Image via @itsmetinx
The New York Times shared a front page article on the vaccine efforts amid the Delta surge last week titled: “To Fight Vaccine Lies, Authorities Recruit an ‘Influencer Army’”. Written by Taylor Lorenz, it’s an especially relevant use-case for influencers and every one of us on social media.
However rather than talking about a consumer brand using influencers to acquire customers, we’re seeing the most powerful office in the world, The White House, using micro-influencers to reach its target audience.
The campaign? To encourage vaccines among America’s teens.
With misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine spreading like wildfire on various social media platforms, the White House took an unorthodox approach to reach their target audience: it recruited an army of influencers ranging from TikTok stars with millions of followers (at the national level), to “local” micro-influencers with 50,000–100,000 followers (at the state level).
For years — including just earlier this year — the White House has favored celebrities to endorse vaccines, and reach America’s youth in a relatable way. In the 1950’s, Elvis Presley made it “cool” when he famously received his polio vaccine on live TV. But today’s savvy teens aren’t so influenced by celebrities. Instead, they value the opinions of their favorite influencers and content creators, whom they deem more authentic.
As the article points out, “These days, young people are more likely to trust the advice of their favorite content creator than a mainstream celebrity”.
So, did it work? While we have a ways to go before we reach our vaccine goals, the digital marketing agencies behind these campaigns are finding that “when large numbers of influencers post in the same time period, vaccination rates go up.” There is no denying the power of authentic content, and what you can achieve when you speak to your target audience.
And that’s exactly what we do here at Gatsby, which is why we’re offering Gatsby free to support these efforts. If you’re a state or local government or a business working to help in the Covid-19 vaccination efforts, let us know and we’ll set you up with Gatsby 100% free.
