Being a 22-year-old male, I enjoy what the average guy enjoys. Sports, Music, Video Games, and almost anything that makes me laugh. I admittedly spend a fair amount of time online. Whether it be scrolling across Instagram, Tiktok, or Youtube. I find enjoyment in gaming and music videos and really enjoy comic relief. One of the topics that interested me from a presentation my classmates gave was “Online Influencers.” I am fascinated with the idea that someone can raise awareness on just about anything and turn it into a marketing avenue or create entertainment with it. An influencer “is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g., fashion, travel, or technology.”
Many influencers have a mass following of people who are intent on paying close attention to their posts. These people have a unique power to persuade people to buy things. Companies now view these influencers as a “direct way to customers’ hearts.” Brands are now having more popular influencers market their products and seeing great results. These social media powerhouses are charging as much as $42,000 dollars for one post.
It was interesting to learn how these influencers are paid. “Influencer rates should be based on follower count and engagement rate. However, there are other factors that can impact a rate, such as talent and access to a niche audience.” There are things such as rate sheets that are used to base the pay according to the reach.
- Nano influencers (1000-10,000 followers): $10 - $100 per post
- Micro-influencers (10,000 - 50,000 followers): $100 - $500 per post
- Mid-tier influencers (50,000 - 500,000 followers): $500 - $5,000 per post
- Macro influencers (500,000 - 1,000,000 followers): $5000 - $10,000 per post
- Mega influencers (1,000,000+ followers): $10,000+ per post
We, as humans, are a visual species. Today in excess of 3.2 billion photos and 720,000 hours of video are shared per day across social media. We spend an average of 145 minutes per day on social media worldwide. It is easily a stated fact that we are addicted to our technology and all that it does to influence our lives. Look at us and how we can’t get enough of social media.
The cons of being so extremely involved with our favorite influencers are that we can often be misled, misinformed, and often be persuaded by someone, which causes us to fall into a trap of false expectations. Influencers are often just average people with great ideas. We are so easily lured in as a child is lured to candy.
“Since influencers often present a clean, shiny, and fun version of their lives, it can create a sense of comparison for young followers. This increased social comparison has been linked to anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and negative body image among youth.”
Regardless of the pros and cons, the people of this world are going to be influenced by social media influencers. I choose to make it a positive and enjoy the quirkiness of the people I follow and laugh at what I choose to watch and buy because of their posts.
