Unless you are sitting by yourself and “talking to the moon…”, you must have noticed the growing presence of social media influencers. They have become a significant internet phenomenon with the power to mould people’s purchasing decisions.
Social media influencers are digital creators who guide people in their decision-making through active engagement on social media platforms. Brands are already a fan of influencer marketing. In fact, in the Mediakix Influencer Marketing survey, 89% of marketers agree that social media influencers‘ ROI is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.
But, not all influencers can create an equal amount of buzz for a product. The success of a social media marketing strategy will depend on several characteristics of an influencer. Let’s explore them in detail.
Number of Followers
One of the primary ways brands categorize influencers is through the total number of followers on various social media platforms. They are known as-
- Mega Influencers, if their follower count is more than 1 million on at least one social media platform. They work on limited brands and have agents working on their behalf to secure marketing deals.
- Macro Influencers if they have 40,000 to 1 million followers on their social networks.
- Micro-influencers, if the follower count is between 1000 and 40,000. These people with a niche audience have become popular due to their expertise in a certain kind of content.
- Nano-influencers, if they have fewer than 1000 followers but are actively involved in brand promotions for specialized or niche products.
Type of Content
Your content plays a significant role in determining your impact as a social media influencer. Today, there are several kinds of content creators, such as:
- Bloggers: Contrary to popular belief, avid readers are still in style. There are many popular blogs on finance, personal development, health, etc., where brands plugin their products to gain authentic traffic.
- YouTubers: With a 2.6 billion user base, it is no surprise that YouTube is a popular spot for influencers to market their content. Influencers usually have channels for a specific type of video content. Brands align their product with the content to maximize the impact of influencer marketing.
- Social Post Only: Many influencers on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter post regular content to maintain their popularity on the internet. These posts can be memes on a topical subject, reels, or even comic sketches.
- Podcaster: In recent times, podcast influencers have grown rapidly in number. They gather an audience by imparting knowledge or opinion on trendy topics. Brands choose podcasts with a high number of listeners or focus on product alignment to promote themselves.
How to Become a Social Media Influencer
The three things that any individual needs to become a social media influencer are: a great personality, excellent content, and specialization in one or more content areas.
But even then, creating an influence will need ample time and continuous effort. To speed up the process, institutes like PeralXStudio have introduced comprehensive certificate courses. They educate young aspiring social media influencers on the dos and don’ts of the influencer industry and help them kickstart their career.
With proper guidance and knowledge, you can enter the crazy world of social media and fulfil your dream of becoming the next Lilly Singh or Carry Minati!