The Average, Average Influencer

The Average, Average Influencer

What does it take for someone to be considered an ‘Influencer’? The bar for influencers influencing people has been set modestly low, the average influencer might influence you to cut your hair or change your style, but it used to not be like that. In the past, an influencer is someone who made change or an impact that inspired others to change the same way they have or even in the opposite direction. These days, it seems like anyone with over 10.000 followers on social media can be considered an influencer or consider themselves an influencer. 

With the advancements of the internet, i e; Social Media, anyone can share anything onto its platforms. To keep up with appearances, the facade that some modern influencers have put up can be quite high maintenance and the lengths that they go to achieve that facade is surprising. Some influencers have even been exposed for faking their lifestyles. 

Several influencers were called out for renting out private jets for photo shoots and posting those photos to their social medias, making it seem like they live lavish lifestyles. Some also rent homes or locations for a few hours for the same reason. Buying bots to follow them, like and comment on their posts is also a common thing that influencers do to make it seems like they have many people following them. Internet bots are a software application used to generate messages, automated comments, and act as a follower. You can tell if someone has bought bots when they have a large amount of followers but have a low engagement rate (small amount of likes and comments compared to their number of followers) or a large amount of people that follow them have suspicious accounts (odd or no posts, odd usernames, promotes products, and follows many accounts at random). Some influencers have hired people to pretend to be bodyguards or paparazzi to make it seem like they are important. Some even borrow clothes or items from their rich friends or take photos at their rich friend’s residences to make it seem like they are rich and enviable. The most tragic thing influencers can do is getting into debt to pay for the lavish lifestyle they try to portray.

So, what is the common factor in influencer posts? Usually it is to promote themselves, they are the product. Some do it well, while others don’t. But what makes some influencers more successful than others? Most likely because they are very good at personal branding.

There is a stark difference between modern influencers and influencers in the past, one promotes themselves and the other advocates a cause. 

A few influencers from the past to be mentioned are Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Helen Keller, and that’s just to name a few. These people have made change and influenced people in their respective fields. Rosa Parks “The mother of the civil rights movement”, became a civil rights activist against racial inequality after she refused to give up her seat to a Caucasian man, that this was in the 1950’s when racism was very much still a big issue. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott by more than 17,000 African Americans, the success of the boycott inspired many more African Americans to protest racial discrimination and segregation. In a time where women were underestimated and weren’t given much opportunity for education, Marie Curie went on to make discoveries in the fields of Chemistry and Physics which advanced science, including medical science with her discoveries of radiation. She was a staple in women’s rights and inspired many women to pursue education. Helen Keller, even born deaf and blind, became an educator and activist for the welfare of people with disabilities. She changed the view and impression people had on people with disabilities, creating better living standards.