'Wannabe' Influencer?

This is what you look like to be an influencer!

Being an Influencer

I’ve been learning what an ‘influencer’ is.  According to the Cambridge English Dictionary an ‘influencer’ is someone who has the power to affect purchase decisions because of their relationship with an audience in a particular niche. I guess most of you knew that already, (I’m just playing catch up). It's rather like TikTok. For too long I didn't even know what TikTok was, never mind how to buy Tiktok likes!
 
So modern influencers may well be bloggers or vloggers and other mini-celebs. Love Island stars come to mind, such as Dani Dyer, and Jack Fincham, or that sweet boy who was on Strictly, Joe Sugg and his sister Zoe. (I’ve been under her marketing influence for sure, having spent a fortune on Zoella cosmetics and beauty products for my girls.)

Zoella has made a lot of cash being an influencer!

What is a Social Media Influencer?

So influencers seem to be someone whom the ‘influenced’ by admire, relate to and quite possibly aspire to be like.  I think I’m right in saying that modern ‘influencers’ have a large online following but potential short-term careers. My daughter Betsy has been filling me in about the case of you-tuber James Charles who was accused of using his money, fame and influencer online status to manipulate straight men sexually. I can’t begin to keep up with the ins and outs of the case but apparently a rival you-tuber Tati Westbrook pulled him up on it and his influencer status rapidly diminshed.

The plot thickened with James defending his innocence and regaining his followers. Cosmopolitan dedicated a whole article to sharing the true story, so this is big business! It shows how being an influencer goes beyond ‘selling’ merchandise and is a powerful position to hold. I’m vaguely concerned how woefully ill informed I am about modern influencers. I’ve no idea who many of the biggest instagram social influencers are for example, yet I am happy for my kids to have exposure to their message day in day out.  It feels like I’ve turned my back for a second and being ‘influencer’ aware has become a large part of parenting that I’ve completely missed. Where influencer status comes from is perhaps something worth discussing within families. It could even be explored in school tutorial programmes. The history of influencers old and new. To what extent is Mussolini similar to Nigel Farage?

A Middle Aged Influencer!

I’ve been asking myself, as a new blogger, am I trying to be an influencer? If I am these are my influencer messages of the day.
 
Listen to middle-aged women’s podcasts such as Older and Wider. They are very funny.

• Do listen to the message of millenials. They are smart.
• Live your lives by school mission statements and listen to educators as they are smart, especially my educator, Saint Mick of Thana!
• Own a good pair of Marks and Spencers jeans.
• Under no cirucmstances listen to the likes of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Donald Trump. 
• When heeding influencers, look to past actions as well as future promises.
• Start a blog it’s loads of fun.

 
Realistically  I’ve a long way to go before entering the world of being an ‘influencer’. Also, I'm not sure I would be comfortable trying to persuade anyone to my way of thinking. I think I'm just more of a 'sharer' and right now my curiosity is focused on exploring how I am influenced. Mind you, when I see what real influencers earn and how you really can make money from blogging, maybe I'll have to keep trying! ​