Personally I find it one more step we are taking as a society, as people, from having contact with, well, people. And even more in thinking for ourselves. Corvid aside there was once a time when girlfriends would head to the mall and together make a decision about what they liked or not and that was that. You tried that decision at school, usually, and depending on where you were on the social pecking order you either influenced your peers ... or not. Those "not" left a lasting impression.
Because we are creatures of habit and more than willing to let others influence us, marketers and corporations are having a field day where for next to nothing in production costs, they are willing to shower influencers with money and let them do the work. It's kinda like that message you get when the person you call doesn't want to answer the phone will tell you (electronically) that you are so important but they can't get to the phone right now so please leave your name and number and they will call you back shortly. Heard that one? Let me tell you, they NEVER call you back. The other excuse is Corvid-14. In eight months they can't get their supply chain in order? Really? If anything the pandemic has exposed just how lazy many companies and people are.
In case you don't know, an influencer is someone with the power to influence your purchasing decisions. They can have but not always, authority, knowledge, position or a relationship with the audience that often negates the other three categories. We want to be liked and an influencer makes you feel that if you use their product you will be the belle of the ball. You can put lipstick on a pig ... and it's still a pig.
Today social media reaches 3.484 billion people, 45% of the people on earth, who are actively on the Internet. It's literally a gold rush for just about any company that exists. That said, here are the four basic types of influencers:
Mega-Influencers: These are people with a vast number of followers on their social networks. Vast means millions. There are no fixed rules on the boundaries between these different groups but usually they have made their celebrity offline - movie stars, sports figures, actors, musicians, even reality stars like Donald Trump. Because of this, marketing wants these people and is willing to throw money at them for their endorsements. This influencer tends to be fussy about what they endorse keeping an eye on the future and what could come back and bite them.
Macro-Influencers: One step down from the Mega crowd they tend to be more accessible to marketers. They have followers from around 40,000 - 1 million. This group has two main groups: B-Grade celebrities who haven't made the big time and successful online experts who have large followings, like cooks, writers, environmentalists, even some politicians. Macro-influencers usually have a high profile and be excellent at raising awareness. There are far more so its easier for a brand to find one and work with them.
Micro-Influencers: These are ordinary people who have become known for their knowledge about some specialist niche. They have gained a sizable social media following among devotees of that niche. They tend to range from 1,000 to 40,000 followers on social media. Often, marketing reaches out to them first. They also are picky about what brands to hype. Some are paid and others are not paid to promote a product. These influencers are usually from Generation Z, who spend more time on the Internet than any other media. This group will, in reality, become the influencers of the future.
Nano-Infuencers: And finally we have the smallest group of influencers that only have a small number of followers. They tend to be experts in obscure or highly specialized fields. In most cases they have fewer than 1,000 followers. Most marketers feel they lack much influence but while cheap they carry a tremendous influence on their followers.
Personally I don't follow any of these people. If I need help I go to Google, explain what I am looking for and read what comes up. I've found YouTube can just about teach you how to do anything and have often used it to fix something. Many food web sites not only have wonderful recipes they practically take you by the hand to make sure you do it right. For me it's situational. I am not a follower.
However, that said there is another kind of influencer that I never thought of as that before. These would be by types of content.
Bloggers: A blogger is an influencer in social media that has the most authentic and active relationship with their fans. Marketers are finally realizing and encouraging this. Bloggers have connected with their fans for some time now and the trust they have earned from their fans translates into fans wanting to try out your product. Blogs can be about anything and over the years have 100's if not 1,000's of fans who trust them.
YouTube: The video go-to place to see much of the world. I just discovered you can see old movies, learn to use your Cuisinart, build a shed. You name it, they can show you how.
Podcasts: Another form of video that covers an amazing spectrum of "things" is a podcast. You can find podcasts on just about any topic on earth. Religion, politics, books and interviews with their authors, how to take a photo, how to cook a meal. Podcasters themselves have become celebrities and their followers pay attention to what they may say or use, hence they are also an influencer.
Social Posts: It is rare that a blogger, YouTuber or Podcaster relies on just that site. They usually have a social media site like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest touting what they are doing and driving traffic to their site. In fact, the majority of influencers now make their name on social media and promote heavily how and where they are trying to influence you.
Before I say that I never even look at these people, many 50 years or more younger, I must admit that I do look at things that rate the quality of a product many marketers would not approve of. I do check out the ratings of an item on Amazon by clicking first the 1 star reviews. You might as well get that out of the way and if you feel you can't live with the deficiencies listed I move on. If I can live with them I click on the 5 star ratings. I also read CONSUMER REPORTS who I feel need to review an item today and then in six months. I can't even begin to list the items I bought from their recommendations that in a very short time became simply junk. I stopped using them but did return to read what they looked for in an item and I followed that list. We didn't always agree and I still don't. I've noticed that MOTOR TREND has started keeping initially highly rated cars for a year and reporting on what the experience was like. CR also queries consumers about cars and their experiences. You soon learn all the glitters is not gold.
Personally I resent even the idea of an influencer. Why do we follow in most cases a person who often knows nothing about anything and is paid for it? What does Kim or any Kardashian bring to the table? They can't act, wear too much makeup and wears clothes far too tight. Really, what does a sports figure know about a deodorant or power mower? Before you blindly follow someone you might want to do what lawyers call "due diligence." Find out what do they know and does that benefit you in any way?
