TRENDS, NETWORKS AND CRITICAL THINKING IN THE

21ST CENTURY
GRADE 12
REPORT TOPIC: The Social Media Influencers

WHAT ARE SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS?

Social media influencers are individuals who utilize social
media platforms to build their own personal brand or influence
their followers to act (including buying products, supporting a
brand, or vacationing in a certain location). They can share
anything from clothes and beauty products to make-at-home
slime with their followers. While it might seem like frivolous
fun, some influencers are making significant amounts of
money from their connection to their fans, making them the
modern entrepreneur. While not every social
media influencer is an entrepreneur, the ones who have started
their own businesses from the brand they created online have
much in common with traditional entrepreneurs when it comes
to driving the economy.
Social media influencers (e.g. beauty bloggers, video game
vloggers, toy unboxers, instafamous) are extremely popular
among minors. Influencers seem to play an important role in
minors' lives, first, because minors spend a large part of their
time watching, viewing, liking, forwarding, and commenting on
influencers' content. As such, the level of involvement with
influencer content seems high. Second, minors turn to these
influencers not only for entertainment, but also for
information, advice, company and comfort. However,
scientifically-grounded insights on the role of social media
influencers in the lives of children and adolescents are still
scarce.
THE POWER OF MEDIA INFLUENCERS

First, influencers are assumed to be so appealing because they

are similar to their audiences. They are often perceived as 'the
boy or girl next door' with whom identification is easy.
However, there are probably more reasons for the attraction of
influencers. Research is needed to unravel the underlying
psychological mechanisms that explain the appeal of social
media influencers.

Second, the impact of social media influencers on minors may

have both desirable and undesirable consequences. Influencers
may inspire minors to behave pro-socially or more healthy, but
they may also show bad examples of smoking, drinking, or
even criminal behavior. In addition, influencer content may
also affect minors' psychological well-being, materialism, body
satisfaction.

Third, because social media influencers are assumed to have

impact on their audiences, they are also used by third parties
for commercial purposes. For example, brands pay influencers
to promote products in content that influencers create.
Similarly, governments or NGO's turn to influencers to promote
healthy, social, or environmental friendly behavior among
minors. Despite the popularity of so-called influencer
marketing, theoretical or empirical insights into whether and
why influencers are persuasive among minors and which
(psychological) mechanisms underlie this, are limited.

Fourth, some social media influencers are minors themselves.

With major brands signing up for paid partnerships, a growing
number of child and adolescent influencers (and their parents)
are striving to make a profit, which leads to important legal,
ethical and philosophical questions.

Are Influencers Entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurs are people who organize, manage, and take on
the risks of a business. They often start a new business in
response to a perceived need for a good or service. An
influencer, on the other hand, is someone who has the power
to affect or change people and their behavior through social
media—often to get them to buy something. Influencers who
start their own business certainly fall under the first part of the
definition of entrepreneur, as they are managing their business
and taking on risk. But are they fulfilling a need? Many say
yes: companies can target highly specific groups of people
through employing an influencer—groups that might be missed
by traditional advertising. And because influencers form a more
personal relationship with their followers, the followers are
seemingly more likely to buy what the influencer suggests.
How do you become a social media influencer?
To become a social media influencer, you need to decide in
which industry you want to work. Then you need to look out
for content, create a strategy and start to create/upload this
content. It is important to do it consistently.  Once you have
grown a certain fanbase, it is time to contact and collaborate
with businesses in the same industry you work in. Social
media influencers need to stay true to themselves, otherwise
the fanbase will not keep following them. This process is called
brand building.
What is the impact of social media influencers?
Social media influencers have the ability to reach out to a big
audience on their platform (Instagram, Facebook, etc.). What is
special about social media influencers, is that their fanbase is
very loyal and their trust in the influencers is high. According
to a survey by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust an influencer
more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity
endorsement.

A product, if it is presented positively by the influencer, is seen

as more favorable. That means, that the followers are more
likely to pursue a purchase as a direct result of a Tweet from
an influencer. A survey by Twitter has shown that nearly 40%
of Twitter users say the purchased a product immediately after
a tweet from a social media influencer.

