Social Media Influencers: A Shallow Industry?
An ad by local micro-influencer agency Faves Asia angered many for a number of reasons, but none of the offenses were as serious as misrepresenting the influencer industry as an easy path to fame and wealth. The video was taken down a few days after overwhelming lashings.
As one endlessly spends hours scrolling through social media gawking at the perfect picture of the exuberant lifestyles of influencers, it can be hard to help but think that a pretty face and a bit of luck is all it takes to be one of them. . However, reality is often much different from our illusions. So what are the three fundamental qualities of a successful social media influencer?
Identity
If you want to be known for everything, you will be known for nothing. -Dan Schawbel
To move beyond simply being a forgettable pretty face on Instagram, one needs to establish a distinctive persona online. This requires the influencer to have a clear sense of direction in content creation and to establish a reputation as a benchmark for a single or set of interests. As such, a true influencer also creates waves and is not simply based on fads with generic content. This requires an intricate balance between being ahead of the curve and in tune with current market preferences.
sympathy
A good influencer maintains their likeability by spending time and effort building trust and rapport with followers, customers, and other influencers in the industry. – Copy
In addition to looking good and being creative, it’s important to have a friendly personality. When it comes to monetizing influence, influencers need to establish a healthy working relationship with brands and companies. With the proliferation of micro-influencers, it’s a buyer’s market. Given the same degree of influence, companies and agencies will always go for those who are easier to work with than divas. It’s common sense to have common courtesy, especially when an influencer’s key criteria is to be likeable.
Integrity
At the end of the day, I am selling my taste and my eye: if I do things off the mark, I will lose respect. – Camille Charrière, fashion influencer on Instagram, 529k followers
However, being nice does not mean being a yes man or a yes woman all the time. For serious social media influencers, while paying the bills is crucial, integrity must be the constant guiding principle. Influencers need to genuinely like a brand and its products in order to ‘sell’ it and for followers to ‘buy’ the post and buy the product. A mismatch between brands and influencers, at best, does not lead to significant sales and, at worst, degrades the influencer’s reputation and following. Camille even turned down a £100,000 contract from fashion giant Macy’s because the clothes were not her style and not what her fans would appreciate. [I].
By exerting significant persuasiveness in their domains, influencers can choose to monetize influence, use it to further causes close to their hearts, or simply remain free performers. To be able to choose between these options, a person must meet the necessary prerequisites. While looks help pave the way, there is certainly more to true influencers than genetics and cosmetics.
[I] Vogue, What is an influencer?, March 2017.