Social media has become an inevitable part of our lives and with so many platforms to express yourself, you are part of a digital circle that has the power to influence anyone, according to the Authority Asia CEO
We now live in a world of self-expression. It is an era in recent history where, potentially, all our voices are heard and amplified in real life and online. Each one of us now has an avenue to show the world who we are. Since the boom of social media, it is now common for us to have more than one platform on which to express ourselves and share our lives with others.
This means that each platform acts like its own microcosm within a larger online community—and therefore has its own culture and way of doing things. That being said, anyone has the power to be an influencer on any digital platform.
Believe it or not, you are part of a digital circle that can influence anyone. Through your social media activity, you have the power to make an impact on the world and those closest to you. No one knows this better than digital political strategist and Authority Asia CEO, Bran Reluao, who has harnessed the power of influencers and digital marketing strategies to its full potential.
Related: Besting the Algorithm: Bran Reluao Talks About the Digital World
“Social media actually influences our behavior even in real life. It’s not just something that happens digitally. How you behave outside is also affected by your social media usage. It’s a reason why influencers boomed. It creates reality. That reality online becomes the same in the real world,” explains the young CEO.
Becoming an influencer
When you scroll through your news feed on almost all social media platforms, a popular figure might pop up here and there to tell you their latest must-haves, hauls, insights, or even hop on the latest dance trends. Very encouraging and with an ability to persuade you in a matter of seconds, it’s no wonder that brands are seeking out a new class of celebrities, called influencers, to build their brand identity and reach.
As the young CEO of Authority Asia, Bran Reluao, sees it, the birth of an influencer is far simpler than we thought. “For me, everyone is an influencer whether you have two or three followers. As long as you can persuade someone in a certain community [with your thoughts and insights], you are already an influencer.”
Influencers are able to reach a wide range of audiences in ways that traditional advertising cannot. They can connect directly with their followers and speak to them in a way that feels personal and genuine. This makes their content much more effective at getting people to buy products or services than an advertisement would be.
As everyone’s content has the potential to become viral at any given time, the digital political strategist also cautions that we should still be mindful of our content and what we share across all platforms. He relates that the reason misinformation spreads so quickly on social media is because of how our credibility has always been at stake in how people receive our content.
“People who follow you online think of you as a credible person. As someone they deem as trustworthy, they will accept what you’ve shared as truth.” He continues, “Social media has a very huge effect on the future of human society and its perception in all aspects of life. It’s becoming dominant [in our lives].”
When politics is mixed with social media
The modern world is a place of information overload, especially to a digitally-connected world. The access to data on the Internet can help you form opinions and have various people tell you how to look, how to feel, and what to buy.
While this phenomenon isn’t surprising to the Bran Reluao & Associates CEO, he realized early on how in his career that he can develop the use of data-driven strategies in social media with the power of branding and influencing to increase someone’s presence on the Internet. In the niche he has chosen for his digital marketing agency, Authenticity Asia, politics became an arena that he has been such an expert at.
With close to 10 years of strategic social media experience, he has provided an avenue for government agencies, politicians, and celebrities a platform in the digital world to be known by their constituents and audience. This has led him to originate the term, ‘digital politics.’
“That’s why I coined the term. It is actually influencing the behavior of people using digital platforms.” Through a mix of data-driven strategies and using influencers in his tried and tested formula, the Authenticity Asia CEO has found success in their campaigns with tourism upticks, constituents being educated on government agency programs, and politician clients winning a post in the recently-concluded national elections.
“Everything is political. Whatever it is, it’s political.”
Bran Reluao on digital politics
Politics and social media are two of the most contentious topics in modern society. It’s easy to think of them as separate entities, but as it has been used to level the playing field for everyone to have a voice, they’re now deeply connected.
While the digital political strategist sees misinformation as a problem we have to tackle in the Filipino digisphere, Reluao still hopes that the current landscape of social media won’t completely deprive his fellow countrymen of access to facts.
For more information on Authority Asia, visit their official website and follow their Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Photography by RYAN AGUSTIN
Styling by PATTY YAP
Makeup by JAKE GALVEZ
Hair by JULIA FRESH
Production Design by GINGER EVENT STYLING BY GINGER GADDI