Furthermore, it showed that 49% of users rely on

recommendations from influencers on Twitter which is just
slightly lower than if friends would have recommended that
product (56%).

5 WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA

INFLUENCERS AFFECT YOUR
LIFE
1.INFLUENCERS CREATE COMMUNITIES THAT
WE CAN BE PART OF 

Social media influencers tend to have a niche that they focus

on throughout their careers. It’s because of this that
influencers provide a new way for people to participate in
online communities. Influencers, whether they're fashionistas
who’ve been in the game for so long, video game prodigies, or
mental health bloggers, provide a platform for a varied range
of interests and identities.

The reason why influencers are so effective in today’s

generation is that they aren't just marketing mouthpieces.
They are thought leaders who start conversations, drive
engagement, and set trends among a receptive audience,
putting them in a good position to collaborate with companies
on sponsored content. 

Influencers can cut through the clutter of traditional

advertising and communicate a brand's message to its target
audience genuinely and naturally.

It is through this power that they create communities that will

always make you feel welcomed. These are communities that
support and look forward to the content their influencers
produce and discuss anything relevant to their niche. 

2.INFLUENCERS BRING OUR ATTENTION TO

IMPORTANT CAUSES 

A lot of the most powerful online influencers are involved in

some form of social activism. Some are raising awareness for
sustainability, mental well-being, and environmental justice. 

Influencers' goodwill postings don't go unnoticed; they yield

results. Because the influencers share from the goodness of
their hearts, the visibility can accelerate a call to action and
spark meaningful conversation on the topic. Most
importantly, however, this costs the organization nothing. 

3.INFLUENCERS AFFECT OUR DECISIONS

THROUGH OUR DESIRE TO BELONG 

Let’s take a deeper dive into how influencers work their magic.
The concept of social proof states that people will assume
something is correct if others have already assumed it. For
example, if a large number of people like and share images of
an avant-garde outfit online, it automatically obtains
legitimacy as a fashion trend.

When an influencer has a large following, it shows the

followers that the influencer is reliable and knowledgeable
since others agree with what the influencer is doing. We all
have a desire to belong, and this is where the psychology of
influencer marketing comes in. If consumers come across a
popular decision, they can confidently make the same
decision because it has been validated. 

However, it goes deeper than that, into our brain's hardwiring.

We don't simply use social proof to obtain and analyze facts
before making a purchase; we also have an emotional reaction
to influencer marketing.

When an influencer endorses a brand or a business, their

followers may experience a psychological conformity effect.
Because of the influencer's perceived authority and social
proof, these followers feel compelled to incorporate this new
information into their own preferences and decisions.

4.INFLUENCERS SHARE INFORMATION THAT

WE MIGHT OTHERWISE MISS 

With just a few strokes on our keyboards, we have access to

whatever type of information we require. However, let’s be
honest—there are only a few people actively looking for this
information, and even if they are, they do not find all of the
resources available to be trustworthy. 

By classifying these sources as spam, our brain doesn’t let us

pay attention to them. Enter influencer marketing. Influencers
can be a solid and credible source of information since they
interact with their audience on a different level, and so they
bypass the brain's filters.

5.INFLUENCERS FEEL AS THOUGH THEY’RE

FRIENDS YOU CAN RELATE TO  

Despite their massive followings and rising notoriety, content

creators are still seen as down-to-earth and “just like me”
compared to more traditional influencers. Many subscribers of
these content creators follow them because they relate to
them or wish they were like them, and so want to connect
with them more. 

As a result, consumers look up to content creators as role

models to mold their own behavior. It’s even easier for them to
copy their actions and behaviors when the influencer feels like
a friend. 

What makes celebrities and social media influencers so

different is their social distance from their audience.
Consumers feel closer to their favorite content creators than
they do to celebrities because influencers disclose their lives,
often down to their most intimate details, much like a friend
would. On the other hand, celebrities may appear remote and
inactive on social media, causing followers to become more
involved with the influencer and the brands or businesses
they promote.