WHO IS AN INFLUENCER

Posted On : 06-03-2023

WHO IS AN INFLUENCER

In today's digital age, "influencers" have become a buzzword in the world of marketing. They are people who have a large following on social media and have the power to inspire the thoughts and behaviors of those followers. For brands looking to reach a larger audience and increase brand awareness, influencers have grown significantly in power and significance. In this article, we'll explore who an influencer is, the types of influencers, how to work with them, and how much they make in India.

What Is An Influencer?

An influencer is a person who has the power to -

  • Change the perspective on some idea
  • Change the perspective on some news
  • Positioning of a brand/product
  • Repositioning of a brand/product
  • Defining the status of a personality
  • affect the purchasing decisions,
  • Showcasing the benefits and features of a product/service in a better way
  • Educate about any service/product/brand

They have a substantial following on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and they use their platforms to create and share content that resonates with their audience. They are seen as trusted sources of information and opinions by their followers, and as a result, they have become an important part of many brands' marketing strategies.

There are many types of personas with the way they consume content and with that many types of influencers have emerged. Let’s have a detailed view on influencer types.

Types Of Influencers

A person's status as an influencer can vary greatly depending on the size, preference, of their audience and the specific field in which they work.

Nano-influencers

These are individuals who have a smaller following, usually between 100 to 1,000 followers. Although their following is small, their engagement rate is often high. Brands can collaborate with nano-influencers to reach a hyper-targeted audience.

Micro-influencers

Micro- influencers typically have between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. They are considered more niche and have a highly engaged following. They are seen as experts in their specific niche and often have a more authentic connection with their followers.

Macro-influencers

Macro creators have between 100,000 and 1 million followers. People often see them as experts or trend-setters in their own niches, and they have a big impact on the people who follow them.

Mega-influencers

Mega-creators have over 1 million followers.

There are also niche influencers who focus on a certain field, like beauty, fashion, or food. These influencers are known as “vertical influencers," and they have a more targeted audience. These are also considered as celebrity influencers.

These influencer are also segregated by following categories:

  • Fashion,
  • Beauty,
  • Fitness,
  • Health & wellness,
  • Motivational,
  • Food,
  • Technology,
  • Automobile,
  • Comedy,
  • Lifestyle,
  • Mom influencers,
  • Finance, and more..

How Can You Work With a Social Media Influencer?

Working with an influencer can be a great way for brands to reach a wider audience, increase brand awareness, and generate sales.

To work with an influencer, a brand can reach out to them directly or work through leading influencer marketing agencies.

The brand can offer the influencer a product or service to review, pay them for sponsored posts, or offer them a commission on sales generated through their unique affiliate link.

To get the most out of the partnership, it's important to make sure that the influencer shares the same values and audience as the brand.

Influencer Outreach

Influencer outreach is one such process of finding and contacting influencers to collaborate with them. There are several ways to find influencers, including platforms, searching for hashtags related to the brand's niche, and looking at the follower lists of similar brands. Once potential influencers have been identified, the brand can reach out to them through an agency that builds a personalized pitch, outlining the benefits of working together.

How To Reach Out And Work With Influencers

To put into simple terms, influencer outreach involves contacting creators to build trust and increase visibility for a brand or product. This is what makes this process a significant building block for new businesses with limited marketing budgets.

In order for the brands to create a collaboration that is truly a partnership, they need to follow a few crucial tips!

1. Curate A List of Relevant Creators

The first step is to curate a list of relevant influencers. Look for influencers who have a significant following in your niche or industry. You can use tools like BuzzSumo, Ninja Outreach, or FollowerWonk to find influencers based on keywords or hashtags related to your brand or product. Make sure to focus on quality over quantity - it's better to have a smaller list of highly relevant influencers than a large list of influencers who may not be a good fit.

2. Follow Them On Social Media

Once you've curated your list, follow the influencers on social media. Engage with their content by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. This will help you build a relationship with them and show that you're genuinely interested in their content.

