Although the basic premise of an influencer is by no means a new invention, modern influencers are still a unique type of people that have seen meteoric rises in popularity thanks to the widespread reach of popular social media sites.
Influencers can be found on almost all platforms imaginable and go to great lengths to obtain and engage as wide an audience as possible, and possess long-reaching opinions and ideals that have the potential to influence millions, or even billions of people across the globe.
Authenticity
Authenticity is one of the most important traits of attracting more people. It’s one of the main reasons that people will trust one influencer over another, and almost half of all people following influencers believe that trust was the most important trait of the specific person that they follow.
Authenticity is about making the audience believe that what’s being said is genuine and from the heart, such as when doing product reviews or visiting a new place. Those influencers that don’t put the effort in of being authentic often have a difficult time with holding on to their audience members.
Attractiveness
While authenticity might be the best tool available for making an audience stick around, it’s undoubtedly attractiveness that draws the audience in the first place. Many influencers go to great lengths to ensure that they are as aesthetically pleasing to as many people as possible.
The attractiveness bias is an inherent bias among people, based on the belief that we are much more likely to believe a person has good qualities simply because they are attractive. Attractiveness is an easy way of creating positive connections between an influencer and the brands, products, or services that they promote, and is a powerful motivating factor that can influence just about anyone.
Relatability
Influencers that have done well for themselves are generally quite wealthy, and will often have many of their expenses covered by the brands and services that they promote, which can range from a new car, a house, or something more obscure like the latest FIFA betting odds.
Despite this, it’s vital for many of them to continue to make their audience believe that they are down-to-earth and relatable. This is done by constantly sharing pieces of their lives with their followers, but it’s also important to keep in mind that many of these slices of life will not be as real as they may appear at first. This also ties in deeply with authenticity, and if the influencer can show their audience that they live normal lives, it makes it that much easier to relate to them.
Relatability is also associated with identity, and many modern influencers tend to share many traits with younger Millennials and the generations coming after them. Creating a sense of identity is an important part of growing an audience, especially in a world where self-identity has become more important than ever before. Add all this together, and it makes it much easier for teenagers to become spirited followers of many influencers around the world.
