What is Influencer? 5+ Influencer Marketing Examples

What is an Influencer? 

What do you do in your free time? Do you watch YouTube videos while eating? Do you scroll through Instagram reels or TikTok when you get bored? You have probably answered yes to these questions like many of us do. If you consume any type of user-generated media through socials; you know what an influencer is.

An influencer is someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others due to their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. Unlike general social media users, influencers typically have a strong presence on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter and have built a loyal following. Influencers can range from celebrities to micro-influencers with niche audiences. Their influence comes from trust and engagement with their followers, which brands leverage to promote products and services.

Influencers create content in many different areas. For example, you can watch beauty influencers to learn new ways to apply your make-up. You can follow fashion influencers to get inspired. You can watch entertainment content about games. You can learn how to cook, follow celebrity gossip, follow booktube content, or listen to true crime documentaries. There are endless different kinds of content and content creators (aka. influencers).

Definition and Role

A social media influencer is an individual who has built a significant following on social media platforms and has the power to influence the purchasing decisions of their audience. These influencers are often experts in a particular niche or industry, such as beauty, fashion, fitness, or technology. Through their engaging content and consistent interaction with followers, they establish credibility and trust. Social media influencers play a crucial role in shaping the opinions and behaviors of their audience, making them a valuable asset for brands looking to reach their target audience. By leveraging their influence, brands can promote products and services in a more authentic and relatable manner.

Types of Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers can be categorized based on their follower count, niche, and level of influence. The most common types of social media influencers are:

• Nano Influencers: These influencers have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. They often have a highly engaged audience within a very specific niche. Brands can benefit from their close-knit community and high engagement rates.

• Micro Influencers: With 10,000 to 100,000 followers, micro influencers have a broader reach while still maintaining a strong connection with their audience. They are ideal for brands looking to target a specific demographic with authentic content.

• Macro Influencers: These influencers boast between 100,000 and 1 million followers. They have a significant reach and can drive substantial awareness for brands. However, their engagement rates may be lower compared to nano and micro-influencers.

• Mega Influencers: Mega influencers have over 1 million followers. Often celebrities or well-known public figures can provide massive exposure for brands. Their vast reach makes them suitable for large-scale campaigns, although they may come with a higher price tag.

Each type of influencer has its own strengths and weaknesses, and brands can choose the type of influencer that best fits their marketing goals and target audience.

 What is an Influencer Marketing Campaign?

An influencer marketing campaign is a strategy in which brands partner with influencers to promote their products or services. The campaign typically involves the influencer creating content, such as posts, videos, or stories, that showcase the brand’s offerings to their followers. Brands often pay influencers a fee to create sponsored content on social media. The goal is to build trust and drive engagement with a product or service in a more authentic way than traditional advertisements. These campaigns can include sponsored posts, giveaways, affiliate links, product reviews, and more.

Have you ever bought something just because your favorite influencer suggested it? I guess most people would have. Similarly, did you follow a new trend that is going viral on the internet? Like Dubai chocolate or Erewhon smoothies? Influencer partnerships and trends have power over our behaviors and desires. We want what we see from other people. Ideally, other people that we like or idolize. Brands use this connection between an influencer and the people to sell more of their products. Everybody loves the cute pop-girlie Sabrina Carpenter, so many people are inclined to try Sabrina Carpenter’s special Erewhon smoothie. Similarly, Hailey Bieber has an interesting power of creating make-up trends and promoting her make-up and skincare products. Did you try Glazed Donut make-up or chrome nails? These examples show the effect of influencer personas on consumer behaviors.

What Do Different Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns with Macro Influencers Look Like?

Influencer marketing campaigns can take many forms depending on the brand’s goals and the type of influencer being used. Brand partnerships are a critical source of income for influencers, emphasizing their role in influencer marketing. Some common types include:

• Sponsored Content: The influencer is paid to create content that promotes the brand, such as Instagram posts, YouTube videos, or blog articles.

• Product Reviews: Influencers try a product or service and share their honest reviews with their audience.

• Giveaways: The influencer promotes a giveaway in exchange for engaging with the brand’s product or service.

• Affiliate Marketing: Influencers promote a brand through unique affiliate links, earning a commission on sales generated through their content.

• Brand Ambassadorships: Long-term partnerships where an influencer consistently promotes a brand over a period of time.

