Is a celebrity an influencer? By that, I mean someone that falls into the category of influencer marketing? Or is celebrity endorsement a category in and of itself?

I tend to classify celebrities as different because they’ve earned their influencer for something other than being an influencer. Even if a content creator illustrates expertise or talent, they are building influence themselves, not through sports or the media or movies or television.

That definition aside, though, celebrities do have influence. The point of my exploration of influence marketing, through my new book and my podcast, is that we have to reframe our thinking to steer away from filtering everything through influencers … with an R … and influence, which is the action you’re trying to achieve. And celebrities can help you achieve influence over an audience. 

Sarah Shaw has made a career out of leveraging celebrities to enhance both her own brands … she started a handbag company that got big thanks to celebrities showing up with them … and those of her clients. She joined me to talk about the art and practice of getting real celebrities, not just online influencers with a lot of followers, to try, use and even endorse your product. And often times, it happens without having to pay them. Sarah says it’s easier than you think.

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