What exactly is a social media influencer?

Mollie Haley-Earnshaw

8 years ago

Social media influencers are taking the digital world by storm

So firstly, what is a social media influencer? A social media influencer can be anybody on social media (particularly Instagram and YouTube) who has a large following and promotes brand products or services. In exchange for this brands will pay the influencer per post.

An influencer can be anyone who will have a large impact on a large number of people, and who has the ability to make their audience form a similar opinion to theirs. Whether you’re a celebrity, a sportsman or a blogger, if you have a large social media following you’re more than likely to be approached to partnership with a brand.

Brands will tend to choose influencers who match their brand values, so they’re reaching a more targeted audience. For example, a clothing brand may select a fashion blogger with a large following to promote their clothing line. However, the social media influencer can be picky too. Often if you have a large following, you yourself will have a ‘brand’ that you stand by and you wouldn’t want to partner with a company that could potentially reduce your credibility.

Trust

So many people are now taking on brand partnerships that social media users often wonder whether an influencer’s recommendation of a product is truly genuine, or whether the influencer takes on any old partnership because they are getting paid for it. It’s important for influencers to take on brand partnerships that will resonate with their followers, if they don’t, this could result in influencers being branded dishonest and could subsequently lose followers.

Influencer marketing is a money maker

Influencer marketing is a money maker for both the social media influencer and the brand paying the influencer. British YouTuber Zoella has a combined following over Youtube and Instagram of over 22 million people. I know right? Mind-blowing! With just over 22 million followers on the two platforms, it’s fair to say the social media sensation holds a strong influence on the people that follow her. Reports suggest that Zoella makes up to £12,000 per sponsored post. On top of this, her social media presence has enabled her to create a successful beauty range and publish numerous books.

What’s in it for the brand?

Imagine someone like Zoella, who has so many followers, posting about your clothing brand. This will increase brand awareness, drive a substantial amount of traffic to your website, and undoubtedly increase sales.

Top 10 social media influencers (based on following across Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter):