An innovation brought by advancement in technology, a product of the internet. Social media has taken the world by surprise through the rate of its assimilation by the masses. Becoming a global phenomenon that has impacted the cognitive understanding of the masses about the existence and Significance of the existing media that has ruled supreme over the years. Social media gained more acceptance due to its flexibility in convening information without going through gatekeeping process an attribute which is most sacred to the conventional media.
The power of the social media is less influenced by the governing bodies of a state compared to the conventional media, that is why over the years, some states have tried to put some restrictions on the use of social media. due to the capacity of the social media it has created career opportunities for people now known has social media influencers. People who have gained recognition and attention among their peers to the extent their words and actions penetrates the minds of many. They take time to talk about contemporary topics and trends, issues of significance that matters to the people. You could call them opinion leaders because they contribute to opinion formation of the masses and they have a say on opinion polls of different matters.
This individuals have grown in numbers over the years, it could be a celebrity or someone with a large fan base. Though some celebrities just live their lives without paying attention to the amount of influence they have on the minds of their fans while others have recognised the potentials of nursing the career of being a social media influencer, they go all the way to promoting brands, product and lifestyles, paid for ofcourse. Majority of them are driven by money and public recognition only a few of them care about public responsibility.
Looking at how much influence they have on people, it would be nice if that energy is directed at what matters, not that I'm saying what they are doing doesn't count, we are all trying to make a living including them but there are matters they speak nonchalantly of which end up having a devastating effects on the listeners. Example of such matters are issues of marriages, relationship and process of divorce. Seeing the rate of divorce in our society it doesn't seem like most of their advice on that topic is doing us any good. That aside, Words are mightier than sword, which is the basis of the strength of social media influencers.
I have never given it much thought about becoming a social media influencer, which is quite funny because in a way that is what I'm doing right now, this write up might not mean much to some people but to others it is something and in one way or the other they will begin to cultivate some ideas from this post, which means without thinking of it has a profession, I'm already capable of influencing the attitude and thinking of others though it is yet to reach the grand scale yet.
I'm aware of how tasking being a social media influencer can be, especially for someone like me who spends less time on social media compared to most people but the reality is, apart from the profit aspect of being a social media influencer it also assist in building a public profile / image for anyone who is bold enough to take the risks involved in the profession. It is obvious that there are other kind of businesses that are more profitable but the truth is, is there any business without a social media handle? Even if you don't want to become a social media influencer, you will still need the skill of social media influencer/manager to market your business.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled "Can you be an influencer" in hive learners community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
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