社交網絡的使用在人們的生活中變得越來越普及。在使用這些工具時，我們習慣性地過濾掉看到的廣告，但是要想忽略我們最喜歡的名人向我們推銷產品就沒有那么容易了。名人為某商品代言的這種營銷方式被稱為 “社交媒體影響力”。本文討論 “社交媒體影響力” 對個人購買行為的影響。

詞匯：digital marketing 市場營銷

Have you ever been on social media and seen your favourite celebrity talking about a product? These endorsements might not be totally random, and are actually seen as a vital part of the marketing process. The question is: How do social media influencers ‘influence’ what you buy?

Human desire for status and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, make us susceptible to being ‘socially influenced’. Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity we admire to hawk or launch a product. So, what do these endorsements actually do?

Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform they operate on, and therefore can create engaging content that not only adheres to the brand image, but sparks their followers’ interests in a product they might never have seen before. 

Secondly, influencers can improve a company or product’s relationship with their customer base. According to InMoment’s 2018 US Retail CX Trends Report on customer loyalty, 77% of buyers have been brand loyal for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of millennials. A popular celebrity can target key demographics and talk or blog about a product, which can create an instant and lasting bond with the consumer.

Lastly, influencers can improve customer buying habits with seemingly ‘unbiased opinions’. We are more likely to respond to ‘peer recommendation’ than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a ‘friend’ can make us less likely to be sceptical about what we are seeing.

So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target your core needs. If you find yourself perusing a product you’ve seen on social media, you may well have been influenced.

詞匯表

social media 社交媒體
celebrity 名人
endorsement 名人代言，名人為某商品做廣告
marketing 營銷，推銷
social media influencers 網絡紅人
hawk 兜售
brand awareness 品牌意識，品牌認知
engaging content 吸引人的內容
brand image 品牌形象
customer base 客戶群
customer loyalty 客戶忠誠度
demographic （顧客）族群
blog 寫博客
bond 聯系，紐帶
buying habit 購買習慣
peer recommendation 朋友的推薦，熟人的推薦

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Why can social influencers make such engaging content?

2. What factors make ‘social influence’ so effective?

3. How long have 77% of customers been brand loyal?

4. How does seeing an influencer as a ‘friend’ affect our decision making when we see products they promote?

5. What should you consider the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. That celebrity is always _______ something on the TV! 

hawk                             hawking                           hawks                        hawked

2. _______ is one of the ways influencers choose to promote products.             

Blogging                        Blog                                 Blogs                         Blogged

3. We have to make some _______ for social media.

engaging content           middleman                      hawk                          vendor

4. They have a bad reputation and need to work on their _______.

middleman                     hawk                               vendor                        brand image

5. All companies want a loyal _______.

customer base               blog                                 hawk                          social influence

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. Why can social influencers make such engaging content?
Because they have a strong understanding of how to use the platform they are working on.

2. What factors make ‘social influence’ so effective?
Human desire for status, making friends and belonging to a group.

3. How long have 77% of customers been brand loyal?
They have been loyal for more than ten years.

4. How does seeing an influencer as a ‘friend’ affect our decision making when we see products they promote?
It can make us less likely to be sceptical about adverts we are seeing.

5. What should you consider the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product?
Consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target our core needs for inclusivity.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. That celebrity is always hawking something on the TV!

2. Blogging is one of the ways influencers choose to promote products.

3. We have to make some engaging content for social media.

4. They have a bad reputation and need to work on their brand image.

5. All companies want a loyal customer base.