They’re everywhere. As soon as you get scrolling, you’re bound to come across an influencer. It almost feels as though anyone could just up and decide to become a social media influencer these days. As a matter of fact, it sounds like quite an appealing profession – getting free stuff, getting paid to post pictures, having a massive following and getting surges of praise.
This all sounds great, and it also sounds quite annoying doesn’t it? Us mere mortals have all surely gotten caught up in the train of thought of “What does this person even do?” Or “It must be great to make money by just posing and looking good.”
The fact of the matter is however, that influencers come in many different shapes and forms, all of whom may have something different – and vital – to offer. In addition to this, each and every one of us most likely follows an influencer, if not a number of influencers.
There are a number of reasons as to why influencers are so necessary nowadays; for one, influencer marketing has proven to be highly successful for brands worldwide, perhaps even more so following the pandemic. Other than having an influencer market one’s product or service however, there are also those who happen to influence through activism – another thing that has proven to be greatly successful recently.
In order to better understand why the various different types of influencers out there play a vital role in today’s society, we will attempt to dissect just what these vital roles entail.
The Growth of Influencer Marketing
These days any brand knows that in order to reach a wider audience and ensure greater engagement, they must rely heavily on influencer marketing. This has become an essential part of digital marketing, and is far more meticulous and strategized than many people may otherwise consider.
The thing is, depending on ones’s product or service, there are certain influencers that will ‘fit the bill’ more than others. What this basically means is that each brand needs to carefully consider which influencer will best suit their product or service, and which influencer has the required target audience for their product or service.
Other than that, the number of followers an influencer has also plays a role in whether or not they will get chosen to market a brand or not (as well as how much they will get paid for their services in return).
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The reason as to why influencer marketing has grown in popularity lies in a number of reasons, mainly being the fact that people seem to relate to influencers on a more personal level. According to this article on Forbes, it states that “It has also been observed that the interactivity of social media can help followers feel personally connected to the influencer, leading to identification with the influencer. In this way, an influencer endorsement is more subtle than a traditional ad.”
During the pandemic, when most businesses were suddenly forced out of the office, advertising naturally saw a heavy shift towards digital (and namely influencer) marketing. According to eMarketer, “Cooped up at home, consumers have been spending more time on social media and interacting actively with content creators. Influencers can provide brands with quick, less-expensive and easy-to-produce creative at a time when large-scale ad production may be difficult.”
The Growth of Influencer Activism
This past year has especially shown us the great role social media plays in activism – both on a global and local scale. With that, it has also shown us that influencers can also be activists, fighting for a cause and making theirs and other people’s voices heard.
From Black Lives Matter to campaigns on sexual harassment that have managed to bring justice to victims in Egypt, activism through social media has proven to be an extremely powerful tool.
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One of the most notable people to mention who has played an exceedingly vital role in fighting sexual harassment in Egypt in the past year is Nadeen Ashraf, the founder of Assault Police. Ashraf is the perfect example of influencer activism, as she has not only managed to make a difference in Egyptian laws, but she has also inspired countless women to come forward, speak up and make their voices heard.
Another great example of influencing through activism is Nour Emam, Doula and founder of This is Mother Being. Emam came out at a vital time and offered numerous women across Egypt the chance to educate themselves on topics no one has ever dared discuss openly before. From sexual education to body awareness and acceptance and everything in between, Mother Being has opened many doors that have always been kept shut tight.
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The beauty of this form of activism is that it inspires others to speak up as well. Ever since both of these women’s appearance, many already existing influencers have made great strides in ensuring that their content includes topics that matter and that need to be addressed.
Inspiration & Motivation Through Influencers
This brings us to our final reason as to why the influencer’s role is so necessary these days. Inspiration and motivation. Influencers have this great ability to both inspire and motivate their followers to be and do better.
Other than activism, there are countless influencers who have popped up to promote well-being – whether that be physical or mental well-being. From fitness enthusiasts, yogis and nutritionists to artists and therapists – all types of influencers have appeared in order to offer audiences the chance to feel as though they are heard, they are a part of a community and they can always find ways to take care of themselves.
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While an abundance of social media may play a huge role in fostering negative thoughts as most people tend to compare themselves to the unrealistic standards set by many who post ‘highlights’ of their lives online, it is refreshing to know that there are those who try to do the opposite through the same platform.
That being said, it goes a long way to be mindful of the kind of content each of us personally consume. Social media and the influencers that come along with it are inevitable but at the end of the day, what we follow is within our hands.
*The opinions and ideas expressed in this article do not reflect the views of Egyptian Streets’ editorial team or any other institution with which they are affiliated. To submit an opinion article, please check out our submission guidelines here.
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