Originally posted on D/Construct during my internship at Doner Advertising.
The Battle for Followers, Social Media Influencers – Whether they are introducing a new workout, sharing parenting tips, or posting casual photos, they somehow keep social media users wanting more. Understanding what makes followers want to listen to influencers is important and can best be understood through distinguished YouTubers.
An influencer by definition is a person with a large number of followers on social media platforms that has the ability to influence behavior or opinions of others. Social media influencers, specifically on YouTube, walk a fine line between two different accounts: one main channel to showcase their YouTube persona and a second to showcase their daily life, often called a “vlog channel” or “second channel.” While both channels reveal different information to followers, influencers must be careful not to contradict themselves on either channel, or they can lose trust with their audience. YouTuber Monica Church, for instance, works with brands on her main channel while her second channel is used to vlog her personal life. Church vlogged herself at The Big Climb for Leukemia earlier this year, after using her fan base of over 1.3 million followers (on both channels) to help her raise money for the non profit.
Perhaps the most impressive YouTuber yet is Felix Kjellberg, or as his followers know him, PewDiePie (Pew-dee-pie). With over 56 million subscribers and a total of 15 billion views on his channel, PewDiePie is the highest subscribed YouTuber ever. PewDiePie, along with many others, gained his followers by not only posting videos, but being transparent with them too. Large influencers like PewDiePie understand the trust of their audience and continuously try to maintain an organic space.
Thirty five percent of U.S. women ages 18-34 look to social media as a key influencer that impacts their purchasing decisions. Classes at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Shanghai are currently being tought that offer a curriculum on becoming internet famous or “wanghong,” meaning “hot on the web.” The classes help students learn skills like dressing fashionably, applying make up, performing on camera, and about various luxury brands. They understand that the trust of their followers will help make them successful.
Check out my other essays on Social Media.
The Battle For Followers: Social Media Influencers