• Event Promotion: Influencers attend and promote events like product launches or brand-sponsored events to their followers.

• Co-Creation: Brands collaborate with influencers on content creation, allowing the influencer’s creativity to merge with the brand’s marketing objectives.

There are many different types of influencer marketing campaigns since creativity is a key characteristic of content creation. Some of these different types of influencer marketing campaigns are: sponsored content, product reviews, giveaways, brand ambassadorship, event promotion, and co-creation.

Things to Consider When Choosing Social Media Influencers for Your Brand

When selecting an influencer for a marketing campaign, there are several important factors to consider: Established influencers, who have successfully built a significant online presence and follower base, can generate income through personal projects and have a broad reach, making them influential in the marketing landscape.

• Relevance: The influencer’s content and audience should align with your brand’s message and target demographic.

• Engagement Rate: High follower numbers are not enough; you should focus on how engaged the audience is with the influencer’s content.

• Authenticity: Choose influencers who genuinely align with your brand values, as authenticity resonates more with audiences.

• Reach: Consider the influencer’s reach. A macro-influencer may offer a larger audience, while a micro-influencer might deliver higher engagement in a specific niche.

• Past Campaigns: Review the influencer’s previous partnerships to ensure they maintain a positive reputation and have a successful campaign history.

• Budget: Influencer fees can vary widely, so be sure to select someone within your budget while still maintaining quality.

Influencer partnerships are one of the best organic options for brands to connect with their customers. However, brands should be careful before choosing an influencer to collaborate with. Brands should consider the relevance, engagement rate, authenticity, reach, portfolio, and the budget of the influencer.

Steps to Execute a Successful Influencer Campaign

Executing an influencer marketing campaign requires a clear strategy and careful planning. Here’s a simple breakdown of the steps:

1. Set Clear Objectives: Determine what you want to achieve with your campaign—brand awareness, sales, leads, or content creation.

2. Choose the Right Influencer: Select an influencer who aligns with your brand values and has an engaged audience that fits your target market.

3. Define Your Budget: Decide how much you are willing to spend and negotiate fees based on the influencer’s reach and influence.

4. Create Engaging Content: Work with your influencer to create content that resonates with their audience while staying true to your brand message. Influencers strategically use social media channels to promote products and engage their audiences.

5. Track Results: Monitor the campaign’s performance by tracking engagement, click-through rates, conversions, and ROI.

6. Optimize and Adjust: Analyze the results and adjust your strategy as needed to optimize for better performance in future campaigns.

The first step in creating a successful campaign is having a clear goal and objective about the campaign. After your goals are clear, you can search for and find the right influencer. You can discuss the issue of budget with some influencers, and then you can start the content creation phase.  After you decide on a content, all you need to do is to wait and monitor the engagement rates of the campaign. Based on the responses to the campaign you can make necessary adjustments.

7 Examples of Successful Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Influencer marketing campaigns can lead to remarkable results when executed well. Below are seven successful examples that made waves in their respective years:

1. Campaign: #GlazedDonutSkin by Rhode Skin

• Brand: Rhode Skin
• Influencer: Hailey Bieber
• Reach: Viral TikTok and Instagram engagement; millions of posts under #GlazedDonutSkin
• Impact: Positioned Rhode Skin as a trendsetting skincare brand, leading to high product demand and sell-outs.
• Key Points: Leveraged Hailey’s natural brand alignment, authenticity, and creation of a relatable beauty trend. Hailey Bieber has such high brand alignment and a specific brand image that almost everything she does has the potential to become a trend.

2. Campaign: Glossier x Influencers (2017-ongoing)

• Brand: Glossier
• Influencers: Micro-influencers in beauty and fashion
• Reach: Over 2 million Instagram followers
• Impact: Built a loyal community, helping Glossier grow into a $1 billion brand
• Key Points: Authenticity, strong focus on community engagement, word-of-mouth marketing.

3. Campaign: Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke Campaign (2014)

• Brand: Coca-Cola
• Influencers: Various micro-influencers, celebrities, and fans
• Reach: Over 6 million social media posts
• Impact: Sparked the "Share a Coke" trend, increased sales by 4%
• Key Points: Personalization and emotional connection with the audience.

