Back when YouTube first started becoming big and social platforms opened the doors for making money, I thought being a social influencer would be fun. Nowadays, it can be a toxic battlefield full of problems if you don’t have the right mindset.
And after the current situation of the world, being trusted in public opinion is going to be difficult for many people. That’s because many so-called “influencers” have the wrong mindset.
I’m not saying that all social “celebrities” are bad or anyone trying to get into the influencer space is a horrible person. Unfortunately, many of them are and seem to not care about their audience in general.
Why Be a Social Influencer?
There are two very distinct reasons why anyone would become an influencer on social media. The type of person you are will fall into either of these categories to varying degrees.
But no matter how you slice it up, these are the reasons why most will want to throw their hat into the digital ring.
To Impact the Daily Lives of Others
Whether you have a YouTube channel for teaching people how to create videos or have a blog sharing your homemade recipes, it’s your goal to alter someone’s day. To share what you know with the world to make their lives better.
Even if it’s your goal to upload gaming videos of yourself and friends with funny commentary, you’re entertaining the masses. As a result, you’re affecting someone’s day.
It all comes down to your interaction with people online. Sharing pics, commenting on tweets, even writing a blog, all of it relates to affecting the lives of others.
For example, here is a breakdown of my blogs and the goals behind them:
WriterSanctuary.com
I built this website to help people learn how to go from a new writer on a content mill to getting private clients and earning a living. I love helping people, and if one person learns something new from what I create, then that’s all that really drives me.
So, the blog definitely influences others when it comes to writing online.
ColoradoPlays.com
ColoradoPlays is based around having fun and sharing gaming experiences. I don’t think we’re overly entertaining, but the goal is to help generate donations for various charities. So, I try to provide leisure entertainment or tutorials.
In this regard, I am influencing the understanding of others about how to use certain software while trying to bring a smile to their face.
CrossingColorado.com
Crossing Colorado was essentially my blog to help keep me focused on losing weight. It was my goal to demonstrate how anyone can slim down and live healthier without fad diet plans or spending a ton of money on equipment.
Thus, influencing the decisions of others about the best way to lose their own weight.
PracticallyLivingGreen.com
This is an experimental site to see if we can make a blog from scratch with the sole purpose of making money. However, the blog itself has a real agenda: to demonstrate how living green isn’t a radical idea to help save you money and live healthier.
In this sense, Practically Living Green will influence the decisions of others when it comes to buying eco-friendly things around the house.
See the Pattern?
Every blog I create has an influential undertone. That’s true with anything that is created by anyone. Poets, painters, musicians, bloggers, YouTube creators…everyone online has a certain degree of influence over an audience.
You’re reading this post because I influenced you to do so.
And there really isn’t anything wrong with that. Everyone wants recognition for something they produce. The problem is how far some will go to get that recognition.
Because there is a right and wrong way to go about being a social influencer.
Making Money, Obviously
One of the biggest draws for being an influencer over the past decade has been the money you could make. Some people will make an obscene amount of money from big brands for doing nothing more than showing photos of themselves.
And to be honest, there’s really nothing wrong with that. If someone is willing to shovel money in your face for doing something you love, let them.
But, try to maintain your moral compass when doing so.
Lately, people in the news have been doing some insane stuff to impress their audiences. And you should have a sense of decency to know when something is just not right.
Keep in mind that brands can drop you in a heartbeat if there is even a perceived notion of you doing something that could hurt their reputation.
A Social Influencer Has a Lot of Responsibility
When someone decides to really push forward with influencing others on social media, they often don’t take into consideration just how much responsibility is associated with the job.
I’m sure many of them do. But in a lot of cases, it just appears the influencer doesn’t take into account his or her actions on a public scale.
People Should Trust Your Information
A successful social influencer has the trust of his or her audience. Sometimes, this is given freely without much context as to why. But the majority of the time, it’s because the influencer has earned it through content.
And unfortunately, the slightest misstep can bring down the wrath of the Internet. Cancel culture is a real thing, and you need to have a thick skin to survive.
People Will Follow Your Perceived Suggestions
Because you’re relatable, people will often blindly follow suggestions. This is how brand marketing works for the social influencer. No major brand is going to toss money at an influencer if the audience isn’t receptive enough.
