The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and two distinct voices dominate the land. One is the perspective of the social media influencers. And the other is non-scripted raw comments from a regular consumer.
Both voices are important and have a major role in shaping consumer behavior. However, the two voices are different. Moreover, the question is, “How is a post from a social media influencer different than a comment from a regular consumer?”
Let’s look deeper into the matter and check how a social media influencer post differs from a comment made by a regular consumer. However, it is not difficult to say that a social media influencer plays a significant role in the decision-making of their followers.
Social media influencers are those people who are popular online because people like the kind of content they share. They can be popular for different things, like discussing technology, creating entertaining content to make people laugh, or for the fashion advice they provide.
Influencers are important in social media marketing, specifically on TikTok and Instagram. The posts and opinions they share the minds of their followers and influence what they purchase and like.
Some suggestions and ideas flow through a social media platform on different topics. Not every voice is important, and not every suggestion is helpful and affects people. Moreover, a comment made by an influencer has a different impact on people than a comment made by a consumer.
Social media influencers have their own visual identities, which connect them with specific groups of people. They are known as experts in their field and have gained the confidence and respect of people.
They stand out from any ordinary customers who share their personal experiences because of the image they have created for themselves. Regular customers have a neutral viewpoint, whereas social media influencers have a well-manicured image.
Posts shared by influencers are carefully curated and designed. They often support companies and goods that match the profile of the influencer and the brand. However, customer comments are mostly spontaneous comments about things they have experienced.
A simple statement about any subject matter could be either in agreement or disagreement with the matter and could come as a comment. So, “How is a post from a social media influencer different than a comment from a regular consumer?
A user comment is a spontaneous response, and an influencer’s post has an objective often related to marketing.
Influencers have a bigger fan base than any regular consumer. They purposely design a post to reach out to a larger audience, which often impacts the choice of their consumer and perception of a business.
Even though a customer’s opinion is good for revealing something, it has a smaller audience and less influence. However, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between a customer and an influencer.
Influencers leverage customer reviews to assess the customer’s mood and change or improve their tactics. Moreover, a single remark can start a discussion that can go viral, sharing the influence of the real voices of the online community.
Influencers basically share their views, interests, and expertise on social media and often get paid to talk about a specific product. However, regular users comment on a post to share their experiences and feelings or when they have questions about a specific topic or product.
Let’s have a quick look at the difference between the two forms of content before getting into a detailed discussion.
| Aspect | Influencer posts | Customer comments |
| Purpose | Influence customer behavior through their captions and strategically curated content. | They express their personal experience and spontaneous reviews. |
| Influence | Posts are carefully designed with good visuals and storytelling angles. | This is a reflection of real-life experience and spontaneous looks. |
| Brand integration | Incorporate brand message seamlessly in an authentic way. | There is no intention of promoting the brand. |
| Characteristics | Reaching out to a wider audience impacts their followers, and the content is specifically curated for this purpose. | It engages only specific communities, gives valuable insights and peer influence, and ensures the reviews are authentic. |
| Gap in authenticity | Influencer endorsements are often believed to be less sincere because they involve financial incentives. | Consumer opinions are mostly believed to be truthful and an expression of satisfaction. |
Now, let’s get into the topic in detail and see “How is a post from a social media influencer different than a comment from a regular consumer?”
Influencers are experts in subjects like cooking, fitness, and fashion. They have a thorough knowledge of these subjects and have the people’s trust. Their followers believe what they say, and even other consumers.
However, when some regular consumer comments on a topic, they are just sharing their thoughts. They do not necessarily have expert status.
Influencers have numerous followers who like their content. They have put in much effort to attract people to their posts. Sometimes, the product they endorse does not live up to expectations.
However, their fans still purchase those items because their favorite influencer has recommended them. When regular consumers put in a similar kind of effort, they can only reach out to their family and friends on their follower list.
Influencers collaborate with different brands to promote their products. This practice is closely compared to traditional advertising. However, a regular consumer lacks such affiliations. This is why their comments are impartial about any brand and not financially endorsed.
Often, when influencers promote a product, there can be a discrepancy between the claims and the actual quality of the product. This complication often arises. These incidents happen as financial incentives motivate influencers to promote a product in their favor, which actors do in commercial advertisements.
Contrary to that, regular consumers are not compensated for prompting for any product. Because of this, their reviews and comments often have more authenticity than any influencer.
The content influencers share has the power to influence customers’ decision-making. On the other hand, regular customers just share their experiences or feelings about a subject. They do not hold as much power as influencers hold in making any kind of decision.
Influencers have a personal and special bond with their followers through shared experiences and storytelling. This has a sense of closeness to it. However, when consumers comment, they share what they think after hearing the story and reach out to a limited set of family and friends.
Influencer posts have a huge reach and impact thousands and millions of people through one post, making a strong and significant impact.
It might seem like influencers simply share their opinion with the world, but there is a business plan behind every post they curate. They make money with their posts through the following methods:
However, not everything they post is sponsored. They have a technique of balancing regular posts with sponsored ones to keep a genuine connection with their audience. Sponsors and partnerships can influence what they share; there are ways to stay real. Here are some of the ways:
When an influencer promotes a product because they have been sponsored, the post’s authenticity is reduced. FTC, or the Federal Trade Commission, clearly instructs influencers to mention that the brand has paid them to talk about them in their post.
Collaboration brings mutual advantage for both the brand and the influencer. They capitalize on the recognition and the trust they have gained from the audience, while the brands capitalize on the extensive reach and impact of the influencer.
Consumer comments benefit the brand they are commenting on, as well as other consumers. Brands learn about the growing trends, consumer preference, and their behavior. Moreover, it is an amazing way of communicating with the consumers.
Brands can use the feedback from influencer campaigns. Moreover, collaborating with influencers who match consumer opinions also favors brands.
Moreover, engaging in consumer comments enhances brand awareness, improves customer service, and also fosters loyalty. Also, brands can include consumer knowledge in their influencer marketing strategies. They can try:
So, you have the answer to the question, “How is a post from a social media influencer different than a comment from a regular consumer?” It is also important to know the difference between a post by an influencer and a comment by a consumer.
However, if you are thinking of taking the advice of an influencer, then you have to be critical. Remember that sponsored posts are not always authentic. Also, customer comments are authentic and based on their real-life experience. So, take your decisions carefully.
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Mashum Mollah is an entrepreneur, founder and CEO at Viacon, a digital marketing agency that drive visibility, engagement, and proven results. He blogs at BloggerOutreach.io.