3. Send Them Your Pitch Via Email

When you're ready to reach out, send the influencers a personalized email that outlines your pitch. Keep in mind that influencers receive a lot of emails, so make sure your email stands out.

Here are a few tips that will come handy:

  • Start by introducing yourself and your brand, and then explain why you think your product or service would be a good fit for their audience.
  • Be specific and highlight the benefits of your product.
  • Make sure to personalize the email and show that you've done your research by referencing their content or previous collaborations.

4. Build An Understanding

It's important to remember that influencers are real people with their own interests, preferences, and priorities. Building a relationship with them takes time and effort. Here are a few tips that will help you accomplish this:

  • Don't just focus on what you can get from them - instead, focus on building a mutual understanding and respect.
  • Offer value to them by sharing their content, promoting their products, or offering them exclusive access to your brand.

By building a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, you can create long-lasting partnerships that benefit both you and the influencer.

However, the influencer outreach process, although rewarding, is tedious as well. Thus, many businesses choose to work with an Influencer Marketing Agency who often have a pre-vetted network of niche influencers.

How Much Do Influencers Make In India?

In India, the amount of money an influencer can make depends on several factors, such as the size of their following and the brand they're working with. According to Grynow,

  • Micro-influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers can make between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 50,000 per post,
  • macro-influencers with 100,000 to 500,000 followers can earn between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh per post.
  • Mega-influencers who have more than 500,000 followers can earn up to Rs. 5 lakh per post.

Influencer marketing is a lucrative industry, and some of the most prominent influencers can make millions of dollars annually from brand partnerships, sponsored content, and other collaborations.

For instance, Forbes' list of the highest-paid influencers estimates that businesswoman and beauty influencer Kylie Jenner earned $590 million in 2021. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, an actor and fitness influencer, made an estimated $87.5 million.

It's important to keep in mind that not all influencers make a sizable income, and that growing a fan base and launching a successful influencer career can take time and effort. Earnings can also vary a lot based on the influencer's niche and how well they can create engaging, high-quality content that their audience likes.

Overall, while it's difficult to provide exact figures on how much influencers make, the influencer market is growing, and successful influencers can earn significant amounts of money through brand collaborations and partnerships.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, influencers have become a vital part of modern-day marketing strategies. They can reach a large number of people and build a more genuine relationship with their followers, which can lead to more engagement and sales. By working with influencers, brands can tap into their existing fan base, increase their reach, and promote their products or services in a more organic way. To make a good influencer marketing campaign, it's important to know the different types of influencers and how they interact with their followers. From celebrity influencers to micro-influencers and brand ambassadors, each type of influencer brings its own unique strengths and benefits. Understanding and using these different types of influencers can help brands create successful influencer marketing campaigns that have a big impact and are successful.

FAQs

Ans. Social media influencers are those who inspire a community of similar intend. To be a social media influencer, you don't need to have a certain number of followers.

Influencer status can also be influenced by factors such as content quality, audience engagement, niche or area of expertise, collaboration with brands, and overall industry reputation.

Ans. Influencers on social media can collaborate with brands in a variety of ways, such as sponsored posts, product reviews, affiliate marketing, and brand ambassador programmes.

Usually, the influencer makes content for their followers that shows off the brand's products or services. In return, the brand gives the influencer money or other benefits.

Ans. An example of Influencer on Instagram would be Dolly Singh, who is known for her comedy sketches and fashion content. She has over 1.2 million followers on Instagram and has collaborated with various brands such as Amazon Fashion, Sephora, and Swarovski to promote their products to her audience.

Ans. An Instagram influencer is someone who has a large, active following on Instagram and has the power to sway the buying decisions of their audience. Most of the time, they have a niche or area of expertise and make content that their audience likes. Instagram influencers can collaborate with brands to promote products or services and are compensated for their efforts through sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, or brand ambassador programmes.