© @inthefrow The impact of Instagram influencers 14 minutes to read -- -- behind these pictures often make a lot of money by posting pictures and promoting a brand or product. But with the still increasing amount of influencers on Instagram, how does someone stand out? How do we make the decision to follow an Instagrammer? And what is the impact of the massive amount of influencers that are active on Instagram? -- Instagram influencers In the digital world in which we live today, being an Instagram -- -- In the digital world in which we live today, being an Instagram influencer is a career for many. According to Urban Dictionary, an influencer is “a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on -- of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media”. To be an influencer, someone has to have a big network of followers that can be influenced. Influencers post ‘perfect’ pictures of their lives, their vacations and their fashion styles, and their profile pages are cohesive. -- -- their profile pages are cohesive. Influencers can be seen as micro-celebrities: “a self-presentation technique in which people view themselves as a public persona to be consumed by others, [they] use strategic intimacy to appeal to -- -- #instafamous ‘Ordinary’ people can become influencers on Instagram, and thus become #instafamous. Becoming Instafamous means that an ordinary person reaches a big audience on Instagram and becomes known to many as an -- -- #instafamous. Becoming Instafamous means that an ordinary person reaches a big audience on Instagram and becomes known to many as an influential Instagrammer. Influencers are quasi-celebrities. ‘Quasi’ is another word for seemingly, this means that influencers are supposedly celebrities. They might be famous on Instagram, but they are not known all around the world, unlike celebrities who are often known by many. -- -- all around the world, unlike celebrities who are often known by many. To become an influencer and instafamous one does not need to have a special talent. There are no criteria to become an influencer, so practically anyone can become one. Of course it is not easy to become a -- practically anyone can become one. Of course it is not easy to become a big influencer these days, because there are already many people doing the same thing on social media. -- -- follow, and in this way might find new people to follow. For influencers, using hashtags is a great way to gain more followers, because if people like someone’s post, they often look at the entire -- because if people like someone’s post, they often look at the entire profile and might start to follow the influencer. Because the post reaches a bigger audience, there will also likely be an increase in the number of likes and reactions to a post. Sometimes hashtags are used -- -- that have nothing to do with the actual posts. People therefore use hashtags to gain followers by misinforming them about the content. Influencers do not do this often, because followers will then start to question someone’s truthfulness (Jungselius, Hillman and Weilenmann, 2014). -- -- more followers from all over the globe. Since these features are used all over the world, when someone uses a ‘popular’ location, hashtag or tag, people from all over the world will easily see an influencer’s post. -- -- Advertising Companies and brands often use influencers with a big following to promote their products and brands. Companies use a third party to -- promote their products and brands. Companies use a third party to advertise their products, meaning that they pay influencers to have their products featured in one or several posts on Instagram. The higher the amount of followers someone has, the more people are reached -- -- when posting a sponsored picture. To be suitable for advertising for a company, someone has to have an attitude and identity that goes well with the brand. It is important that the influencer’s audience goes well with the brand in order for a paid or sponsored post to have an -- well with the brand in order for a paid or sponsored post to have an impact on the targeted audience. -- To be a successful influencer and to ‘sell’ the product, De Veirman, Cauberghe and Hudders (2017) found that it is important to have a great likeability and to seem trustworthy. When followers feel like they can -- -- likeability and to seem trustworthy. When followers feel like they can relate to someone, the audience will be more affected by the products an influencer is promoting. If an influencer makes their audience feel like he or she is their ‘friend’, it is likely that followers will trust this person when posting about a sponsored product. -- -- trust this person when posting about a sponsored product. Since influencers share a lot of their private lives, their audience will feel like they ‘know’ this person and therefore assume what the -- will feel like they ‘know’ this person and therefore assume what the influencer says and promotes is true. Human beings are easily influenced, so when they see a product that is being promoted in a beautiful picture, everybody wants to have it. Since they trust the -- beautiful picture, everybody wants to have it. Since they trust the influencer as if they were their friend, they feel like it must be worth it to buy the product. -- -- not to follow, and how many people to follow. Since every user of the platform is able to ‘create’ their own Instagram feed, people have a greater chance of being influenced by the people they are following. Given that people can make their own decisions, people will follow other users who inspire them, whose style they like, and whose content -- -- Given that people can make their own decisions, people will follow other users who inspire them, whose style they like, and whose content they like in general. Most users will be easily influenced because all the things they like are shown on their 'personalized' Instagram-feed. -- the things they like are shown on their 'personalized' Instagram-feed. It is for this reason that many companies are now using influencers to promote their