Things To Know About Social Media Influencers

In recent times, Social media Influencers have become a big part of our day-to-day lives. Social Media influencers have impacted our lives in ways that we do not even realize. They affect us in a manner never imagined by us, sometimes consciously and sometimes without us realizing that our thoughts, behaviors, and actions are driven by them completely.

They are now the mainstream marketing tactic used by a lot of industries. It is very interesting to note how there is a change in the mindset of people just because someone who is either an authority in a particular domain or is a celebrity, has endorsed something. This article discusses all you would like to understand about them.

What Is The Meaning Of Social Media Influencer?

A social media influencer is a person who has a huge following and credibility in a specific field of expertise. They have a reach to a huge audience and can influence them to act in a particular manner. It is believed that the influencer has a huge amount of proficiency in his/her field and what is said and done by him is accepted most often as the gospel truth and followed through as the right thing to do. This kind of command over the audience can however have a positive impact as well as a negative impact on them.

In short, as the name suggests a social media influencer is a person who influences people to act in a certain way through various social platforms.

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What Do Social Media Influencers Do?

An influencer basically does everything it requires to influence the behavior of his followers. He forms an important part of the information network. He has built a reputation of knowledge and expertise in a specific field because of which they are followed blindly.

He makes regular posts on this specific topic of expertise on various social media channels. They also inform their followers of new products and give the latest information and developments in that specific field. Information that comes from individual influencers is usually trusted and acted upon. In a nutshell, he essentially builds trust and influences his audience to act in a specific way.

Social Media Influencers… A Boon Or A Curse

Around two decades ago, people spoke about peer pressure and how to deal with it, and how it influenced the way we think and behave. Now, along with peer pressure, which influences our actions, we have another influencer i.e., Social media influencer. They do not necessarily have a negative impact. It is like a double-edged sword. They can have both a negative as well as a positive impact on the way we think, behave, and act.

Positive Impact

• Building Trust becomes very easy as people are convinced that the influencer is an authority in the respective field. Sometimes people get influenced just because they adore that particular personality.
• By using influencers, it becomes easier to reach the target audience and create brand awareness.
• It builds beneficial partnerships.
• They are a good way to generate product excitement and engagement and increase sales.
• They also have the capability to generate leads to more potential clients.
• Socially also they can play an important role by promoting good causes like organ donation, blood drives, etc., and send strong messages on social awareness.

Negative Impact

• Influencers may inspire minors to behave anti-socially or to do things that may not be very good for health like for example smoking, drinking, or even criminal behavior. Their endorsement or messages may also affect the psychological well-being of people.

• Influencers can surely make a business succeed on social platforms. Their content has the power to help brands add to sales, increase credibility, loyalty, and sales. However, they may make a company look irresponsible and, in fact, cause harm.

• Also, too much exposure to idealized images may be far from reality, especially those posted by influencers on Instagram. It may create negative social comparisons that make people feel bad about themselves.

• There is a very thin line between something being credible or worthy and getting persuaded into something just because somebody whom you idealize says it. This idealization translates into persuasiveness and convinces people to sometimes think and behave in unwarranted ways.

• For people who are weak emotionally or lack the ability to logically reason out outcomes of their actions before they even plunge into it, Social media influencers may be more detrimental than beneficial. They may get completely carried away by the influencers and stop using their brains to evaluate how applicable a particular appeal may be to them.

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Some Non-negotiables For Social Media Influencers

Being a social media influencer has become a very lucrative source of income in recent times. However, it is a process that takes time and effort to get the required results. It does not happen overnight. Here are some of the steps you can keep in mind when you want to become an Influencer:-

1. The first step to developing a career as a social media influencer is to select your niche. 
2.  Once you have selected your niche, the next step is to create your profile on a social website which can be Instagram or Twitter, or any other like. You should switch to a business account so that you have a lot more options available.
3.  Next, you should do the relevant research and start posting relevant, high-quality posts, videos, stories. You need to select a niche that you are interested in, have expertise in, are passionate about, and enjoy doing.
4.  The first impression is the last impression. Your Bio is that the very first thing someone sees once they visit your profile. Make sure that it has all the relevant information and is interesting enough for someone to get hooked on to. Adding a profile pic to your profile is always beneficial.
5. For being a successful influencer you need to understand the audience you are targeting and establish strong connections with them. You can first start by analyzing your current follower base to get some insights.
6. Connecting with your followers is the next important thing you need to keep in mind. You should develop a personal rapport with each of your followers by communicating with them. Do not ignore their likes and comments. Reply to each of the comments and reply to the questions. You can also ask them a question to start a conversation and engage with your followers continuously. 

