1. Introduction

The use of social media by Internet celebrities to attract the attention of fans has become a common practice. These individuals utilize new media platforms to gather a large fan base, thereby stimulating fan consumption. This process, which converts fans into purchasing power, allows for the quick and accurate promotion and sale of products, thus generating profits. In addition to traditional marketing through offline activities, new profit models are emerging, such as the opening of online shopping malls to sell products and live broadcasting [1]. With the rapid development and expansion of influence of the Internet celebrity industry, relevant regulatory and normative issues need to be resolved urgently. However, the current regulatory policy research on the Internet celebrity economy is relatively insufficient, and it is necessary to conduct in-depth discussions on how to formulate effective regulatory measures to balance the free development of the Internet celebrity industry and market order. The paper mainly discusses the marketing methods, marketing content, current status and problems, and future development of the Internet celebrity economy. By analyzing the literature on the Internet celebrity economy, the content related to this industry can be discussed. This paper suggests that the government and all relevant departments should introduce relevant laws and regulations to rectify and supervise the industry and fully protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. In addition, they should also pay attention to whether the content provided by Internet celebrities is valuable and resist the dissemination of illegal content [2][3]. Therefore, the study of the Internet celebrity economy has certain practical significance. It is hoped that the paper will assist enterprises in more effectively utilizing the Internet celebrity marketing method, developing more suitable marketing strategies, and promoting the healthy development of the industry.

2. Overview of Internet Celebrity Economy

2.1. The State of the Internet Celebrity Economy

As China’s e-commerce industry continues to expand at a rapid pace, the online celebrity economy is currently undergoing a period of substantial growth. The growth of brand marketing demand is an important factor driving the development of the Internet celebrity economy. Internet celebrities, as individuals with broad influence and fan base, have become important partners of brands. Internet celebrities can obtain financial benefits and more exposure opportunities through brand marketing, further promoting the development of their personal brands. As a result, people of different ages and industries are rushing to enter the self-media industry, and batches of new self-media bloggers with online influence have emerged on the Internet. They rely on their own advantages and unique creativity Style, attracting a certain size of fan base, and then promoting and selling products [2][3]. While the number of fans and Internet celebrities has increased, this group has also become a mixed bag. Many companies and personnel have adopted false propaganda, data falsification and other behaviors to compete for interests, reducing the authenticity of marketing. Market chaos has formed [4].

2.1.1. Various Forms of Economic Realizations of Internet Celebrities

Since the beginning of 2016, a large number of short video software has emerged. Papijiang, for example, uses its own humor and funny features to create short videos, which have received great response. After the short video, there are currently popular online live broadcasts, such as Taobao, Huajiao, Douyu, etc. Viya’s live broadcast leads the rise of the “e-commerce + live broadcast model” and has super monetization capabilities. Many e-commerce Internet celebrities make their main business income by selling beauty products, clothing, food, etc., and rely on traffic as the entrance to attract a large number of fans.

2.1.2. Diversification of the Economic Sphere of Internet Celebrities

The number and scale of Internet celebrities are constantly growing, and the various industries and fields involved are also developing in an increasing trend. From the original unique entertainment content, it has gradually expanded to beauty, humor, food, knowledge popularization, and finance. and other aspects. The number of Internet celebrities and the scale of fans are growing, and the economic scale and liquidity of Internet celebrities are also growing. It is this factor that has given the Internet celebrity economic industry chain a good development opportunity.

2.1.3. Industry Chain of Internet Celebrity Economy

The Internet celebrity economy has formed a relatively complete industrial chain, of which the three most important links are the upstream brand side, the midstream content production Multi-Channel Network (MCN), and the midstream content distribution platform side, as shown in Figure 1. Together, they have completed the process of Internet celebrity economic content demand from proposing to The process of satisfaction. In addition, there are companies that provide professional service support in all aspects of the Internet celebrity economy, such as supply chain companies that provide goods supply services for MCNs, companies that provide professional training services for anchors [5] [6].

Figure 1: Communication Links between the Upstream, Midstream and Downstream of the Internet Celebrity Economy

2.2. Influential Factors in the Economic Marketing of Internet Celebrities

2.2.1. Social Media Technology

The upgrading of social media platforms has provided Internet celebrities with a broader space for development. Social platforms have user data analysis and algorithm recommendations, which can accurately locate target audience groups, allowing Internet celebrities to quickly increase their popularity on the Internet, which is more beneficial to Internet celebrities. Hong cooperates with more brands and indirectly enhances the exposure and popularity of the cooperative brands to achieve a win-win situation. Social media technology makes the interaction between Internet celebrities and fans more frequent. Fans not only pay attention to the dynamics of their favorite Internet celebrities, but also actively participate in Internet celebrities' activities and purchase their recommended products, which has brought considerable economic benefits and promoted The development of internet celebrity economy,

2.2.2. Consumer Behavior Changes

With the development of the Internet and social economy, the way consumers obtain information and their consumption concepts have undergone significant changes. Consumers pay more attention to the convenience of shopping, so they are increasingly inclined to shop online. Through social media platforms, in addition to online celebrities introducing products, consumers will also share purchases with each other, making online shopping more accurate and convenient.

2.2.3. Brand Marketing Needs

First of all, brands hope to use diversified marketing methods to showcase the characteristics of their products and promote them. The development of the Internet celebrity economy just meets this demand of brands. Internet celebrities can use different creative content and different platforms to showcase their products. Secondly, brand marketing focuses on the audience of the product. Brands can accurately locate the fan groups of Internet celebrities and select matching Internet celebrities to cooperate with them to achieve more efficient marketing.

3. Marketing Strategy Analysis of Internet Celebrity Economy

3.1. Internet Celebrity Selection and Management Strategies

Brands can clarify the audience group of their products and match the Internet celebrities with this group of fans through the target audience. By examining the Internet celebrities’ reputation, content creation ability and quality, and evaluating the number of fans and interaction rate, etc., the Internet celebrities that match the brand image can be selected for cooperation. To better establish a cooperative relationship with the Internet celebrity, it is necessary to clarify the purpose and expectations of cooperation, make corresponding cooperation plans, take the initiative to contact and establish contact, establish good communication between the two sides, negotiate the details and conditions of cooperation, sign a contract and implement the cooperation to establish a long-term partnership. The brand will also provide training and creative guidance to the Internet celebrities, so that they can fully understand the product and utilize its advantages. Subsequently, the brand monitors the marketing results, and when problems or unsatisfactory results are found, timely adjustments and changes are made to ensure that the marketing results meet expectations [7][8][9].

3.2. Successful Marketing Cases

Li Jiaqi, a Chinese beauty blogger,has attracted attention and accumulated a large number of fans and viewers by releasing short videos in the form of Vlogs through social platforms such as Douban and Taobao, and participating in variety shows. He then leveraged his influence and fan base to collaborate with numerous beauty brands for product promotion and branding. During the live broadcast, he tested the products and shared his experiences and insights on product promotion and branding. Furthermore, by identifying the target audience, he repeatedly utters his signature phrases during the live broadcast, including “Oh my god,” “Just buy it,” and “How beautiful.” He also invites numerous celebrities to participate in the live broadcast to promote their products, establishing a distinctive approach to product sales. This sales method captures the attention of viewers and effectively converts them into purchasers. According to data, the number of individuals who viewed the live broadcast on the night of the 2020 promotion reached 160 million, a new record for live broadcast sales. In 2021, on the first day of the promotion, Li Jiaqi’s final sales reached 10.653 billion yuan, with over 210 million individuals viewing the live broadcast, once again setting a new record for his personal sales. This type of marketing not only increases product awareness and sales, but also enhances fans' trust and goodwill towards the brand. [10][11][12].

