dominant mode of endorsement. This trend on social media in the form of Hashtags (#). If a hashtag or product is used by an influencer in an Instagram post, it could cause increased traffic to that hashtag or product, therefore expanding the endorsements. By having influencers “repeatedly pass endorsements across their out-going links” the weight of the endorsement gets stronger. Nodes which are viewed as important get to make stronger endorsements. In this sense, the influencers are the nodes and the weight of their message is incredibly influential- hence the emphasis placed on Instagram endorsements by the marketing strategies of companies.