An influencer is a person who enjoys particular popularity or authority on social networks , by virtue of which he is able to influence his followers or friends. The influencer is considered an expert in a particular topic, so what he says is listened to carefully and is able to guide the decisions of those who follow him. Generally active on various social networks, from Twitter to Facebook through YouTube, where he has collected numerous followers.
In this way, each of his posts has great visibility, both because it is viewed by many people and because they consider it important and trustworthy. This is basically a question of reputation, as he is considered an expert in a particular field and therefore his opinion is considered important.
The influencer can also, for example, be a public figure or a very active VIP on social media, whose posts bounce on the network and are in turn shared.
Table of Contents
How to become an influencer?
A particularly effective influencer spends a lot of time cultivating their virtual friendships, responding to their followers and gaining authority in their eyes, as an expert in a particular industry or topic or simply because they are considered trending.
Being a truly active influencer means posting a lot of content on different platforms, from Twitter to Instagram passing through the dear old Facebook, several times a day and always staying focused on the topics of its competence or in any case posting or sharing content considered of quality and value by the users and their followers.
On the contrary, there is the risk of boring the public and losing credibility and following. Also in this case, the already acquired popularity is able to influence the public’s appreciation.
Photos of a star’s puppies may be considered important by her fans, while photos of a stranger’s new dog will leave everyone but her closest friends indifferent.
To become an influencer, the first thing to cultivate is reputation. Not only should you surround yourself with followers and post interesting content, but also read the responses, converse with friends in order to involve them in discussions, respond to requests and give advice.
Only in this way will the followers begin to consider the influencer as a real important contact and to be influenced by his opinion.
The influencer as a profession
This role is of great importance in web marketing and many advertising campaigns now rely on their ability to disseminate content.
Obviously, influencers do not perform these services for free, also because as mentioned they are the result of commitment and work on targeted strategies to increase their authority and retain the reader.
The most prominent influencers can become fundamental nodes for an online advertising campaign, precisely because they are able to bounce a message (promotional, in this case) to thousands of end users and potential customers.
The influencer can therefore be a real profession in the marketing sector and as such must be addressed in a serious and professional way.
Entrusting the dissemination of your content to a good influencer can mean success for an online marketing campaign , with excellent results from the point of view of increasing views and contacts and with very low costs compared to traditional advertising.
Influencers are bloggers, videomakers, photographers, content creators, YouTubers, Instagrammers who regularly post quality content on their favorite channels (websites, social media, blogs …) and interact via chat, post, tweet with users and followers interested in the themes and topics they deal with. Each Influencer specializes in a field, of which he becomes the interpreter and protagonist voice. The sectors can be very varied.
●Food(Food Influencer)
●Beauty, make up and make up(Beauty Influencer)
●Videogames(Gaming Influencer)
●Clothes and fashion(Fashion Influencer)
●Design(Design Influencer)
●Travel(Travel Influencer)
●… and then again lifestyle, fitness, wellness, cars & motors and many others
But this is not an impromptu activity, as it could be that of a normal Facebook user who shares statuses, photos and posts simply according to their preferences. Instead, an Influencer carefully prepares a strategy and plan for publishing and sharing content. Select the topics of the posts and the best types of content according to the topic (images, quotes, quizzes, tips and information, etc.), create the content (take photos, write articles, blog posts and photo captions, record videos and live direct ) and then chooses the day and time to publish it to get maximum engagement.
Skills of an Influencer
What skills do you need to become an Influencer?
●Within the chosen sector, the main activity of an Influencer is therefore the creation and publication of content.
●Knowledge and mastery of the main social networks
●Creative writing, content creation , copywriting and storytelling skills
●Knowledge of strategies to increase visibility, followers and engagement of one’s profiles
●Capacity of networking and interacting with followers , companies, bloggers and other Influencers
●Skills in the use of visual and multimedia communication tools
●Analytical and data interpretation skills
●Organizational and planning skills
●Creativity and charisma
●Strong personality
Good Reasons to Work As an Influencer
Becoming an Influencer can be the way to a stimulating, engaging, creative and flexible career. Working at any time of day or night, from anywhere in the world, and getting paid doing what you like best, seems like a dream come true.
However, it must be considered that there are few people who really manage to earn considerable amounts from their Influencer business. It is in fact an unstable profession, in which success requires constant commitment, dedication, and even a little luck . But those who manage to enter the hearts of their followers can quickly reach fame and stardom, even internationally.
