{"id":121825,"date":"2022-04-04T05:11:42","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T12:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.picsart.tools\/?p=121825"},"modified":"2023-06-30T01:45:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T08:45:43","slug":"social-media-influencers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/social-media-influencers\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Influencers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wherever you go on social media, you likely see an ad. Some of them are very obvious, like a banner ad or video in the middle of a blog post. But, others are more subliminal, like a sponsored post that feels native to the platform. That\u2019s where social media influencers come into the picture with organic messaging that we may not immediately recognize as marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Influencers on <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> and other social media platforms sometimes promote products and services to their audience through paid ad campaigns. This is called influencer marketing. An influencer\u2019s reach is an asset to brands, so through influencer campaigns, brands partner with individuals with large, loyal fan followings to promote products in line with their lifestyle and values.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about social media influencers and content creators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Social Media Influencer?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Simply put, a social media influencer is a subject matter expert. They have sway over your target audience and are able to affect purchasing decisions due to a highly engaged relationship they have with their fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are all types of influencers, by they generally are categorized by the niche that they cover and their fan size. Many of us are familiar with the most famous ones who\u2019ve grown so big that they\u2019re now part of the cultural zeitgeist. These celebrity influencers have managed to make a music, acting, or fashion career out of an important internet presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Do Social Media Influencers Do?<\/span><\/h2>\n

In short: they influence. Many influencers determine what items we buy, and others move us towards certain causes and trends. There\u2019s a reason \u201cTikTok made me buy it<\/a>\u201d is a popular phrase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Influencers help brands and organizations connect with a target audience. Regardless of their size, these content creators influence trends and society, and they also guide us towards buying certain items (sometimes in close partnership with a brand). Companies hire influencers to <\/span>promote products on their own channels<\/span><\/a> as a form of digital marketing. And, because these individuals have a lot of sway with a certain audience thanks to their subject area expertise, their opinions often go a long way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re thinking that being an influencer sounds like a good gig for you, why not try it? Our top advice for how to become a social media influencer is to be true to yourself and make content you\u2019re genuinely interested in. Your authenticity and passion will shine through, and even if you never get to a celebrity-level number of followers, you may end up with a niche audience that would be of value to a brand and an account that you\u2019re proud of.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are Influencers Important for Marketing?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Social media influencers reach all sorts of groups of people that digital marketers may otherwise have a difficult time reaching. Moreover, influencers are trusted and admired by their followers, so their opinions are valuable to brands and audiences alike.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When thoughtfully done, influencer marketing has been proven to drive engagement and conversions. Since it actually works, this type of advertising has been on the rise for the past few years and we don\u2019t expect it to go away anytime soon. If you\u2019re considering testing out influencer marketing as part of your <\/span>small business marketing<\/span><\/a> mix, now is the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the Real Value of Influencer Marketing?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Influencer marketing is worth a lot of money, but you may be surprised to learn exactly how much. The industry is on track to reach <\/span>13.8 billion dollars in 2022<\/span><\/a>. These figures speak to the overall success and forward looking trajectory of the industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Types of Social Media Influencers<\/span><\/h2>\n

We can divide influencers into three types of categories: area of expertise, primary platform, and fan size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Area of Expertise:<\/b><\/h3>\n

This is pretty straightforward – does the influencer focus solely on automotive reviews, lifestyle, beauty and\/or fashion, or parenting tips? This is their niche.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Primary Platform:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Does the creator primarily share photos on Instagram or do they write a daily blog? Do they do a weekly podcast or live stream on Twitch? If you\u2019re vetting an influencer for a potential partnership, consider what platform they focus on and if it\u2019s a fit for your brand. For example, if you\u2019re promoting a new <\/span>t-shirt drop<\/span><\/a> for your Etsy shop, you\u2019ll want to pick an influencer that has a visual-first platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fan Size:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Their fan size can help indicate the potential reach of a sponsored post. Not all influencers need to have celebrity status to make a difference. It\u2019s all about having a genuine connection with a real audience (no bots, please). Below, we\u2019ve broken out the general categories for influencer fan sizes:<\/span><\/p>\n