How Much Do Social Media Influencers Make? 

There is no specific rate chart for payments made to Social Media Influencers. Their charges vary and depend on several factors such as: –

Which social platform is being used: – 

The platform which is used will determine the cost greatly. The cost of the influencer varies depending on the platform chosen. It also depends on the number of channels to be used. There is a separate market rate for each social media platform. The more the platforms are used the more the money the influencer earns. 

Whether it is an everyday user or a celebrity: –

Celebrities command a higher price than everyday users because of their following and the immense influence they have on their audience. 

The followers the influencer has: –

The influencers reach or the potential reach has to be evaluated before deciding a rate to be paid to the influencer. The Influencer’s job is to reach out to, connect, and engage with and ultimately persuade the target audience to use a particular product or service. Hence the more followers, the more are the charges. 

Engagement with the audience: –

The other way to determine the price to be paid to an influencer is the engagement he has with his audience. More the engagement, more price is commanded. Here it is important to beware of fake engagements. 

Content created by them: –

The content created by the influencers has a major impact on the value they command. The content should be genuine, interesting, convincing, and eye-catching. It should be able to win the confidence of its followers and influence them. 

This is a list of some of the highest-paid Social Media Influencers:- 

• Christiano Ronaldo.
• Ariana Grande
• Kylie Jenner
• Selena Gomez
• Kim Kardashian.
• Leo Messi.

Top Social Media Influencers 

There is an array of influencers who influence the behavior and buying habits of their followers. They also give social messages through various platforms. It’s very difficult to pick and choose out of the huge list present there, but a few are mentioned below:-

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese soccer player and is supposed to be the best professional footballer in the world. He currently plays for the Italian football club and is the captain of Portugal’s national soccer team. Over and above his athletic ability, he is very handsome and looks almost like a super-model. 

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber is one of the most influential people in the world when it comes to social media. He is a Canadian pop singer and actor. He started on YouTube in 2008 and now has a powerful presence on this social media platform as well as on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. In addition to his music and acting career, Bieber now enjoys married life with an American model and television personality, Hailey Baldwin Bieber.

Taylor Swift

She is a country singer and songwriter who has now turned into a pop queen. Taylor Swift has the reputation of “girl next door” which is very popular, a created a huge social media following. To keep her followers more engaged, she has been following practices like interacting directly with fans and temporarily wiping her social media accounts. This has greatly helped in keeping her followers more loyal than ever. As evidence of this, just 48 hours after Swift urged fans to vote via Instagram voter registrations spiked tremendously. 

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande is one of the most well-known pop singers in the world. She has numerous hit singles, albums, music nominations, and awards to her credit. Grande has established her fan base due to her celebrity status and her ability to connect with followers through personal posts.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomes is a popular actress and singer. She is so influential on social media that she made the cover of TIME Magazine. She is said to be the first to reach 100 million Instagram followers. There was a terrorist attack at her Manchester concert in 2017, after which she apologized to her fans. This apology became one of the most retweeted statements on Twitter, and she often uses her social media platforms to promote charitable causes. 

Katy Perry

Katy Perry is a famous American singer and songwriter. She also is now a television judge for the show American Idol. She has a huge following on social media. 

Kim Kardashian West

Kim Kardashian West started as a member of Paris Hilton’s entourage in the reality TV series, “A Simple Life.” Kim Kardashian West went on to create her own fame starring in her family’s reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Kardashian West is now a businesswoman, model, social media mogul, and the wife of rapper, Kanye West.

Beyonce

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is one of the rare stars known only by their given name. She is an award-winning singer, songwriter, music producer, and actress. She has a massive fan base across several social media platforms with music videos, fashionable photos, and personal news like the birth announcements of her children.

Felix Kjellberg

Popularly known as PewDiePie in the social media world, Felix Kjellberg is a Swedish social media influencer who specializes in gaming and videos. With YouTube subscribers of over 100 million, he is the most popular YouTuber in the world and he enjoys a massive following across other social media sites as well.

Kylie Jenner

Half-sister of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner also got her start starring in her family’s reality TV show. Nowadays she keeps busy running her company. Kylie Cosmetic brings in huge sums from sponsored social media posts, making her one of the richest young women in the world.

Huda Kattan

Huda Kattan is a makeup artist born in Oklahoma. She is one of the most influential beauty experts in the world with wide-ranging social media outreach. She started as a blogger. She puts up makeup tutorials on her Instagram page for her followers. Her success can be attributed to her showing off successful makeup applications, establishing makeup trends, sharing reviews, and creating how-to’s. Huda now has her own makeup line and she showcases them with videos showcasing people applying their makeup, product plugs, occasional fashion advice, and more.

