What is an influencer?
Who hasn’t scrolled through an Instagram or TikTok feed and stumbled upon a random person on an amazing vacation, eating a mouth-watering meal, or wearing a fabulous outfit and thought to themselves, “I wish that were me”? As social media has risen in popularity, internet celebrities and influencers in the marketing world have learned to use their influence and followers to promote products and lifestyles. Influencers are content creators who have the power to influence or alter the decisions of others. These trendsetters have become experts at producing effective “subliminal” ads reminding us that we “need” those shoes or we have yet to visit that vacation destination.
Finding your niche
The first step to becoming an influencer is to find your niche. My mother follows other mom influencers, I follow account that are more popular and targeted to teens, and my little brother is obsessed with the guys who do cool trick shots on YouTube. There are a multitude of niches on social media from health/beauty to fashion to travel to lifestyle/relationships. The cosmetic and fashion industry alone is worth more than five hundred billion dollars annually and frequently pays content creators to offer tutorials and testimonials. Companies often compensate travel influencers’ flights, cruises, and hotels in exchange for featuring them in their feed. Influencers are also eager to offer advice to anxious new parents in exchange for compensation and merchandise.
How is being an influencer a career?
Influencers have to be active and consistent. There are very few days off for content creators. The more popular accounts often post multiple times per day. Companies will pay to have these influencers on Instagram to do giveaways, OOTDs (outfit of the day), or short videos using the product. YouTubers will typically have unboxing videos or use the product somewhere in the video. Anytime you see a product in a video, the person is most likely being compensated for it.
Why is using an influencer a good marketing strategy?
People like to do what is popular or “trending”. If a TikTok star starts doing something new, chances are good that their fans will follow. Whether that is doing a TikTok dance or buying a pair of jeans that are “the most comfortable pants ever”. Consumers also trust a third party over the company that is producing the product. Social media users choose to follow accounts because they identify and trust the creators. When an influencer recommends a product, it often feels like a friend is recommending it.
Let’s be honest: we used to roll our eyes at influencers dancing on the beach and constantly filming videos in restaurants before we recognized their genius. These creators have a massive effect on modern society through social media platforms. Virtually all companies have begun to use influencers, making them major players in the marketing world.