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An influencer [6] [7] [8] (also known as a social media influencer [9] [10] [11] or online influencer [12] [13] [14] ) is an individual who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content like photos, videos, and updates, using direct audience interaction to establish authenticity, expertise, and appeal, and standing apart from traditional celebrities by growing their platform through social media rather than pre-existing fame. [15] [16] The modern referent of the term is commonly a paid role in which a business entity pays for the social media influence-for-hire activity to promote its products and services, known as influencer marketing. [17] Types of influencers include fashion influencer, travel influencer and virtual influencer, and involve content creators [18] [19] [20] and streamers. [21] [22] [23]
Some influencers are associated with specific social media apps such as TikTok influencers, [24] Instagram influencer, [25] [26] or Pinterest influencer, and many are also considered internet celebrities. As of 2023 [update] , Instagram is the social media platform on which businesses spend the most advertising dollars towards marketing with influencers. [27] However, influencers can exert their influence on any type of social media network. Thus, Instagram's leadership in the influencer marketing space has been under assault by platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat and Roblox. [28] [29] [30]
Influencers may be celebrities of any type with large social media followings, including people who are mainly internet celebrities.
There is a lack of consensus about what an influencer is. One writer defines them as "a range of third parties who exercise influence over the organization and its potential customers." [31] Another defines an influencer as a "third party who significantly shapes the customer's purchasing decision but may never be accountable for it." [32] According to another, influencers are "well-connected, create an impact, have active minds, and are trendsetters". [33] And just because an individual has many followers does not necessarily mean they have much influence over those individuals, only that they have many followers. [34] [35] A 1% increase in influencer marketing spending can lead to a 0.5% increase in audience engagement. [36]
Market-research techniques can be used to identify influencers, using predefined criteria to determine the extent and type of influence. [33] "Activists" get involved with organizations such as their communities, political movements, and charities. "Connected influencers" have large social networks. "Authoritative influencers" are trusted by others. "Active minds" have a diverse range of interests. "Trendsetters" are the early adopters (or leavers) of markets. According to Malcolm Gladwell, "The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts". [37] He has identified types of influencers who are responsible for the "generation, communication and adoption" of messages; connectors network with a variety of people, have a wide reach, and are essential to word-of-mouth communication; [38] mavens use information, share it with others, and are insightful about trends. [39] [38]
The origins of online influencing can be traced back to the emergence of digital blogs and platforms in the early 2000s. Nevertheless, recent studies demonstrate that Instagram, an application with more than one billion users, harbors the majority of the influencer demographic. [40] These individuals are sometimes referred to as "Instagrammers" or "Instafamous." A crucial aspect of influencing lies in their association with sponsors. The 2015 debut of Vamp, a company that links influencers with sponsorships, transformed the landscape of influencing. [41] [42]
There is much debate about whether social media influencers can be considered celebrities, as their path to fame is often less traditional and arguably easier. Melody Nouri [43] addresses the differences between the two types in her article "The Power of Influence: Traditional Celebrities vs Social Media Influencer". [44] Nouri asserts that social media platforms have a greater negative impact on young, impressionable audiences compared to traditional media like magazines, billboards, advertisements, and tabloids featuring celebrities. Online it is thought to be simpler to manipulate an image and lifestyle in such a way that viewers are more susceptible to believing it. [43] [44]
The early 2000s showed corporate endeavors to leverage the internet for influence, with some companies participating in forums for promotions or providing bloggers with complimentary products in return for favorable reviews. A few of these practices were viewed as unethical for taking advantage of the labor of young individuals without providing remuneration. [45] In 2024, The Blogstar Network was established by Ted Murphy of MindComet. Bloggers were encouraged to join an email list and receive remunerated offers from corporations in exchange for creating specific posts. For instance, bloggers were compensated for writing reviews of fast-food meals on their blogs. Blogstar is widely regarded as the first influencer marketing network. [45]
Murphy succeeded Blogstar with PayPerPost, which was introduced in 2006. This platform compensated significant posters on prominent forums and social media platforms for every post made about a corporate product. Payment rates were determined by the influencer's status. [45] Though very popular, PayPerPost, received a great deal of criticism as these influencers were not required to disclose their involvement with PayPerPost as traditional journalism would have. [46] With the success of PayPerPost, the public became aware that there was a drive for corporate interests to influence what some people were posting to these sites. [45] The platform also incentivized other firms to establish comparable programs. [47]
Despite concerns, marketing networks with influencers continued to grow throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s. The influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth up to $15 billion by 2022,[ needs update ] up from as much as $8 billion in 2019, according to estimates from Business Insider Intelligence, which are based on Mediakix data. [47] Evan Asano, the Former CEO and founder of the agency Mediakix, previously spoke with Business Insider and said he believed influencer marketing on Instagram would continue to grow despite likes being hidden. [48]
