6-2 Blog Marketing Perspective

 MKT-265

Ardis Ortega

There is one influencer that I have been following for some years now. She posts regularly on social media websites as well as on YouTube, which is her main posting site. Her channel is @sharlainjapan. She uploads about her life abroad in Japan starting off as a student and the moving on to social media content. She has a subtle way of marketing without being too overwhelming. Each video she has is very involved in either a place or product. Something that she promotes often is the tourism of Japan through her experiences. From places to dine, to several places to shop. It's never one place.

 She also has partnerships with her videos as well. One common partnership that she has is a subscription box from a brand called Sakuraco. She also provides a code that gives a discount for those who are purchasing the subscription for the first time. I ended up subscribing because of that. Each month that she receives a box she does a video unboxing of all the items received and that entices people to want to purchase it as well. I find that to be a very smart marketing tactic.  Especially if you want to learn more about the culture of Japan, you want to buy things that connect you to it and she promotes such items.

She travels regularly throughout Japan and focuses on key places that are tourist friendly. She even goes on to break down that cost of everything. There was one video where she was in Kyoto and promoted the hotel that she was in. In these moments she is not only documenting her journey but marketing the space that she is in. This gives potential clientele to the hotel as it comes highly recommended by the influencer. 

I feel tourism influencers have great opportunities with the partnerships that they work with because they promote them so heavily. It being marketed to the audience as a place to be. Influencers also post through all their social media platforms, so not only are they reaching their target market, but they are enticing new viewers as well. According to a source online it states that "Unlike traditional celebrities, influencers build their reputation through consistent, authentic content creation across various social media platforms. What sets influencers apart is their ability to create genuine connections with their audience. Influencers don’t just push out brand messages. They also start conversations by sharing real-life experiences and creating communities around common interests." (Ali 2025). I find that this is the best way to market towards a consumer. Not only through brand partnerships, but through experiences and honest views and interpretations. Also, by listening to what the consumer wants. I find that to be done very well by Sharla(@sharlainjapan).

References: Influencer marketing: Types, benefits, & strategy