Affiliate marketing Influencer… So who?
“Influencer” is a term that has gained importance in recent years and is present in almost every area of our lives – from business to politics. Some people associate it positively, and others it arouses a lot of reluctance, but no one passes by it indifferently. So it’s worth taking a closer look at the influencer and see who they actually are – an Internet celebrity or maybe a serious function that has a huge impact on the formation and recognition of brands? Here’s everything you need to know about it!
Celebrity from the Internet…
The origins of the term “influencer” date back to 2001, when psychologist and economist Robert Cialdini published a book entitled Influencing People: Theory and Practice. In it, he described six characteristics that affect influence, including social authority, credibility, reciprocity, and modern proof. They have become the foundation of modern promotional activities, as well as influencer marketing and related affiliate marketing.
In practice, however, not everyone takes influencers seriously. They are often associated with Internet celebrities, which is primarily due to their status and influence. Like famous people known from television, they are recognizable and often create the image of a “perfect life” – they are perceived as stars who do not shy away from luxuries, designer clothes or long journeys.
However, this is not all. Critics accuse influencers of a lack of authenticity, pointing out that the content they share is staged and the message is subordinated to advertising and earnings, which often leads to a loss of trust. Many people also believe that being an influencer is not exactly a serious profession, and creating content in social media is underestimated by part of society.
… or an influencer?
Such negative judgments are unfortunately harmful and usually have little to do with the truth. Because although there are people in the group of influencers who really do many things for show, they are a minority and are not the best example that would allow us to define this concept.
So who is an influencer really? This is someone who uses their social media presence to share valuable content, inspire others, and influence their decisions in an authentic and ethical way. In fact, a well-understood influencer can play many positive roles in society:
- educator – influencers can provide knowledge in various fields, such as health, technology, finance, art, or science (e.g., sharing healthy eating habits);
- motivator – influencers often share stories that motivate others to act (e.g. showing how to overcome life difficulties);
- integrator – influencers build communities based on shared values, interests and goals (e.g. parent or artistic groups);
- advocate for important causes – influencers often use their large reach to promote tolerance and equality, raise funds for good causes, or make the public aware of problems (e.g. health or climate);
- creative creator – among influencers there is no shortage of people who create valuable photographs, videos or graphics and introduce fresh ideas, e.g. to the world of fashion or art;
- An intermediary between the brand and the consumer – influencers can help in making conscious shopping editions by testing products or services and promoting small, local businesses.
All this makes an influencer a person who not only gathers a community around them, but also brings value to the lives of their audience. It shares knowledge, inspires, helps and influences positive changes in society. The keys to success in this case are authenticity, responsibility and an ethical approach to your role.
From one to a thousand subs
If you want to become an influencer, you need to combine commitment, hard work and knowledge. Here are some of the steps you need to go through to become an influencer on the internet and be able to actively participate in influencer marketing or affiliate marketing.
1. Finding Your Niche
If you want to become an effective influencer, you must first of all identify the right field that suits the candidate and that he or she is genuinely interested in. The possibilities are huge – there are industries such as fashion and beauty, technology and games, fitness and healthy lifestyle, cooking and education. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg, so it is worth defining your areas of interest and specializations in detail.
2. Platform Selection
Influensers are active on social media, and each platform within their scope has its own specific characteristics. For example, YouTube is a great place to publish video content, such as guides, reviews or vlogs, and Instagram is a great place to share photos or short videos. Recently, TikTok has been quite popular, being an ideal place for creators of short, creative videos, often based on current trends.
3. Creating a unique style
A future influencer should think about what will make them stand out from the rest. It can be a personality, a way of narration, a visual style or a specific approach to the created content. For example, if they are interested in cooking, they can focus on quick recipes for busy people or healthy food on a budget.
4. Publish valuable content
This is absolutely crucial – if you want to be successful, you need to offer interesting, useful and/or entertaining content to others. It is worth making sure that all photos, videos and texts are of high quality. You should publish regularly (e.g. 2 times a week) and learn the basics of editing and editing content, which is helped by free programs such as Canva.
5. Interact with your audience
The first subs usually come from friends or random viewers. If you want to retain them and expand the community, it is worth responding to comments and messages, encouraging interaction and creating content that is relevant to the audience. It is helpful to get new followers to partner with an affiliate agency, such as Onaffiliate.
6. Promote Your Content
Significant influencers have thousands of followers, and building such a community is only possible by effectively sharing videos, photos or posts on various platforms. It is worth joining thematic groups, e.g. on Facebook, as well as promoting your content with the help of the aforementioned Onaffiliate agency.
Influencer and application
An influencer can use their status in many ways. The most recommended ones include:
- cooperation with brands – influencers can receive remuneration for promoting products or cooperate with an Onaffiliate agency – affiliation allows you to generate commissions on sales;
- developing your own brand – e.g. by offering created products (clothing lines, cosmetics, books, etc.) or services (online courses, workshops, etc.);
- Making money on platforms – e.g. through video ads on YouTube or sponsored content on Instagram or TikTok;
- creating educational content – this is possible in a situation where the influencer has specialist knowledge in their niche that will allow them to educate the community;
- promoting social values – influencers have a real impact on their audience, which can be used for good purposes, e.g. publicizing social problems or supporting local initiatives.
As you can see, being an influencer gives great opportunities and can bring a lot of good – also for community members and other brands. So it’s worth considering following this path, because the huge interest in social media makes it possible to quickly achieve success in this field – especially with the help of affiliate agencies like Onafilliate.
