Why do influencers exist? What is the scope of being an influencer in the current situation? These are some of the questions that people seek answers to on social media. The answer is simple: influencers exist because they represent a community of people who belong to a common niche or area of interest. So influencers exist because we, as digital users, are active on social media.
The scope of social media influencer marketing has increased since the pandemic. The latest survey of influencers from the country’s top cities shows that 50% of them fall under the age group of 18–24, followed by 24–30. This indicates that the youth of today can influence, inspire, and are able to make change. Most of the influencers are youngsters, and it’s empowering.
Influencers have the power to influence the purchasing decisions of their audience. Influencers are social relationship assets with whom brands are willing to collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives. More than 45% of the world’s population are actively involved in social media usage. The majority of these digital natives look to influencers to guide them and assist them in making decisions. People depend on influencers such as vloggers, Youtubers, bloggers, and podcasters for a day-to-day call to action. The scope of influencers in the current scenario is inevitably strong.
Industry experts, professional advisors, leaders, academic experts, and journalists are also referred to as influencers. They gain respect due to their position, experience, and qualifications. The line between conventional media and social media is blurring. As a result, opinion leaders are building their online reputations. Those who already have an active social following are able to make concrete statements in the digital space as well, just like they were doing in an offline setting.
However, an influencer must possess the best communication skills and engage with the followers. Their ability to transfer knowledge makes them the catalyst in the consumer’s decision-making. And this decides what scope they have in the modern environment.
There are issues with influencer marketing, such as a lack of authenticity, oversaturation, fraud, etc. But despite all that, there are ways influencers can benefit society. They are part of an impactful digital trend. They are the outcome of social media’s equalizing power. In a digital world, people get to decide whom they should follow. This would result in the growth of a diverse influencer marketing culture that would better reflect society. Gaming influencers, fashionistas, and mental health influencers express a diverse range of identities and areas of interest.
Influencers are strong social media figures with loyal followers. They are able to easily attract attention and make people aware of important causes. Climate change, war, famine, women’s empowerment, all these issues get notified on social media and the part influencers play in this is crucial. Recently, David Beckam handed over his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor in the city of Kharkiv. He has also urged his followers to donate to UNICEF to support war-affected regions. This is an excellent example of what influencers are capable of and what the scope of each and every emerging influencer in the modern world would be.
