How many times did you see a video or post about a product you “just needed to have” this year. I personally have probably had 20 or more, but out of that 20 how many were actually available when I wanted them? This is the power of influence online because one person told us it was good and maybe even showed us results or how the clothes look on them, we immediately listen and go straight to the link or store. This now causes the product to go viral and out of stock on and offline. It is like a cycle and even when things come back in stock, they are immediately sold out by the people who couldn’t get it the first time.
Power of Influence
In a lot of videos I watch on TikTok where the creator is raving about a product, they actually stock up on it themselves cause they know it has the potential to go viral. They believe in the product they are talking about and the viewer can see that, which leads the post to be more influential. Being able to have the power of influence is a very positive thing, as long as you are using it in the right ways. Being able to have a minute or less video on TikTok, and influencing hundreds of thousands or millions of people around the world to go buy this product or clothing item is amazing and powerful.
TikTok Made me Buy it
Remember the Dyson Airwrap? Quite the investment but everyone who had one made it look worth it. How about the Aerie Crossover Leggings? Everyone wearing them looked so great and they seemed to nicely cover your stomach. What about Kiss Falscara Lashes? The super easy-to-use lashes looked natural and stayed on for days..but only if you bought the other two products to go with them. These are all products that probably had the hashtag #TikTokmademebuyit. This in itself is an influential hashtag that to this day still gets used on this platform and is a great way to see what was popular in the past and now. TikTok is a very trendy and influential platform but that’s honestly why so many people love it. It feels personal when you see videos on your feed for products or items people have who are just like you. This is all thanks to their algorithm but it’s one of my favourite things about the app.
Dupes
I think dupes more than any other type of product or item talked about sells the most. Everyone is always looking for a deal, especially when it is for a product or item you’ve always wanted to try but is a little on the pricey side. I find these ones the hardest to find online and in stores when shopping and if you do, you must be having a lucky day! There are not only dupes for makeup and skincare but for clothing too. I find Amazon is a common website talked about in these videos for carrying clothes that have the same feel and thickness as these more expensive stores like lululemon for example. Why pay more money when you can get the exact same feel for the fraction of the price, only difference is the logo.
They Don’t Always Deliver Here
On a lot of the posts I see, I go to the comments to see what other users say about the product before I search it up and quite often I see “they don’t ship where I live”. If brands keep up with what’s trending they could notice comments like these and set in motion a plan to deliver to more countries. I know this has stopped me multiple times when I was influenced to buy something online, and this is what also leads me to buy the dupes. I can easily go onto TikTok or another platform and search for videos on products just like this or even watch other videos on it to see someone else’s opinion.
We are so easily influenced and sometimes we may not even realize it. Social media has power over us making it hard not to want what everyone else has and it could be because one person told us we should have it. This just means these creators and celebrities that we watch and view every day are good at what they do and go viral for a reason. They are good at selling what they believe in and don’t even necessarily have to be sponsored to do that. Many just do it because they wanna share what they loved or what works for them and I think that’s why we are so trusting and influenced to go buy it ourselves. Do you get influenced a lot on social media to buy things?
Twitter:
Did you get that new mascara that’s going viral? Went to every store just to find it? Read my blog about the power of influence https://bit.ly/3MNmzF8 #soldout #influenced
Facebook:
Ever been so influenced by a post you’ve seen, you look it up and it’s already sold out!? I guess that’s the power of influence. Read my blog to learn more https://bit.ly/3MNmzF8 #powerofinfluence #trending
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve also bought things that were trendy but not practical. This has also allowed me to develop the superpower of finding diamonds in a sandy beach. For scam sites, I wish social media would require more detailed authentication from merchants to protect consumers.
I can relate to this so much!! All summer I wanted to try the TikTok famous feta pasta. Every time I went to the grocery store they were sold out. I still have not tried the recipe because the fad had passed and I completely forgot about it! It’s insane the influence social media can have on us! Thanks for sharing.
I am a dupes person for sure. I found out years ago that companies will make their product under a no-name brand without the marketing and symbols and it is way cheaper. But it’s the exact same. Food companies do this a lot. Great blog.