Top social media influencers
I think you already know – staying up to date with your industry is…difficult. To say the least. We think social media influencers are the gods of feeds. They help us stay up to date with the latest trends, social media tools, and advice. They not only share the best content but create the best content. However, there are a lot of social media influencers as well.
Jason Keath
Jason Keath is someone you want to follow. He is that kind of charismatic social media influencer who shares all the right things. The good, the bad, the funny, the educational – the right kind of content for social media. Jason is also the founder and CEO of Social Fresh Conference.
Derek Halpern
Derek Halpern, the CEO of Social Triggers, is like a nutritious breakfast. He talks about business, marketing, social media, but he also shares on topics like personal development, politics, and even relationships sometimes. So, click his follow button and grab a healthy smoothie of knowledge!
Angelo Raguso
Angelo Raguso, 26 years old from Southern Italy. Before entering the world of social media, he devoted himself to music for almost ten years, as a DJ, producer, director of record labels etc. has worked with important world labels such as Spinnin ‘Records, El Row, Freakin909, Trax Records and many others Today he is one of the strongest Social Media Strategist in Italy, he has worked with successful entrepreneurs such as Shea Ryan (CEO of Geo X), Moe Meyers (Co-founder of Socialcatfish), Josue Arteaga (Owner of PressWorks), Peter O Halloran (CEO of PPP Fitness and Nutrition), Romy Johnson (founder and CEO of Cool Gurus), Johnny Medina and many others.
Huda Beauty
Huda Kattan is a make up artist and blogger. He has $ 550 million in assets. She sells her cosmetic products and has an original and simple approach to beauty thanks to which she has 39.5 million followers.
Cameron Dallas
21.2 million followers and is the idol of teenagers. Today he is an actor and model (he has walked for Dolce & Gabbana recently), but he started on social networks – YouTube in particular.
PewDiePie
20.6 million followers on Instagram, 102 million on YouTube. He is a record-breaking gamer. Swedish, his videos are part of the Let’s Play category, and are based on his reactions to video games he plays. Favorite games include Amnesia: The Dark Descent. His hallmark is the punch at the end of the video with which he greets his “bros”. Instagram Profile
Chiara Ferragni
17.5 million followers for the digital entrepreneur who created a real empire from her The Blonde Salad.
Ninja
Tyler Blevins, 14 million followers on Instagram, 22.4 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. It started broadcasting its gaming sessions on a streaming platform in 2011. Today he is a professional, his videos on Fortnite are famous. Its revenues are estimated at $ 500,000 per month.
Jeffree Star
American make up artist with 14.7 million followers, he became famous in the 2000s thanks to MySpace. Today there are many stars who are looking for him and his line of cosmetics is popular all over the world.
James Charles
15.9 million followers for the make-up expert who recreates tricks like a true artist on her Instagram channel and via YouTube.
Jen Selter
Fitness guru, has 12.7 million followers. His workouts are in demand and very popular.
Nikkie Tutorials
12.6 million followers, the Dutch makeup artist is one of the icons of beauty thanks to her YouTube channel.
Joanna Gaines
A design guru, she has 11.5 million followers and is also famous for the program Fixer Upper (in Italian Casa su Misura), set in Waco, Texas and played with her husband Chip.
Nash Grier
10.2 million followers, youtuber and actor, he is a web star, who first became famous thanks to Vine.
Zoe Sugg
Youtuber and English vlogger, she has 9.7 million followers on Instagram and a very positive and sunny approach in her lifestyle shots. Instagram Profile
Markplier
7.5 million followers on Instagram, he is an American youtuber and comedian with a channel that has more than 20 million subscribers. His videos record comments and reactions to the video games he plays, particularly horror or action.
Winnie Harlow
Model and influencer, she has 7.1 million followers and is famous for turning her vitiligo into a strength.
Vegas Nay
Naomi Giannopolous has more than 20 years of experience in the world of make up and 6.9 million followers on Instagram thanks to her makeup tutorials.
Aimee Song
Korean-born fashion blogger, she has 5.4 million followers and with her Song of Style she has become one of the best known influencers in the field of fashion and interior design.
Simeon Panda
5.5 million people follow this fitness influencer and entrepreneur. His training videos reach millions of views.
Mariano Di Vaio
6.1 million followers for the young father Mariano Di Vaio, an icon of men’s fashion, chosen by many brands.
Olivia Palermo
Fashion icon, model, entrepreneur, she creates trends based on any garment you wear. Not surprisingly, it has 6.3 million followers.
Jacksepticeye
6.5 million followers on Instagram and 23 million subscribers on the YouTube channel, he is an Irish gamer. He calls himself “YouTube’s most energetic video game commentator”. His way of commenting on the games is excited and, at times, even vulgar.
