Influencers are people that have a large reach on social media and are relatively well known. The term ‘influencer’ comes from the word ‘to influence’ and has been used on social networks since the 2000s. Influencers use their reach to spread the word about certain topics or to advertise products or businesses. Thanks to certain analytics features and statistics, influencers can find out how many people they’ve reached with their posts and how people have reacted.
Influencers have a significant effect on the people that follow them, meaning that they can influence the views or purchasing habits of their followers. They’re active on various platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. The most famous influencers have millions of followers and fans. Most of these so-called ‘mega influencers’ don’t limit themselves to a single area and instead tackle a wide range of topics.
There are also micro influencers, who have between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. Their reach is more limited, but they’re usually specialised in a specific area and have a close connection with their followers. This makes them especially interesting for companies.
Targeted marketing with well-known influencers is called influencer marketing. Companies can benefit significantly from the reach of influencers and learn more about their target group and potential customers, thanks to social media monitoring. They typically use influencers as brand and product ambassadors to promote their brand or a specific product. Companies and influencers can work together in the form of longterm cooperations, short campaigns, or even shorter testimonials.