By the 2010s, the term "influencer" described digital content creators with a large following, distinctive brand persona, and a patterned relationship with commercial sponsors. [49] Consumers often mistakenly view celebrities as reliable, leading to trust and confidence in the products being promoted. [50]
A 2001 study from Rutgers University discovered that individuals were using "internet forums as influential sources of consumer information." The study proposes that consumers preferred internet forums and social media when making purchasing decisions over conventional advertising and print sources. An influencer's personality strongly impacts their audience's purchasing decision, with those who engage with their audience being more persuasive in encouraging product purchases. Companies today place great importance on feedback and comments received through social media platforms as consumers trust other consumers. Reviews are often relied on to persuade consumers to make a purchase, highlighting the impact of a negative review on a business's revenue. [51]
A typical method of marketing between the influencer and the audience is "B2C marketing". B2C marketing, meaning Business to Consumer marketing, entails the strategies which a business would undertake to promote themselves and their services directly to their target audiences. This is typically through advertising and creating content through the influencer themselves. The intention is that their followers, who relate or look up to certain influencers, will be more inclined to purchase an item because their favorite "Internet celebrity" recommended it. [52] Social media influencers typically promote a lifestyle of beauty and luxury fashion and foster consumer–brand relationships, while selling their own lines of merchandise. [53]
David Rowles explains the methods online influencers employ to increase their audience and brand visibility. Digital branding encompasses all online experiences and necessitates value provision." [54]
Self-branding, also known as personal branding, describes the development of a public image for commercial gain or social or cultural capital. [55] The rise of social media has been exploited by individuals seeking personal fame and product sales. Platforms such as Instagram, Twitch, Snapchat, VSCO, YouTube, and TikTok, are the most common social media outlets on which online influencers attempt to build a following. Fame can be attained through different avenues and media forms, including art, humor, modeling, and podcasts. Marketing experts have concluded that anyone can build websites easily without any technical knowledge or complex coding languages. They can upload text, pictures, and videos instantly from personal computers or phones. With technological barriers diminishing, the web has become the ideal platform for personal branding. [56]
Following the National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2021, pre-college and college athletes became eligible for student athlete compensation for use of their personality rights without loss of athletic eligibility and education-related benefits, which broadened the influencer landscape to people who might not yet be celebrities. [57] Subsequently, it became common for amateur athletes to use the name, image and likeness of their personal brand as influencers for hire outside of the field of play. [58] [59] [60] [61] [62]
In 2023 in the United States, 27 million people were paid content creators. [63] [64] Of those, [63] 12 million did content creation as their full-time profession. [64] 8 million did it as part-time work, and 7 million did it as a hobby. [64] Influencers can make money in various ways, but most of them earn money from endorsements or sponsorships. Social media influencers can use their fame to promote products or experiences to their followers, as a method of providing credibility to products. [65]
Influencers can also expand their source of revenue by creating their own products or merchandise to sell. [66] By doing this, and by using their platform to promote their products to an established audience, influencers can earn money by developing their own reputable brands. Bloggers can feature sponsored posts in social media to make profits. [67] For instance, fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni started as an online blogger, and then gained millions of followers on Instagram. She later created her brand, the Chiara Ferragni Collection. Like many other Instagram celebrities, Ferragni started by charging money per post for promoting brands. She earns revenue from promotional Instagram posts and the sale of her own products. [68]
In 2020, a report by venture-capital firm SignalFire stated that the economy spawned by internet creators was the "fastest-growing type of small business". [69]
Despite the recent emergence of influencer culture, influencer marketing and advertising it is left highly unregulated by existing legislation. This became a prevalent concern when users on social media platforms were finding it difficult to distinguish any differences between advertisements and sponsorships with personal posts. This was evident with the mismanagement of Fyre Festival, where numerous Instagram influencers were sanctioned for their lack of transparency. [77] This led to a massive backlash from the public, who felt the promotion of the event deliberately misled and confused target audiences. As a result, numerous advertising bodies sought to introduce strict regulations and guidelines around influencer marketing. This includes the AANA (Australian Associations of National Advertisers), who states that influencer advertising must be "clearly distinguishable". [78]
In August 2024, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to ban marketers from using fake user reviews created by generative artificial intelligence chatbots (such as ChatGPT) and influencers paying for bots to increase follower counts. [79]
Most influencers are paid before the start of a marketing campaign, and others are paid after it ends. [80] Consensus exists about how much an influencer should be paid. Compensation may vary by how many people an influencer can reach, the extent to which they will endorse the product (a deliverable), and the success of their past endorsements have performed. [81] [82]