In addition to the many Internet-famous bloggers who sell merchandise, there are also special “Internet celebrities” who recommend popular areas, food, attractions, and certain things online. For instance, the Binhai Library in Tianjin Binhai New Area is a public library. Its distinctive mountain-of-books shape has attracted considerable attention, with many individuals visiting the library as a result. This phenomenon was subsequently disseminated on social media, leading to a surge in interest and attracting the attention of the UK's Daily Mail, which dubbed it the “ultimate library.” The Sanlian Bookstore Seaside Public Library, situated in the city of Qinhuangdao, has been designated as the “largest library in the world.” The title “Lonely Library” was disseminated on social media, emphasizing words such as “lonely” and “seashore,” which promptly garnered considerable attention on the Internet, evoking the solitary sentiments of a considerable number of literary youths and exemplifying the efficacy of precise marketing. The Internet-famous libraries typically utilize social platforms to market and promote their venue design, sentiment, and other features. They rely on the strong fan effect of social platforms to convert attention into product recognition and generate economic benefits [13][14].

4. Challenges and Response Strategies

Firstly, with the development of business models, many Internet celebrities have lost their own characteristics in order to obtain benefits in a simpler way, blindly imitating others, and lacking innovation. These Internet celebrities have not developed their own characteristics, imitating or even plagiarizing other people’s works without any new ideas. Over time, they will also make fans feel bored and reduce their attention. Furthermore, the Internet is undergoing rapid development, with numerous channels for the dissemination and rapid dissemination of information. The quality of the content of the work plays a pivotal role in the influence of Internet celebrities. Therefore, if the Internet celebrity economy wants to achieve the goal of sustainable and healthy development, it must create a positive and healthy culture. Works convey correct values and leave a good impression on fans, which in turn drives economic development.

Secondly, the difficulty in monetizing traffic is a problem faced by the Internet celebrity economy. In order to solve this problem, Internet celebrities can try diversified monetization methods. For example, it is possible to cooperate with e-commerce platforms to monetize traffic and improve profitability through live streaming and product promotion [14].

Additionally, brand image risk is a further consideration in the context of the Internet celebrity economy. Products within this economy must not only attract the public's attention through their appearance but also ensure that the quality of the product meets the needs of consumers. Internet celebrity products must improve product performance in order to attract a large number of consumers. As long as the product has a certain performance, it will have more loyal fans and will also generate fan stickiness. This approach allows the life cycle of the Internet celebrity product to be effectively extended. In order to avoid brand image risks, Internet celebrities should carefully select cooperative brands and products to ensure that their image and values are consistent with the brand.

Finally, legal risks are also an issue that cannot be ignored in the Internet celebrity economy. Currently, the Internet celebrity economy is in a booming state, and some Internet celebrities have chosen to engage in behaviors that violate ethics or even the law to attract more people's attention. They make inappropriate remarks or perform excessive behaviors on major public platforms to achieve the effect of gaining traffic. Internet celebrities should strictly abide by relevant laws and regulations during the marketing process, such as advertising laws, consumer rights protection laws, etc [15]. At the same time, platform parties should also strengthen supervision to maintain the healthy development of the entire industry.

5. Conclusion

This paper mainly analyzes the current development status of Internet celebrity economy. In the process of Internet celebrity marketing, high-quality content and high interactivity have a positive and direct important impact on the cognitive attitude of consumers. The cooperation between web celebrities and brands should not be limited to short-term marketing activities, but should be through a deep understanding of each other's needs and goals, and jointly develop a long-term cooperation plan. In addition to traditional advertising endorsements and live sales, web celebrities can explore more innovative business models to improve economic efficiency and stability. In addition, brand image management and legal risk prevention are also aspects that cannot be ignored in the economic strategy of Internet celebrities. This paper does not cover much about the specific profit model of Internet celebrity economy, and will continue to focus on this aspect in future research.