Influencers: How They Are Taking Over

A social media influencer is typically seen as someone who has built up a reputation to have a lot of knowledge of a certain topic, so much so that their followers look to/trust them to recommend products, services, etc. that pertain to the kind of content they post. For example, if someone on Youtube loves to make videos about makeup, and has a large following, many of those followers will probably trust that person's recommendations on makeup! The same goes for clothing, cooking, traveling, etc! 

Social Media has obviously exploded in the past 10 years. We've come to a point where people are making it their full-time job and are really successful at it. Brands are allowing these people to become so successful because it all works to their benefit. There are so so so many people on social media nowadays, and the majority of them are looking up to these influencers to make daily decisions. It's insanely powerful. 

 I find it absolutely incredible how social media influencers have evolved into what they are today. People are making full-blown careers out of this! "Influencers", in my eyes, started out as people who made their own content and then were given brand deals and sponsorships from companies that felt their audience fell into their target market. That is still somewhat the case. The difference is, when I was growing up, my favorite YouTubers, celebrities, etc. did not start posting content with money, PR packages, sponsorships, etc. in mind. Somewhere along the line, as these people with large followings started to get even larger followings, companies realized that they could easily get their product right in front of their target audience so easily. Youtube, for example, records what kinds of people are watching certain videos (age, gender, etc.) Therefore, it's so easy for companies to seek out influencers who will promote their product straight to their target market. However, the original "social media influencers" never even had the intention of becoming them! They started before brand deals became such a prominent technique in the marketing industry, at least for people on social media. 

Nowadays, people are creating social media accounts and posting content for the sole purpose of getting companies' attention and receiving free merchandise, sponsorships, etc. It's working too. I have also personally noticed that companies are starting to realize that there is a huge market behind investing in smaller influencers (micro-influencers). The way I see it, this is a really smart move on the brands' part. I would always trust a recommendation from my friend rather than a big celebrity, which is why companies are starting to send products to regular teenagers to promote! 

There is a fine line in the social media influencer world. People are "selling out" left and right. I saw this happen a lot on Youtube in recent years. When people would start to accept every brand deal offered to them, they started to lose credibility with their followers. Once this happens, it's very hard to gain their audience's trust back. 

It is in their unwritten job description to affect society as a whole. Different kinds of influencers are going to affect different types of people depending on their audience. However, there is one common issue amongst every kind of audience you can think of...and it's the effect that the "world of influencers" can have on their mental health.  

Here is the largest issue with influencers, in my opinion. IT'S ALL FAKE! 

I'm a social media user myself, and I personally really enjoy it. I enjoy staying connected with my friends, posting things that make me happy, and entertaining myself for hours with content that makes me laugh or feel inspired. However, there is absolutely no escaping the black hole that social media can be for your mental health. I catch myself there all of the time. 

Everyone on social media is posting the "highlight reels" (as I like to call them) of their life. You are only seeing the good, and everyone is trying to make their lives look perfect, and it works. People, especially teenagers, are holding themselves to unrealistic beauty standards, and it is destroying their mental health. Influencers with a lot of followers are notorious for flaunting their wealth all over social media, making many people feel inadequate for not having enough money, or having a perfect body. 

The truth is, social media can actually be an enjoyable place when you remind yourself that everything on it is fake. We can all enjoy each other's highlight reels in harmony. 

As much as influencers have evolved in the past few years, I believe we are just getting started, and "social media influencer" is going to be a much more popular career in the next few years. These people who have already established themselves, keep growing their audience even larger, and companies have started endorsing smaller and smaller creators. What happens when a company sponsors a small influencer? That influencer GAINS MORE FOLLOWERS. It's only a matter of time before influencers completely takeover social media...that is if they haven't already. 

Forbes Video: Social Media Influencer

What is an Influencer?