Top-tier influencers and celebrities may receive a six- or seven-figure fee for a single social-media post. [83] In addition to (or in lieu of) a fee, payment may include free products or services. [82] [84] While top-tier influencers generate attention, only 4% of all influencers make more than $100,000 a year. [85] For influencers with smaller followings, free products or services may be the only form of compensation. [86] Advertisers are increasingly inclined to see influencers with a small but dedicated follower base as a more efficient use of marketing dollars. [85]
Forrester Research analyst Michael Speyer notes that for small and medium-sized businesses, "IT sales are influenced by several parties, including peers, consultants, bloggers, and technology resellers." [87] According to Speyer, "Vendors need to identify and characterize influencers inside their market. This requires a comprehensive influencer identification program and the establishment of criteria for ranking influencer impact on the decision process." [88]
Follower Count | Percent of total US Marketing Spend in 2024 |
---|---|
>100,000 | 30% |
20,000-100,000 | 25% |
< 20,000 | 45% |
Influencers are categorized by the number of followers they have on social media. They include celebrity endorsements from those with large followings, to niche content creators with a loyal following on social-media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. [89] [90] Their followers range in number from hundreds of millions to 1,000. [86]
Businesses pursue people who aim to lessen their consumption of advertisements, and are willing to pay their influencers more. Targeting influencers is seen as increasing marketing's reach, counteracting a growing tendency by prospective customers to ignore marketing. [33] [95]
Marketing researchers Kapitan and Silvera find that influencer selection extends into product personality. This product and benefit matching is key. For a shampoo, it should use an influencer with good hair. Likewise, a flashy product may use bold colors to convey its brand. If an influencer is not flashy, they will clash with the brand. Matching an influencer with the product's purpose and mood is important. [96]
Viral marketing is a business strategy that uses existing social networks to promote a product mainly on various social media platforms. Its name refers to how consumers spread information about a product with other people, much in the same way that a virus spreads from one person to another. It can be delivered by word of mouth, or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet and mobile networks.
Celebrity branding or celebrity endorsement is a form of advertising campaign or marketing strategy which uses a celebrity's fame or social status to promote a product, brand or service, or to raise awareness about an issue. Marketers use celebrity endorsers in hopes that the positive image of the celebrity endorser will be passed on to the product's or brand's image. Non-profit organizations also use celebrities since a celebrity's frequent mass media coverage reaches a wider audience, thus making celebrities an effective ingredient in fundraising.
Social media optimization (SMO) is the use of online platforms to generate income or publicity to increase the awareness of a brand, event, product or service. Types of social media involved include RSS feeds, blogging sites, social bookmarking sites, social news websites, video sharing websites such as YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (Twitter). SMO is similar to search engine optimization (SEO) in that the goal is to drive web traffic, and draw attention to a company or creator. SMO's focal point is on gaining organic links to social media content. In contrast, SEO's core is about reaching the top of the search engine hierarchy. In general, social media optimization refers to optimizing a website and its content to encourage more users to use and share links to the website across social media and networking sites.
Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, people and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Influencers are someone with the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others by uploading some form of original—often sponsored—content to social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok or other online channels. Influencer marketing is when a brand enrolls influencers who have an established credibility and audience on social media platforms to discuss or mention the brand in a social media post. Influencer content may be framed as testimonial advertising, according to the Federal Trade Commission in the United States. The FTC started enforcing this on a large scale in 2016, sending letters to several companies and influencers who had failed to disclosed sponsored content. Many Instagram influencers started using #ad in response and feared that this would affect their income. However, fans increased their engagement after disclosure, being happy that they were landing such deals. This success led to some creators creating their own product lines in 2017. Some influencers fake sponsored content to grain credibility and promote themselves. Backlash to sponsored content became more prominent in mid-2018, leading to many influencers to focus instead on authenticity.
Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online-based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services.
Social network advertising, also known as social media targeting, is a group of terms used to describe forms of online advertising and digital marketing that focus on social networking services. A significant aspect of this type of advertising is that advertisers can take advantage of users' demographic information, psychographics, and other data points to target their ads.
An Internet celebrity, also referred to as an Internet personality, is an individual who has acquired or developed their fame and notability on the Internet. The growing popularity of social media provides a means for people to reach a large, global audience, and internet celebrities are commonly present on large online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, which primarily rely on user-generated content. Some Internet celebrities are known as social media influencers, or simply influencers, due to their social influence online.
Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. Although the terms e-marketing and digital marketing are still dominant in academia, social media marketing is becoming more popular for both practitioners and researchers.
Social media in the fashion industry refers to the use of social media platforms by fashion designers and users to promote and participate in trends. Over the past several decades, the development of social media has increased along with its usage by consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic was a sharp turn of reliance on the virtual sphere for the industry and consumers alike. Social media has created new channels of advertising for fashion houses to reach their target markets. Since its surge in 2009, luxury fashion brands have used social media to build interactions between the brand and its customers to increase awareness and engagement. The emergence of influencers on social media has created a new way of advertising and maintaining customer relationships in the fashion industry. Numerous social media platforms are used to promote fashion trends, with Instagram and TikTok being the most popular among Generation Y and Z. The overall impact of social media in the fashion industry included the creation of online communities, direct communication between industry leaders and consumers, and criticized ideals that are promoted by the industry through social media.
Mary-Belle Kirschner, better known as Belle Delphine, is a South African-born British media personality, pornographic actress, model, and YouTuber. Her social media accounts feature erotic and cosplay modelling, sometimes blending the two. Her online persona began in 2018 through her cosplay modeling on Instagram. Her posts on the platform were often influenced by popular memes and trends.
YouTube BrandConnect is an interactive entertainment company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
A fashion influencer is a personality that has a large number of followers on social media, creates mainly fashion content and has the power to influence the opinion and purchase behavior of others with their recommendations. Brands endorse them to attend fashion shows, parties, designer dinners and exclusive trips and to wear their clothes on social media. If a salary has been involved, the influencer may be required to label such posts as paid or sponsored content. Before social media "they would have been called 'It girls'".
Xiaohongshu is a social networking and e-commerce platform. In the Xiaohongshu community, information is presented in a photo wall-style layout, while combining video and live streaming features, and users can also share product reviews and text descriptions of travel destinations.
TikTok, whose mainland Chinese and Hong Kong counterpart is Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration from three seconds to 60 minutes. It can be accessed with a smart phone app or the web.
Social media was used extensively in the 2020 United States presidential election. Both incumbent president Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden's campaigns employed digital-first advertising strategies, prioritizing digital advertising over print advertising in the wake of the pandemic. Trump had previously utilized his Twitter account to reach his voters and make announcements, both during and after the 2016 election. The Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden also made use of social media networks to express his views and opinions on important events such as the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the protests following the murder of George Floyd, and the controversial appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Livestream shopping is used by brands to promote and sell products through livestreams on digital platforms, often in collaboration with influencers.
Pearpop is an American social media collaboration platform headquartered in Los Angeles. The company was co-founded by former creator Cole Mason and talent manager Guy Oseary in October 2020. The platform enables brands to discover and activate social media creators for social media campaigns, instantly and at scale. A recognized market leader, Pearpop was named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies List and named "Influencer Marketing Platform of the Year" by Digiday in 2022.
The creator economy or also known as creator marketing and influencer economy, is a software-driven economy that is built around creators who produce and distribute content, products, or services directly to their audience, leveraging social media platforms and AI tools. These creators - who may include social media influencers, YouTubers, bloggers, artists, podcasters, and even independent professionals - generate revenue from their creations through a variety of monetization strategies, including advertising, sponsorships, product sales, crowdfunding, and subscription-based services. According to Goldman Sachs Research, the ongoing growth of the creator economy will likely benefit companies that possess a combination of factors, including a large global user base, access to substantial capital, robust AI-powered recommendation engines, versatile monetization tools, comprehensive data analytics, and integrated e-commerce options. Examples of creator economy software platforms include YouTube, TikTok, WFCN, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Spotify, Substack, OnlyFans and Patreon.
The online video platform TikTok has had worldwide a social, political, and cultural impact since its global launch in September 2016. The platform has rapidly grown its userbase since its launch and surpassed 2 billion downloads in October, 2020. It became the world's most popular website, ahead of Google, for the year 2021. TikTok's diverse content ecosystem includes popular niches such as music, fitness, beauty, education, and gaming, which cater to a wide range of audiences.
Between 2020 and 2024 social media use has increased, with user engagement becoming normal for a variety of social media users. Platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are well-known forms of social media that provide platforms for users, and allow them to gain followers. Through this flow of followers, "influencers" are then able to promote products and services to their audiences. For general background, influencers make a name for themselves on social media through the content that they create and put out there. From their content, they begin to gather a following from social media users who tend to feel more connected to them through their mutual interests.