products. -- -- looking at a sponsored post because disclosures are used to make them aware of this. When followers are made aware of the fact that a post is sponsored, people will still trust the influencer, because he or she is honest about it. Since it is one’s own choice to press the ‘follow’ button, one often does not care that there are sponsored posts coming -- -- When connecting light communities to Instagram, groups are constantly formed around similar accounts they follow or because of a shared fandom. For instance, people like the same Instagram influencer, and because of this, they feel like a group. They all share a similar thing they like, while still having very different identities and -- -- characters. What we see from the influencers is only one aspect of their identity. Commonly these Instagram influencers operate within certain sub or niched culture or certain verticals of consumer markets, be it bodybuilding, fashion, or studying. The followers who subscribe to one -- -- or niched culture or certain verticals of consumer markets, be it bodybuilding, fashion, or studying. The followers who subscribe to one influencer may not be classified into one big social category such as class or ethnicity. Rather, they converge lightly on one specific issue. However, one person may subscribe to multiple genres of -- -- class or ethnicity. Rather, they converge lightly on one specific issue. However, one person may subscribe to multiple genres of influencers online, suggesting their identity is oriented to multiple micro-centres. -- -- micro-centres. On Instagram we often see influencers posting sponsored posts that are loaded with features of someone’s identity. Personal identity features are ‘attached’ to products and come with the things we buy, so what we -- -- everyone is judgmental on social media, most people portray the best and perfect version of themselves on Instagram and act like they do not have any flaws. Influencers post idealized pictures, but do these people have the same identity in real life as how they portray themselves on their social media pages? Or do they create another or a -- -- Victoria Magrath - @inthefrow Popular Instagram influencer, blogger and YouTube star Victoria Magrath, also known as In The Frow, is a big hit on Instagram. Starting off as a blogger on her website In The Frow, which stands for ‘in the -- -- Looking at her Instagram page from the past two years up until now, we see a ‘real’ influencer. Her profile page is cohesive; the same colors are used in pictures and there are several photos with similar backgrounds or a similar feel posted one after another. Like many other -- -- are used in pictures and there are several photos with similar backgrounds or a similar feel posted one after another. Like many other influencers, her page consists of many travel pictures, showing the most beautiful, inspiring places all around the world. Because she travels to places all over the world, and tags places all over the -- -- Nars. Although there is no disclaimer that the posts are paid partnerships, she is promoting Nars. From these pictures, her Instagram-stories, and by looking at other influencers using the same hashtag, we can conclude that she is on a press trip with Nars, where new products are revealed. She shows a sneak peeks of new Nars products -- -- and international audience for her blog. Instagram influencers and advertisement -- Acquiring an influencer to promote a brand has a positive effect on the brand’s reach and marketing. But how do Instagram users feel about the influencing that is happening on the platform? -- -- influencing that is happening on the platform? Many Instagram-users who follow influencers do not mind that promotion and thus influencing is happening. Every Instagrammer is free to follow and unfollow whomever they want. Since it is one’s own choice to press -- -- and unfollow whomever they want. Since it is one’s own choice to press the ‘follow’ button, people are aware that sponsored posts come with certain people they want to follow. Many people follow influencers because they like a certain aspect about this person or this person’s Instagram, or they feel like they recognize a part of themselves in the -- -- because they like a certain aspect about this person or this person’s Instagram, or they feel like they recognize a part of themselves in the influencer. Because of a shared aspect of identity, followers will often also like the products that are being promoted. -- -- often also like the products that are being promoted. Similarities between the identity of the influencers and their followers is effective when promoting a brand, because more people will be interested in the product that is being promoted. As long as the -- -- followers is effective when promoting a brand, because more people will be interested in the product that is being promoted. As long as the influencer is trustworthy, authentic and relatable, most of the followers will not have a problem with promoted posts. Of course, there also will be people who think that Instagram is too commercialized, but -- -- also will be people who think that Instagram is too commercialized, but which social media platforms are not? These Instagram users can decide for themselves whether or not to follow influencers or to only follow their friends. -- -- De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., Hudders, L. (2017). “Marketing through Instagram influencers: impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude”. -- -- Khamis, S., Ang, L., Welling, R. (2017). Self-branding, ‘micro-celebrity’ and the rise of Social Media Influencers. Leaper, C. (2018) From Wigan to the frow: How Victoria Magrath became -- -- Leaper, C. (2018) From Wigan to the frow: How Victoria Magrath became the UK's biggest fashion influencer. The Telegraph Magrath, V. www.inthefrow.com. Retrieved September 11, 2018, -- -- from https://www.inthefrow.com Woods, S. (2016). #Sponsored: The Emergence of Influencer Marketing. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Jump to facebook comments -- -- Tags influencer Instagram followers