Cameron Dallas

Cameron Alexander Dallas is an American actor and famous internet personality. Dallas has appeared in films such as Expelled and The Outfield. Cameron Dallas is more popular on Vine and YouTube than he is on Instagram. The fame he earned over the internet got him a show on Netflix called Chasing Cameron. His posts have a personal touch to them, because of which his followers connect with him easily.

Kayla Itsines

Kayla Itsines is an Australian personal trainer as well as an entrepreneur. Itsines posts several workout videos, inspirational messages, and diet recommendations on her page. Time magazine has named her as one of the Top 30 Most Influential People on the Internet, Itsines creates posts that feature her Bikini Body Guides (BBG), showing herself or other women on the program.

Cooking with Mima

Marian Ezzedine’s page is a comprehensive source for easy-to-make recipes, where she lays particular emphasis on healthier food options. Each dish is presented in an aesthetically-pleasing way to satisfy all tastes and preferences. Her page is well-organized, tempting, and also features recommendations and travel videos for variety. The pages have a lot of variety to keep their visitors interested. The page maintains its quantity and quality of posts to appeal to a wide range of people, like foodies, who have diverse interests.

Zach King

Zach King is an internet personality and filmmaker. His posts comprise random videos, comedic videos, and other fun visuals. Everything he posts is intended to make you laugh or smile and make life’s stresses easier to contend with. Zach King is dominating the casual content game. People love to see light-hearted and relaxing content in their feeds. 

So try sharing the occasional quote that relates to your business but will make your followers smile and maybe even send it to their friends.

And the list goes on……

Popular Platforms Used By Social Media Influencers

There has been an explosion in Influencer marketing over the past few years. The influencer marketing platform is a software solution that is designed to assist brands, organizations or even Governments with their Influencer Marketing Campaigns or to spread a social message. Some agencies also provide equivalent services like platforms and some platforms provide what would normally be considered agency services.

The success of any marketing drive essentially depends on a combination of choosing the correct Social Media Influencer as well as the platform that was chosen to address the target audience. Hence businesses must understand the advantages of different platforms and choose to focus on the ones that are best for them.

Some of the Platforms used are:-

• Instagram

Instagram is an image-based social media platform. Over the years it has become a magic wand in the field of digital marketing. The most important advantage of Instagram influencer marketing is that its users react more positively to content than on almost the other social media site. Instagram is regarded as a top platform, particularly with millennials.

• Facebook

Facebook is the most blatant platform for influencer marketing. Facebook influencers have the capacity to reach larger audiences that are more targeted and focused. Facebook also encourages viewers to love and share posts, which successively creates visibility beyond the first influencer’s audience.

• Twitter

Twitter is another appreciable option for promoting a business, brand, event, social cause, etc with influencer marketing. Because of its format of concise posts, Twitter is additionally among the foremost cost-effective influencer marketing options.

• YouTube

YouTube may be a marketplace for influencers and therefore the brands that use them to realize exposure. Since it allows videos, influencers can convey much more information about their brand or product than any social media post could possibly contain. Besides, YouTube videos can remain relevant and accessible for months or even years after they are published. This means that influencer campaigns will have an extended impact than other social media campaigns, which are generally short-lived.

Some other commonly used platforms are:-

• Grin
• Upfluence
• Influsoft
• Tagger etc.

Fields Where Social Media Influencers Are Used

Influencer Marketing is now commonly being used and is a very successful way of marketing your brand. Influencers are also used to spread a message for a social cause. Eg:- Celebrities are being used to spread the message of wearing a mask and washing and sanitizing your hands regularly during this Covid-19 Pandemic. It is a very good example of leading by example.

A lot of brands like Adidas, Google, Microsoft, Marriot, British Airways, etc have used Influencers successfully to boost sales. Be it from Beauty to Skincare, Apparels to Footwear, and dance to music, you name it and there is a success story in every field of influencers calling the shots.

These Influencers combine their brand awareness with a personal touch and consistently post information to draw users’ attention. To become a successful Influencer, you need to be well-rounded on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and such other platforms. Also, learning from other influencers on social media, especially those who are leading it can be of great help.

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The Relevance Of Social Media Influencers and Social media Marketing In Absolute Terms

Often there are debates on how Social Media Influencers change the way we think, behave, and act, and if our decisions based on them are advantageous or detrimental. Well, in my opinion, it’s a double-edged sword. The influencers are authorities in their fields and have a great amount of proficiency in their respective fields. They have also conducted tremendous research in their respective domains before they make a statement. However, how that applies to us and our situation and how much of it is meant for us is our prudence and judgment. If applied correctly is surely a great help and beneficial and vice versa.