With the advent of social influencers, social media marketing took on a whole new turn in recent years. Who are these influencers, and what exactly does it mean to become one? Today, this topic could be quite confusing because there are so many people who are throwing the term influencer around quite liberally. At times, people who claim to be influencers are kids with a few thousand followers online, but in other instances, they are actually tastemakers who can rake in tens of thousands of views with their simple posts on social media platforms such as Instagram and more.
An influencer is essentially a person with a significant following on the web. A musician, for example, can be an influencer, and so can a celebrity or a public figure who enjoys some notoriety. However, there are many people who became famous on the Internet just because they were an influencer. Anyone from upcoming models to lifestyle gurus and self-made bloggers who managed to build a strong following could be considered an influencer.
In some cases, influencers collaborate with brands, either for monetary compensation or for other rewards. In turn, they provide brands with some extra visibility. For example, an influencer could post a picture on their Instagram account, in which they might talk about a specific product that they are using, or even show it off on camera. Sometimes, influencers could even mention and tag brands directly, allowing them to expose their pages to huge amounts of new followers. In most cases, relationships between brands and influencers are quite public and readily disclosed by all parties involved for more transparency. However, there are some controversial cases in which influencers do not disclose whether they are directly affiliated with a brand or simply posting about them because they enjoy the products and services they provide. Some influencers, especially those who are still trying to further grow their following, might actually spontaneously feature a brand, trying to attract their interest and get their attention for further collaborations. Some influencers might even collaborate with brands for further content, such as creating interesting or fun videos featuring products and services, as well as doing reviews or explainer videos for specific products.
At times, brands have even chosen to use influencers as brand ambassadors, or featured them in official ads and branding media for their content. When it comes to influencer marketing, the possibilities are truly endless because basically, the rules of the game are still sort of in the making. This is an ever-evolving industry, with a lot of potential. Like any other form of marketing, influencer marketing can benefit from vision and creativity. As a brand, you should carefully consider who you associate your company with and ask what every possible influencer could give you. Could you benefit from the relationship? What’s in it for them? What’s in it for you? Influencer marketing could be the key to unlocking a gigantic following if you play your cards right!