If I had to pick one word that defines our current generation it would be Influencer. You will have undoubtedly seen this word all over the place. The word itself isn’t a new one. History has seen its fair share of influential people who are worthy of the title. But these days the term has taken on a new meaning.
The rise of social media has shifted the idea of what an influencer is. Previously the title would be reserved for someone of great renown who shifted the social norms of society in a huge way. And, to a degree, modern influencers still do set trends and change people’s views. But on a much smaller scale. A modern influencer is simply someone who has obtained a considerable following on social media.
Anyone can become an influencer these days. Our screens are constantly filled with pictures and videos of different influencers. And it would be easy to think that they live idyllic lives. But, as we know, social media only ever provides a glimpse into someone else’s lives. So what is happening behind the screen that influencers don’t show you?
The Business Of Being An Influencer
Being an influencer has become more of a career than a social position. And, like any career, it requires a lot of hard work. It is all too easy to forget that, behind every video and picture, is a lot of planning and technical editing going on.
Influencers have to work hard to create content that will keep their audience engaged while also bringing in new followers. For every video you see an influencer post you can be sure that 80% of the work they put into it happened behind the scenes.
Influencers make a lot of their money through sponsorship deals. Companies pay them to feature their products in their content. But acquiring these deals takes a lot of networking and negotiation. Which is why most influencers will use an agency.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer agencies also help content creators with their marketing. You might be surprised to hear that influencers need to do marketing. But, like any business, they depend on their ability to reach a wider audience and bring in new followers.
Agencies like upvote.shop are a prime example of the work influencers have done behind the scenes. Alongside promoting their pages, this agency can also directly boost their follower count on a number of different platforms. The advantage of this is that it keeps their page showing up in the ‘For You’ section of different social media sites.
The Real Influencer
As we said earlier on, a lot of what we see on social media is fake. And this is vitally important to remember. About 90% of the content you see online has been carefully curated and edited to give off a certain impression. Influencers make their money off brand deals. And brands want their products to be associated with amazing people.
So the main thing influencers often don’t show you is their true self. And to a degree this is how it should be. You may have heard of the term parasocial relationships. This is a one-sided relationship where one person puts in all of the emotional investment. Meanwhile the other party is unaware of their existence.
This is the relationship that influencers have with 90% of their followers. They will never meet or interact with them in any meaningful way. Unfortunately some people become too obsessed with an influencer they like. And this can lead to dangerous behaviors such as stalking.
This isn’t a new occurrence by any means. As long as celebrities have existed we have seen the dangers of parasocial relationships. But the digital age has made it all too easy for people to dig up information about influencers. Which is why a lot of influencers make the conscious choice to hide their real selves from the camera.
The Cost
We are currently living in the golden age of technology. Our smartphones are more powerful than the computers used to send man to the Moon. Virtual reality is no longer just for the realms of science fiction. And we have access to the entire wealth of human knowledge from the comfort of our bedrooms thanks to the internet.
As technology advances so too does the quality of content being produced by influencers. A lot of influencers produce most of their content with their phones. But, to produce real high quality content, they require a lot of additional resources. Lights. Editing software. Accessories. A production team.
In short, it isn’t a cheap endeavor for them at all. And this is one of the main reasons why a lot of new influencers don’t succeed. To make it as an influencer you have to invest, not only a lot of time, but money as well.
