The advent of social media has not only altered the way social interactions work in our everyday world but has also perceptibly changed the way marketing works. While mainstream channels like television and radio were the main concern of a business before, today social media occupies the biggest chunk of a firm’s marketing strategy. It has, to a large extent , enabled a more accessible platform for both businesses and consumers to share their ideas.

One of the most remarkable things about this new digital age is the fact that it has created easy and more accessible ways of earning for an individual person. For example, one of the most common ways that people are making money through the rise of digital marketing is by becoming “social media influencers”. In the words of social media marketing expert and educator, Neal Schaffer,” Social media influencer is a person who helps to influence the buying decision of a person through their online presence”.

This can be done through several ways, people use various platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and online blogs to express their opinions and provide feedback and recommendations for the consumption of products. Online forums like podcasts and webinars are also used for this purpose.

A new kind of marketing strategy is the use of sponsored social media marketing whereby brands and social media influencers come together in order to promote the brand. The Social Cercle provides platforms through which brands which wish to engage with social media influencers and adopt the sponsored social media marketing can interact with them. The unique thing about the Social Cercle, however, is the fact that it does not have any set prerequisites for those wishing to become social media influencers. Rather, anyone who has a social media account on Facebook and Instagram can avail the opportunity of making money by making an account at the Social Cercle.

Moreover, while bloggers and celebrities might exert a huge influence on the consumer decisions in the individualistic and consumerist societies of the West, the same cannot be claimed about collectivist societies like Pakistan. According to a research published in the Australian Business Journal, “Collectivism and social influence in the buying decision: A four-country study of inter- and intra-national differences”, social influence by people you know is a far more important factor which influences consumer decisions in collectivist societies like Asian countries compared to the West. This means that a teenager is more likely to consume a product that their elder or parent recommended than what an online app did. Keeping in mind the local context of Pakistan, the Social Cercle has therefore launched its “socialite” program which allows one to market a brand to their acquaintances and thus, earn money from home. This is the first initiative of its kind  in Pakistan and thus presents an exciting opportunity for both brands and individuals.