When we hear the term “influencer”, our very first impression is of an individual with thousands of followers on Instagram or YouTube. This perception naturally extends to influencer marketing which is all about these individuals’ credibility, reach and relatability today.
Did it start the way it is in modern times? Or does it hold a deeper history and past?
Let us dive in its origins, evolution and present-day scenario ahead.
Some of the earliest impressions of influencer marketing includes Josiah Wedgwood’s “Queenware” pottery promotion to celebrity endorsements where people realized how influencer marketing can shape any subject significantly. It was a peculiar idea for the artisan but turned out to be a perfect start to elevating a brand image and forming the foundation of modern-day endorsements.
Back in the 18th century, royalty carried immense authority and social influence. Josiah noticed that the Queen’s choices and tastes deeply influenced the people of England. Basic pottery done with basic branding meant attracting basic people, which means not necessarily the wealthy people. However, royal endorsement meant not only attracting all kinds of people of England but also the rich and powerful people.
With time, the concept evolved from high-class endorsements to celebrities launching a product. Eventually, terms like micro-influencer, macro-influencer, creator and more took over influencer marketing widely. Bloggers, forum users and social media influencers started holding the core of influencer marketing. Following is how the concept found its way from the royals to the common, high-class to an everyday person and so on.
The History of Influencer Marketing: Origin and Evolution
Before the launch of platforms like YouTube or Instagram, word-of-mouth with credible endorsements were the major forms of influencer marketing. Royals like kings, queens and stars were some of the first and foremost influencers.
From the 20th century onwards, brands and businesses started tying with popular influencers to capture attention and leverage growth. The following takes us through the journey of influencer marketing from the past to the present:
As discussed above, some of the earliest forms of influencer marketing came from a royal family based in England: King George III’s wife Queen Charlottte. With the Queen’s grant of endorsement to a British potter, the beginning of “royal-approved” ceramics was marked. This brought the artisan massive credibility, unmatched prestige and extreme success. Branding came into existence.
Soon, people started realizing the power of fame which led to a remarkable hike in the influencer marketing industry. Coca Cola, a renowned brand of beverages, went ahead to include a popular fictional character – “Santa Claus” as a representation of the ‘cheering-up’ emotion during the Great Depression. Not only did the company witness a boost in sales but also discovered that people could relate to the jolly expression of the character and found joy in the time of crisis.
With the beginning of the 20th century, Hollywood celebrities started endorsing consumer products. As actors and actresses influenced people’s perception along with their buying behaviour, brands naturally approached them for influencer marketing services. Endorsements like Think of Babe Ruth promoting tobacco or Lucille Ball advertising household items, everything changed from just selling products to building immense trust.
The aspirational image of these early influencers made advertising effective. Idolization by the consumers, imitation and believing in these influencers’ choices became normal. People started adoring what their favourite personality promoted and shopped to show support resultantly. The concept became a bridge between popularity and trade. Businesses started including influencer marketing as one of their key strategies to expand reach.
With the internet booming in the 1990s and 2000s, the scenario of influencing began to change. Instead of depending solely on mega-stars and celebrities, people started turning to bloggers and forum users for credible suggestions. Resultantly, bloggers started uplifting their game by giving detailed reviews and explanations on why a consumer should buy a particular product. This then led to brands approaching bloggers and forum users for endorsements and promotions. Moreover, the connection turned out to be stronger this time because these bloggers and forum users were regular people just like others looking for credible suggestions.
Platforms like WordPress, Blogspot and several other online forums grew massively. They started offering options like enabling users to grow niche-based followings. This meant shared interest uploads like fashion products, tech products, beauty products, entertaining games and more. Bloggers gaining trust over time started receiving appreciation for honesty, authenticity, deep knowledge and relatability. Unlike trained personalities, these bloggers felt more real and approachable.
This entire shift marked a key change: the influencer marketing industry transitioning from attaining fame to gaining trust. Small creators, bloggers and influencers started grabbing attention because they knew their audience very closely. In fact, many of them experienced what their followers experienced. They were not powerful in terms of reach but relevance. This brought an understanding among the people that smaller or micro following can also bring meaningful results.
The real revolution of influencer marketing began with the arrival of social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and more. It brought a sudden concept that anyone with a phone can influence people by sharing their views, opinions, experiences or talents. It brought the idea of sharing things with the world and gaining followers to the next level. This democratization broke the barriers of traditional popularity and limited access to media remarkably. A teenager in his home could now gain massive reach by posting funny or insightful content. A newcomer could now have his big launch by being stylish on the internet over the months. Creators on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and more grew highly in numbers. Their following? Even more!
Millions of people started subscribing to a random person sharing daily routine and conversations on the internet. People who had no clue about a particular subject started finding people who are experts in no time. Everything became just a click away! Frequently, Instagram’s focus on visual growth and appeal began the trend of posting pictures. Soon with updates like reels and lives, influencers started entertaining their followers even better. Lastly, the obvious happened: brands started reaching influencers to partner and collaborate for engagement and growth. Influencer marketing here became measurable, easier, scalable and much more convenient.
With years of evolution, influencer marketing today is a billion-dollar industry. It is beyond mere likes and comments. It is even beyond gaining followers and reach. In fact, it has become a core strategy to measure data and create a huge impact. Today, brands partner with influencers of all kinds, from micro-influencers to macro-influencers. With features like long-form content, short-form content, audio content, stories and more, platforms like Instagram and YouTube offer free space to connect and stay. One influencer today can hold multiple tags like entrepreneur, content creator, businessperson and more.
Influencer marketing has become a combination of art, science and commerce in today’s times. Mere resonance and relevance with the audience can bring a person massive fame and success. The impact of influencer marketing has restored everyone’s faith in the saying “people trust people more than ads”.
The Bottom Line
Influencer marketing has advanced from royal recommendations to data-driven presence digitally. What started with limited accessibility to big brands, businesses and celebrities, has transitioned into a new-day ecosystem supported by regular creators. Centuries of journey yet the goal is the same: building real bonds between businesses and consumers with the help of trusted personalities. With the evolution of technology, influencer marketing has reached every other person with foundational requirements like reliability, strong community and storytelling ability.
