The Power of Social Media Influencers

This generation has solely come to rely on social media and what people consider is "popular". Adolescents use applications like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to follow people they look up to. This is where social media influencers play a huge role. Every choice we make, like the clothes we wear, the products we use, or the foods we eat comes from what we see these influencers promote on social media. They strive off free products that companies provide them and in return, they post a positive review. This allows these businesses to reach a large audience due to their millions of followers. People in this generation don’t spend time watching commercials or reading magazines for products. Everyone is cemented to a single device called a smartphone.

Today, the smartphone has all the power. According to Forbes, 86% of women consult their social networks before making any sort of purchase. This represents how important influencers are in the business world today. Influencers are the main source of communication for a product. It takes such a small amount for a large business to send out 100 free products to famous influencers, in which they then post about it to over two million people. This leads to a mass amount of interest in the product just because of one single person that has a lot of followers.

After doing research on the effect of social media influencers, I have concluded that it is not all fun and free products. Famous influencers are normal humans just like all of us. They have to deal with a vast amount of negative commentary or hate. It takes time to build a relationship with businesses and make connections and reach this level. It also requires constant upkeep and time on a smartphone which can get very tedious. Even on the business side of things, it is important to be careful because one single post or nasty comment can ruin a reputation. Do I think social media influencers will continue to grow over generations? Yes, because it is just starting to grow. Although it is sad to say, every social media influencer has an expiration date till someone new comes along.

Link:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/08/12/the-responsibility-of-being-a-social-media-influencer-beyond-brands-and-business/#3de852274caa