It’s all about being charismatic and being able to influence others through suggestions. And you have a responsibility to the audience to not lead them down dangerous paths.
Knowing Right from Wrong
The most dangerous influencers are those who really can’t discern right from wrong. In some cases, this is because of how the influencer was raised. Some parents didn’t put in the time to make sure the kids had a sense of morality.
For instance, a right way to show the current protests to your audience would be to join those protests directly. The wrong way would be to join a looting party while filming yourself breaking the law.
The right way to show you care about the local community is to help people nail up boards on windows and repair buildings. The wrong way would be to pose for a few seconds holding a power screwdriver and then jump into your Mercedes and drive off.
The Wrong Mentality of a Social Influencer
It sickens me to see so many people with heavy influence taking advantage of situations for the purpose of being “engaging.” When in reality, they can’t be bothered to actually put in the effort to really be social.
And I’m not just talking about the ones that are plastered all over Twitter and Facebook showing evidence of their true selves.
It’s a Popularity Contest
Too many people focus purely on the numbers. Of course, if you’re driven by money, then that’s all that really matters. The more followers, subscribers and fans you have, the more successful brands view you.
But it shouldn’t be.
A righteous influencer cares more about the message he or she delivers rather than how many people are following the account.
Selling Out for Any Product
Many a social influencer will take money from just about anything that comes their way. Even if that product really has no impact on an audience. For them, it’s all about making that mad online money.
Personally, I won’t sponsor anything I don’t use or have faith in. And I’ve turned down quite a few offers simply because I didn’t feel it was in line with my message or my audience.
Stunts to Gain Clout
In the past several years, I’ve seen some amazingly stupid stunts committed by social influencers. Well, I suppose that is also a matter of opinion. What is stupid to one is quality content for another.
But sometimes, there is a definite line between quality and asinine. Like, filming yourself finding a body in a forest, laugh about it, and then sharing it on YouTube.
Stunts to gain more social exposure don’t always work how you want them. And if you don’t have Daddy’s bank account or influence to fall back on, you’re going to jail.
Believing Everyone is Your Target Audience
Perhaps the biggest issue I have with some influencers is how they believe everyone is their target audience. This is simply not true, and can cause issues for you in the long run.
Case in point, I don’t expect biker gangs or chefs to frequent any of my blogs. Why? Because they aren’t the ones for whom I’m writing.
You can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. And when you start apologizing because a small group finds you offensive, you go against what your true fans find acceptable.
For instance, how angry would you get that someone dressed up as a Native American for Halloween while attending a Lone Ranger-themed party? Now, would you care if said individual apologized for “offending” anyone?
Those who are offended by something you say or do are not your target audience. It’s possible that a small fraction might get offended. But more often than not, a lot of social anger and hatred comes from those who are not actual fans.
Would I Call Myself a Social Influencer?
I have a small audience. I cover a variety of topics that people either enjoy or from which they learn. So, in a way, I guess I am a social influencer.
As are you. As is your grandma who shares cat pictures or photos of her garden. The moment you share anything in public to either brighten a day or spread messages of inspiration, you’re attempting to influence others.
Now, do I make a living and rake in the dough by being an influencer? No. I’m nowhere near having the social impact as some of the other people online.
But to me, that’s perfectly fine. Money and social proof isn’t what drives me. Being able to help others learn how to do something means more to me than raking in that mad YouTube or blogging money.
Sure, I’d like to make enough from the sites and YouTube channels to do them full-time. But I have great clients, my bills are paid, and I have food on the table. Everything else is icing on the cake.
I am more driven by interacting with followers and subscribers than making money from them. I like being social.
Can You Trust a Social Influencer Today?
I’m sure I’ve offended some of you out there with this post. And that’s fine, you can feel how you want to feel. That doesn’t take away from the information above and how your actions impact those around you.
And with all of the mayhem going on today, I wonder how many influencers are still going to be trusted when the dust settles. Probably more than you might think. Ardent fans will follow influencers no matter how bad the situation.
However, asinine stunts for social clout are making it harder for brands to trust some of these social influencers. Which, then, makes it harder for the smaller accounts to make money from social influence.
Be true to yourself and your message. Everything else will fall into place if it was meant to happen.