Effective strategies for Virtual Influencers
My group for STC 359 and I are researching the Influencer Maria Soymar and the effect that virtual influencers play in public relations and brands. I will be discussing the effective strategies brands use for their virtual influencers.
Meet Maria Soymar
Maria Soymar is Mexicos first virtual influencer, and promotes making the world a better place.
Some of her passions include the environment, mental health, inclusivity, and gender equality.
Maria posts food recipes with her grandmother and is considered a "foodie".
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Diversity
Many brands fail to add diverse influencers into their marketing strategies
According to Harvard Business Review, "of the 551 human influencers in our study, it estimated that 68% were white, 11% were Latino/Hispanic, 10% were Black, 8% were Asian, 1% were Middle Eastern, and 1% were Indian."( ) Brands that use virtual influencers have the ability to choose any gender, race, and ethnicity that allows a brand to be inclusive.
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The virtual influencer, Maria Soymar, is Mexicos first virtual influencer which makes her a great candidate for brands.If brands use diverse virtual influencers in their marketing, they will appeal to more customers.
Cost-Effectiveness
Brands can use several different Virtual Influencers for the price of one human influencer.
A strategy companies can use to be cost effective is incorporating more virtual influencers into their campaigns. They do not need to travel the world, get their hair and makeup done, or a camera crew.
Another benefit according to Inflow, "When a problem arises, it takes minutes to fix it and there is no need to wait for the perfect weather or lightning."( ). A human influencer can cost up to $250,000 for just one post while a virtual influencer will charge around $9,000.
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Maria Soymar would be a great option for a food brand, as many of her posts are about cooking and different recipes. Some of the most followed virtual influencers are paid $9,000 for their posts, and Soymars account has 81,000 followers. This would mean companies would pay that amount or less for one of her posts.
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Brand Image
A strategy brand's may use is keeping a virtual influencers image the same
Brands have the opportunity to keep the same virtual influencers age and appearance for many years. They can control what they say and look like to fit the image they wish for their brand. They can make any virtual human have the exact qualities they want. They can also choose their personalities and what they stand for ( ).
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Soymar is known to be passionate about important topics like the earth and mental health. A brand can utilize this and continue to use her as an activist.
