Why An Influencer?
Social Media Influencer (noun)
A Social Media Influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.
Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic engaged people who pay close attention to their views.
It is important to note that these individuals are not simply marketing tools, but rather social relationship assets with which brands can collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives.
Other Names of Influencers:
- Social media Influencer
- Instagram Influencer
- Lifestyle Blogger
- Youtuber
Types of Influencers
The majority of influencers fit into the following categories, with the last category rapidly becoming the most important:
- Celebrities
- Industry experts and thought leaders
- Bloggers and content creators
- Micro Influencers
Celebrities
Influencer marketing grew out of celebrity endorsement. Businesses have found for many years that their sales usually rise when a celebrity promotes or endorses their product. There are still many cases of businesses, particularly high-end brands, using celebrities as influencers.
Industry Experts and Thought Leaders
Industry leaders and thought leaders gain respect because of their qualifications, position, or experience about their topic of expertise. Often, this respect is gained more because of the reputation of where they work.
Bloggers and Content Creators
Blogging has been connected to influencer marketing for some time now. There are many highly influential blogs on the internet. If a popular blogger positively mentions your product in a post, it can lead to the blogger’s supporters wanting to try out your product.
Bloggers and influencers in social media (predominantly micro-bloggers) have the most authentic and active relationships with their fans. Brands are now recognizing and encouraging this.
Micro Influencers
Micro influencers are normal everyday people who have become known for their knowledge about some specialist niche. As such, they have usually gained a sizable social media following among devotees of that niche. Of course, it is not just the number of followers that indicates a level of influence, it is the relationship and interaction that a micro influencer has with his or her followers.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
DISTINCT REPRESENTATION AND MESSAGE
WHAT MAKES A LUXURY BRAND LUXURY
CASE STUDY: INFLUENCER MARKETING