Rosanna Pansino
4.5 million followers for his Instagram channel. Rosanna is also known as a pastry chef on YouTube thanks to her dessert recipes.
Sssniperwolf
4.4 million followers on Instagram, 17.3 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. Lia shoots videos of various kinds, as well as being a gamer in fact she creates vlogs with challenges, craft activities, curiosities and teasing.
Manny Gutierrez
Men also have a right to take care of themselves. It is from this belief that Manny’s online space was born, a makeup artist also loved by stars. It has 4.4 million followers.
Murad Osmann
Nominated by Forbes as one of the top travel bloggers, he became famous for the series “Follow me to”, shots in which he shakes his hand with his girlfriend who is filmed from behind while looking at wonderful scenarios in the world. It has 4.1 million followers.
Alexa Chung
3.4 million followers for the English Alexa who has also become a presenter and stylist. She has her own clothing line.
Yolanda Gampp
42-year-old Canadian, 2.8 million followers on Instagram and an equally popular YouTube channel. Yolanda Gampp and her How to cake it received the Social Innovator Award at the Canadian Screen Awards. His easy recipes of desserts and decorations and the pop aspect of his account attract a lot of food enthusiasts.
Jack Morris
The channel of Jack Morris is called Do you travel, a travel influencer originally from Manchester who, together with his girlfriend, Lauren Bullen, has been traveling the world since 2016, taking breathtaking photographs and earning mind-boggling figures (more than 10 thousand dollars per click) to tell the destinations. Today they have 2.7 million followers.
Clio Make Up
2.8 million followers on Instagram for our local Clio Zammatteo. Born in 1982, Venetian, she deals with make-up. Her tutorials and her spontaneous and genuine making have made her famous all over the world. Today he lives in the United States. She collaborates with several international brands and a few years ago Real Time created a program about her.
Jade Seba
Brazilian, Jade Seba has 2.7 million followers and deals with fashion, lifestyle and, since baby Sion was born, motherhood. Born in 1996, she already has her first fashion collection, designed with her colleague Marcela Vasconcelos. In addition to being a digital influencer, she also works as an actress.
We wore what
Danielle Bernstein started her career with a fashion blog in 2010. Over time she has had more and more following, reaching the current 2.2 million followers, which allowed her to launch two fashion lines, Second Skin Overalls and Archive Shoes. In 2017 she was mentioned by Forbes among the 30 Under 30 of Art & Style.
Massy Arias
Health coach and personal trainer from Los Angeles, he has 2.6 million followers on Instagram. Her wellness tips come from her past history in which she experienced depression. Today it sells books, supplements, training tools.
4 Types of Influencers
One of the biggest challenges brands face in influencer marketing is how to choose the right influencers for their campaigns. Content creators fall into 4 categories based on the number of subscribers most commonly displayed on their Instagram account. Each of these profiles interact in a different way with the people who follow them. This detail changes everything!
This ranking mainly concerns influencers in BtoC. BtoB content creators evolve on social networks other than Instagram. They are more present on Twitter or LinkedIn. Unlike the more general public, the more “business” influencers are more in demand for their expertise than their number of subscribers. It is possible to follow the same methodology cited below to rank them, but that is not what advertisers are initially interested in. Above all, they make sure that the influencer is an expert in his field and that he knows what he is talking about.
The most authentic nano-influencer
The nano-influencer has an account with between 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers. At this level, it is often a member of our family or a friend who loves to share his passion on social networks. Often, he does not live by it and speaks in his spare time. Thanks to its content, it has been able to bring together a community that follows it and interacts with it. This creator can respond to all requests, whether in comment or message. He maintains a close relationship with his subscribers which is reflected in his engagement rate which is often quite high.
In France, Marie from the “tell us Marie” account (3000 subscribers) is considered a nano-influencer. She regularly collaborates with brands to test their new products above all and make a comeback. The idea for a company, by soliciting this type of influencer is to have a direct opinion of consumers on a novelty to know what to support the communication on and / or to know what needs to be improved. When testing products, they are sometimes encouraged to talk about it on social media, but also to leave a review on a sales page. These comments are invaluable to businesses, especially in attracting new customers. The content creator is not paid, the brand sends him a package.
The most committed micro-influencer
Unlike the nano-influencer, the micro-influencer has a slightly bigger community. Usually between 10,000 and 100,000 people follow it. Over time, he has specialized in a particular area (sport, beauty, fashion, fishing, etc.) and has gathered passionate subscribers or those who are interested in this topic. Despite everything, this influencer profile remains very close to his community, because he still has time to respond to all requests.
