How do you get people to follow the government’s recommendations and advice in corona times? Use the huge impact of the influences, many people argue.
An important part of the fight against COVID-19 is to get information about the government’s guidelines and regulations to the population as quickly and efficiently as possible. Since both channel selection and news consumption vary widely between different social groups and age groups, you need to use all tools in the toolbox if you want to reach everyone in the community. One of the tools one should use more is influencers.
Today, influencers not only have an enormous reach but also a very special relationship with their followers that the government may lack.
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People are more likely to follow influencers’ advice
Influencers are already a recognized power factor in marketing. Their strength is based on the relationship they have built with their followers over time. We get to follow behind the scenes of their lives, we get an insight into their homes, their habits, and their friendships. This creates an illusion of friendship between influencers and their followers.
Therefore, recommendations and advice from influencers are seen as coming from friends rather than from a media personality or government sources. This means that their advice is often taken more seriously and people are more likely to act on these advice.
It can be handy during the corona crisis. It is extremely important for the government to reach all levels of society with its communication.
Social media as news media
Trends indicate that more and more people are consuming news via digital platforms or on social media. Most of the communication takes place in confined spaces – either in private messages or in Facebook groups.
The government has not been so quick to use the power of social media to get its message out. Whether they make a concerted effort or not, people will use social media to share information as well as rumors and disinformation.
With that, there is an individual politician who stands out.
