What is an influencer?
We are constantly influenced by others when making decisions; whether they are day-to-day things, or life-changing matters. Then, it´s no surprise that this can easily translate to our online life, where there are more than 4 billion social media users around the globe.
Of these 4 billion users, some are known to be “influencers”, but what does that even mean? The Influencer Marketing Hub defined an influencer as someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of other people due to their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience; an influencer also has a following in a distinct niche, the size of which may vary depending on the topic.
What does an influencer do?
An influencer will hardly ever begin as such. Normally, they start their social media presence by making regular posts about a specific topic in their preferred channels, and building a reputation over time with their knowledge and expertise. Influencers commonly have a personality that is appealing to a certain audience. (https://tabsnation.com/)
As they build this reputation, their audience grows and becomes committed to the content creator. It may seem that an influencer with a larger number of followers will have the biggest amount of influence over their audience, but often this is not true. Sometimes, micro or even nano-influencers can have an enormous impact on their followers because of their specific niche.
Because of these factors, there are many things influencers can focus on, simply because there are a billion interests and activities out there. But, what makes an influencer an influencer is the ability to impact their audience and get a message across. Which leads us to the marketing part of it all.
Businesses that want to reach a specific audience will often collaborate with an online influencer to market one of its products or services. This is a good strategy for a lot of brands because influencers already have an audience that is willing to listen. Yet, it’s important that brands allow the influencer to control the narrative (always within certain limits) so that the authenticity of the message is not altered.
Platforms used by influencers
As we mentioned before, the influencers choose the platform they feel more comfortable in or the one that gets them the most engagement. However, here are the top social media channels where influencers are present.
- Instagram: This is a free, online photo-sharing app and social network platform that seems one of the most personal, because it allows interaction with the audience in different formats, from stories to live video, to Reels, and more. With Instagram, you also have access to analytics tools, ideal for Influencers. And as a visual social channel, this social network is perfect when it comes to showcasing different products or services that would allow collaboration with a visually appealing brand
- TikTok: This is a short video-sharing app that allows users to create, edit and share 60-second videos on any topic, which is particularly appealing to a younger audience. TikTok has editing features that allow anyone to achieve impressive-looking short videos, which is great for influencers and brands looking to collaborate with content creators. The hashtag usage can draw consumer attention and allow followers to contribute with user-generated content.
- YouTube: As a free video-sharing website, YouTube makes it easy to watch and upload online videos. This is the platform that requires the most amount of effort to become an influencer, due to its nature: people need to make a video in its preferred format (using animation, presentation, recording of themselves and others, and more) and then edit it to finally be uploaded to the platform. Live video is also an option as well, but not the most popular one. Long video format is great when it comes to giving reviews, opinions, tutorials, and entertainment content in general. So collaboration between content creators and brands can be made in different ways.
- Blogs: a blog is an informational website or online journal, where a writer or writers share information, opinions, or views on a specific subject. Blog influencers are typically industry or lifestyle experts, embracing a particular niche. A brand can look to humanize itself through collaboration with this kind of influencer, because they normally have the ability to tell stories. Being an expert in a specific field also gives them credibility.
- Twitch: This is a live streaming service that gained popularity through live video game streaming. Lately, it’s expanded to include music broadcasts, creative content and “in real life” streams, meaning that people can go live and do everyday things. This platform has grown significantly, especially since 2020, when people were looking for human interaction, or someone to spend their time with in a more interactive way. Influencers on Twitch also have a specific niche and are great when it comes to authenticity.
How do influencers make money?
According to Tapinfluence and Altimeter, 69.4% of influencers chose to be an influencer to generate income. Here are some ways influencers make money:
- Affiliate marketing: influencers place special links or coupon codes into their posts, so when people click on them, the influencer gets a small fee.
- Sponsored Posts: this refers to any type of content creation on a commissioned basis.
- Display Advertising: allowing ads around your content without it necessarily being picked by the influencer or being part of the content itself, whether it’s in a podcast, a YouTube video, or a blog.
- Digital Courses, Subscriptions: most influencers are experts in a specific topic. That´s why selling digital products is a great way to make money.
- Promotion of their own products: a lot of influencers have their own products or services. Promoting them on their social networks, is helpful for their businesses.
- Co-Creation of products: this is a type of collaboration where the influencer co-creates product lines with an existing brand. This is very common in the beauty and make-up community.
Of course, there are other ways that influencers make money. It all depends on the strategy of each influencer, the platforms they use, and the type of content they create.
When it comes to digital marketing, there´s a whole world of strategies and tactics to try and implement in your business. At Miss Ink, we can identify the best way to improve your social media presence through individualized content creation and marketing strategies. Give us a call today at (305) 537-6465 to set up a consultation.
