Brand ambassadors or influencers… that’s the question.

In today’s digital world, social media has become a crucial platform for brands to connect with their audience. With the rise of influencer marketing, brands are now leveraging the power of social media personalities to promote their products and services.

In today’s modeling world, the terms “influencer” and “brand ambassador” are often used interchangeably and there are significant differences between the two roles.

While both work to promote a brand’s values; their methods, relationships with brands, and overall objectives can make quite a difference.

Influencers

Influencers are social media personalities who have built a following around a specific niche or interest – like fashion, beauty, travel, fitness, tech, etc. They’re known for their insanely high engagement rates and “influential” power to persuade their followers to try new products or services.

Influencer marketing is a tactic used by brands where instead of making their own content, they have influencers create original content making sure that it aligns with their brand values, image, products, and/or services – and it works.

If someone that people love to listen to is talking about a product, service, or brand, it tends to lead to overall increases in engagement, impressions, and reach across the board.

Brands benefit because engagement, impressions, and reach metrics increase across the board and influencers benefit because they get paid a fee for doing this.

Brand Ambassadors

Contrary to influencers, brand ambassadors are hired to represent their companies’ brand values and image for the long term.

They are typically selected based on their level of enthusiasm for the brand’s culture, vision, and values, rather than solely relying on their social media followers.

They are also responsible for endorsing the brand and promoting its products or services. Brand ambassadors typically receive a fixed salary and are expected to represent the brand both online and offline.

Their main role is to endorse the brand and advertise what they’re offering. Brand ambassadors are usually required to represent the brand on both online and offline platforms.

Models are great for this role as their aesthetic, usually have somewhat of an online presence, and are professionals.

What’s the difference? 

The main distinction between influencers and brand ambassadors lies in the nature of their work. 

Influencers have the ability to work with multiple brands at the same time, whereas brand ambassadors are dedicated to one specific brand.

Influencers may be recruited for specific campaigns or events, whereas brand ambassadors usually have a longer-term commitment to the brand.

Influencers concentrate on “content creation” for their platforms, while brand ambassadors prioritize representing and endorsing the brand in real-life situations.

Choosing the right approach

When it comes to promoting your brand values and image, choosing the right approach can depend on your goals and budget.

If you are prioritizing immediate involvement, influencer marketing just might be the best option. Influencers possess the ability to provide immediate exposure and connect with a wider audience within a brief timeframe.

Nevertheless, if you aim to establish a lasting connection with your audience and foster brand devotion, brand ambassadors may be the right choice.

Although influencers and brand ambassadors both have important roles in brand promotion and marketing, their approaches are different.

Influencers focus on reaching a wide audience and influencing purchasing decisions through their original content, while brand ambassadors concentrate on embodying brand values and establishing lasting relationships with customers.

If you choose wisely, your brand will reap the benefits in the long run.