In this category in France, it is possible to find Marie alias “Shaker Maker” (45,000 subscribers). Daily, the influencer shares news and her desires on greens cosmetics. It has become her job. She gets paid by creating her publications to highlight brand new products.
More often than not, advertisers have no difficulty finding suitable micro-influencers. They are already talking about the brand or its competitors on social networks. You can find them through the hashtags in your niche that they use to share their content.
The macro-influencer, the most influential expert
We are now moving into a whole different category. The macro-influencer is a content creator who has grown well on social networks and has a community of between 100,000 and a million subscribers. He shares a very specific theme, but over the years has attracted people from different backgrounds. In his community, it is not uncommon to find subscribers from all over the world. If the number of people who follow him has increased, his engagement rate has gradually decreased compared to his colleagues mentioned above, but it all depends on the account.
Companies generally use this type of profile to communicate about a new product by speaking to as many people as possible. By partnering with accounts specializing in their field, they gain notoriety among subscribers and hope to turn them into customers afterwards.
The mega-influencer, the most popular
We can speak here of a public figure. The notoriety of the mega-influencer is such that he has gathered millions of people around his content. Even more than the macro-influencer, his audience is extremely large, which allows brands to speak to as many people as possible.
Advertisers partner with her to communicate to a large audience. These are generally consumer brands. To be able to collaborate with this type of profiles, the budget is substantial. If your strategy is to increase your notoriety or develop your sales, the mega-influencer can help you achieve it.
How to choose the right influencer?
If a company wants to develop its communication through influencer marketing, she must find an influencer to promote her. First step: find someone who asks for an amount that matches the budget. Each influencer is free to set their own price. Price variations from one influencer to another can be explained by the difference in notoriety. The more it is followed, the more it will be visible, the more it will increase its prices. Second step: find a person who agrees to promote the product. Money is not the only criterion that tips the scales. The influencer can refuse a partnership request if the product does not correspond to his theme, his values or his tastes.
For brands, it’s important to find someone who really likes the product. She will therefore not pretend and will deliver her true impressionsto his followers. Brands also need to keep in mind that influencers are content creators and have the right to share the message in their own way. Some companies tend to forget that with this kind of partnership, they only get paid for a place on a publication of a personal account.
They therefore do not have the freedom to judge and modify the style, speech, decor or dress of their ambassador. To make it easier for businesses, several specialized agencies and online tools have been created to help them find the ideal influencer.. However, brands can also fend for themselves. By looking for publications where they are identified, they have the possibility of finding their future ambassador. To identify a potential influencer, social networks Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are the perfect places.
False influencers
Since Internet awareness can pay off big, but it’s hard to get, a few people try to outsmart the system. Some accounts have thousands of subscribers but don’t have a community. How is it possible ? Thanks to click farms. Today it is very easy to buy views, likes, comments or subscribers. This is how fake influencers are born. Instagram, Facebook and the “real” influencers are trying to fight this growing phenomenon. Fake influencers can very easily fool a brand into masquerading as someone who touches a large audience. However, behind the subscribers of these fake influencers, there is no fan and therefore no potential buyers. The ROI of a brand investing in a campaign with a fake influencer is zero.
The impact of influencers
When there is a real community behind influencer accounts, there is real opportunity for brands. Indeed, the goal of influencers is to create a kind of trust between Internet users and him. If an internet user agrees with the point of view of an influencer, if he recognizes himself in him, if he feels close to him, if he discovers many points in common with him, then he will trust him. The subscribers of an influencer are therefore part of his circle of trust. Thanks to this trust, Internet users believe the influencer when he tells them to buy a particular product. This phenomenon is called the “Best Friend Effect”. A friend who tells you that a product is great will be more persuasive than a company that advertises its own product.
How much do Youtube / Instagram / Snpachat influencers earn?
Between reality (often between 1,800 and 3,000 euros for a regular influencer, excluding benefits in kind, depending on his status, his expenses and his sector of activity) and the amount of fantasy (several thousand euros), the truth is often difficult to quantify !
The excitement of the Youtubers community was strong when BFM announced the salaries of Cyprien and Norman, stars of the Google video network and French influencers! According to the BFM site, the Youtubeur Norman would have earned nearly 400,000 euros per year and would have garnered 1.5 million euros in profits in five years. As for the youtubeur Cyprien, he would earn 800,000 euros per year and would have made 1.5 million profits, in five years (figures communicated in 2019).
