The rise of influencer hijacking
Some brands have been attempting to hijack an influencer’s selling power without paying them a penny, explains DVM Law.
There is no denying that certain social media users have the ability to influence the purchasing decisions and behaviours of their followers. It is becoming increasingly evident that brands are trying and succeeding in leveraging this ability by engaging ‘influencers’ to promote their products and services through brand conversations.
This ability has resulted in some influencers being able to establish careers where their income is solely derived from promoting brands on different social media channels for cash, gifts and value in kind.
Given the demonstrated ability of many influencers to reach their followers and communities, and noting that those influencers that can sometimes command significant dollars for social media posts, there has been an emergence of businesses and brands that attempt to leverage this influence without engaging the influencer.
