Influencers schools in China
Laia Ordoñez
09/03/2021
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The Chinese market is one of the most competitive and advanced in terms of e-commerce. The latest of the latest are the influencers schools in China.
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In this blog we have recently talked about how influencers are monetizing eCommerce through live streaming. In this case, video marketing is just the tactic, what really works as the engine of the strategy is influencer marketing.If the prescriptive power of certain individuals is growing worldwide, in China they can be considered true celebrities. They are practically revered by their communities. This means that many people are in a dual role in which they are influenced but also want to be prescribers.And from there comes the opportunity to create schools for professional influencers.
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Training as an influencer
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The first issue of all, the basis of what we are going to raise, is whether this activity can be considered as one of those new digital professions related to eCommerce. The answer is complicated, because it has its nuances: obviously it is a job for many people but, is it supervened or sought?So far, influence is something that comes naturally. It is difficult to find a mathematical formula that ensures that a person will have the charisma and the ability to persuade necessary to become an influencer.In a way, we can apply the same logic to viral content. Why does something or someone become popular? There are too many factors, but some of the most relevant are being at the right time in the right place and, undoubtedly, finding the right tone of communication.It is important to project something that those who see us want to buy (I am not talking about the product). I am referring to a lifestyle or an authority as a reference in a segment or niche.These are precisely the things that can be worked on and taught when the time comes. It is a way of professionalizing something that has to come "as standard".
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Influencers schools in China
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A few weeks ago, half the world was shocked to see images of dozens of young women lined up in front of their corresponding light hoops in what looked like a Zumba or similar class.They were not working out: they were actually receiving specific training on how to perform their job as influencer marketers at a time when eCommerce platforms offer many possibilities for growth through video streaming.
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We can find some educational centers such as the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College based in Shanghai. It has been teaching since 2017 a program in which its students, all women, learn how to act in front of the camera, receive makeup and styling classes, learn to improve their oral expression skills... but they also have technical classes to learn how to edit, sound the videos and design the images of their channels or profiles.
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Will it ever get here?
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In Spain and other Western countries, we are also beginning to see some courses designed for this profile of users, but with a less dystopian aspect than that image of an army of smiling women practicing their speech.What we see in these programs, for example, is oriented towards fashion, which is a niche especially suitable for influencer marketing.They work from the knowledge of the sector and even going into details about patterns, fabrics and cuts to strengthen the basis of the speech. This not only provides rhetorical resources: it also allows to generate authority, which is basic to be able to successfully prescribe.In general, the rest of the syllabus already evolves towards the indispensable concepts of Social Media Marketing on the different platforms (Instagram, TikTok and so on). In many cases, it is very common to also offer rudiments of blogging because it is a great way to exploit influence and a stepping stone to many eCommerce.
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The main difference with what is being done in China is that it is not yet so focused on streaming. Seeing how Twitch is catching on and the ability exhibited by TikTok to even condition Instagram to launch Reels as an alternative, it should be clear to us by now that the nearest future is going that way.But do not forget something we have already discussed: marketplaces like Amazon are creating their own teleshops hosted within the platform. Influencers will need to adapt their content and tone of communication to this type of live content.
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What do you think of these influencers schools in China and the rest of the world? Would you sign up for such a course to boost your business?
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Images| Unsplash.