Who are Influencers? Why do they Matter?

What does this say about us? About how corporations view its target audience? What affect does it have?

Advertisers utilize the guiding beliefs and ideals that characterize a society to convince consumers to purchase a product. These beliefs can be formulated and constructed in the persona of a celebrity. Due to the globalization of markets and increased access to various forms of social media, the primary dispensers of ethos have become more diverse. Influencers, sometimes called micro-celebrities, are one prominent byproduct of this expansion.

Regarding positive and negative perspectives toward influencer related advertising:

"it is evident from the findings that celebrity worshipers have a positive attitude towards celebrity advertisement which leads to a positive outcome in the form of purchase intention. The negative association of the brand attitude with celebrity worship has raised certain important questions. The reason for this negative association in case of conventional celebrity endorsement can be attributed to the mismatch between celebrity and brand, overexposure, or multiple product endorsement by the celebrity along with these factors in the case of celebrity worship."

The main differences between a celebrity and an influencer are found in the following that they have cultivated, the type of interactions they have, and the roles they play within those communities. These differencies are marked by perceived levels of cultivated authenticity.

What is a community?

A community is not a physical space, but a set of social relationships. A cyber community is a social web that utilizes its network as the foundation for communication among its users. Online communities are made up of people who interact socially to satisfy their own needs or to perform special roles with a shared purpose, and whose interaction is guided by tacit and explicit policies.

Influencers role and impact in society:

Social media influencers thus are not only an integral component to online communities, but play a role as a middle man between those in online communities and the businesses that provide those needs, providing grounds for the establishment of such shared purpose relationships. Instagram is one of the most popular and accessible platforms whose contents posted reach people all over the world and creates communities within communities. Influencers affect people’s decisions and we aim to see how and to what extent they can influence other people’s actions. The relationship between influencers and their audiences can not be overlooked, as their impact actively affects culture. This is a study on how technology, economy, and society begets change.