Social Media Explorer tells the story of Omar, a construction worker who decided to position himself as an Instagram influencer.
With a little help from his daughter, Omar, from Austin, TX, adopted the handle @justaconstructionguy and began posting images of his “daily essentials” like his hard hat, hi-viz vest and thermos flask.
But, it turns out, while Omar is a real construction worker, he isn’t a real influencer. He was created by an advertising agency tasked with promoting a coffee brand.
Whether you think this is a clever marketing stunt, or you feel a bit cheated, there are lessons to be learned from Omar the Imaginary Influencer.
1. In a world of Kardashians, be more Omar
Influencer marketing has become a saturated space.
Take the path less travelled when it comes to selecting a personality. And be certain your influencer campaign is based on real data and insights leveraged from social research.
2. A little self-deprecating humour never hurts
A huge part of Omar’s appeal was that he poked fun at himself.
He helped us acknowledge that influencers are kind of silly as well as being an incredibly effective marketing technique.
3. Size does matter
Celebrity endorsements have been used by brands for as long as there have been celebrities but more often than not, it takes big bucks.
Micro-influencers and nano-influencers could be a better choice than their more popular counterparts. Although they reach fewer people, they have more sway over those they do reach.
It’s hard to know if Omar’s 15 minutes of Insta-fame will revolutionise social media marketing or be a blip on the proverbial screen. But his meta, and meteoric, rise makes it clear that influencers are here to stay.