4. Campaign: Fenty Beauty x Rihanna (2017)

• Brand: Fenty Beauty
• Influencer: Rihanna
• Reach: Millions on social media, a global fan base
• Impact: Disrupted the beauty industry with inclusive beauty standards, reached $72 million in sales in just one month
• Key Points: Strong alignment between influencer and product, groundbreaking inclusivity in the beauty industry.

5. Campaign: Airbnb x Influencers (2015)

• Brand: Airbnb
• Influencers: Travel bloggers and influencers
• Reach: Reached millions of travelers worldwide
• Impact: Expanded Airbnb’s reach, leading to a significant increase in bookings
• Key Points: Travel experiences, leveraging influencers to build trust with new users.

6. Campaign: Charlotte Tilbury x Iconic Influencers

• Brand: Charlotte Tilbury
• Influencer: Beauty icons like Nikki Tutorials and James Charles
• Reach: Millions of views on YouTube and Instagram; viral attention on Pillow Talk products.
• Impact: Elevated Pillow Talk to cult status and boosted Charlotte Tilbury’s global sales.
• Key Points: Collaborated with trusted beauty influencers, focused on a hero product and combined storytelling with expertise.

7. Campaign: NARS x Eylül Sani

• Brand: NARS Cosmetics
• Influencer: Eylül Sani
• Reach: High engagement on TikTok through short and practical makeup tutorials.
• Impact: Successfully connected with Gen Z and increased visibility for NARS' iconic products.
• Key Points: Authentic content creation, relatable influencer, and strong presence on a growing platform like TikTok.

Becoming a Social Media Influencer

Becoming a social media influencer requires a combination of marketing skills, creativity, and consistency. Here are some steps to help you get started:

1. Choose a Niche: Identify a particular area of expertise or interest that you want to focus on. This will help you attract a specific audience and establish your credibility in that niche.

2. Create High-Quality Content: Develop a content strategy that showcases your expertise and provides valuable insights to your audience. Use high-quality visuals, engaging captions, and relevant hashtags to make your content stand out on social media platforms.

3. Build Your Audience: Engage with your followers by responding to comments, asking questions, and creating interactive content. Use social media analytics to track your performance and understand what resonates with your audience. Collaborate with other influencers and brands to expand your reach.

4. Develop a Brand Partnership Strategy: Reach out to brands that align with your niche and values, and propose collaboration opportunities. Offer services such as sponsored posts, product reviews, or social media takeovers to showcase your influence and marketing skills.

5. Stay Consistent: Regularly post high-quality content, engage with your audience, and adapt to changes in the social media landscape. Consistency is key to maintaining your influence and growing your following.

By following these steps, you can establish yourself as a social media influencer and build a loyal following. Remember to stay authentic, engage with your audience, and provide valuable insights to maintain your influence and credibility.

FAQ About Social Media Influencers

What brands use influencer marketing?

In today’s digitalized world, using influencer marketing is a natural practice. Many global brands use influencer marketing, including Nike, Coca-Cola, Glossier, Fenty Beauty, NARS, AirBnb, Charlotte Tilbury and many others in various industries such as fashion, beauty, health, tech, and lifestyle. Every different industry has its own influencer and everyone can find some influencer to follow depending on their own interests and preferences. The right alignment between an influencer’s own personal branding and the brand's branding is necessary to access the customers and achieve the best possible results.

 Who are the Top 10 influencers?

The top influencers often change, but some of the leading figures in recent years include:

1. Nikkie de Jager (NikkieTutorials): NikkieTutorials is a beauty and empowerment-focused content creator. She is known for her engaging makeup tutorials and empowering coming-out story, Nikkie promotes authenticity and creativity in the beauty space. Nikkie was not feeling ready to reveal her coming-out story, however she was blackmailed by some ill-intended individuals. She decided to reveal the facts and be the owner of her own narrative. Nikkie showed great courage and set an example of empowerment for others with her authenticity and resilience.

2. Emma Chamberlain: Emma is a lifestyle and fashion influencer. She captivates audiences with her quirky personality, casual style, and candid vlogs, reshaping Gen Z’s view of influencer content. She has some key characteristics like her love for coffee and natural self-expressions. She started as a small and relatable character and scaled her career up to hosting some celebrity events. Although many of her fans support Emma’s career arc, there are many others who claim she is not “relatable” anymore. 

3. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson): MrBeast is a YouTube creator known for his elaborate challenges, massive giveaways, and philanthropic endeavors. His videos, such as recreating "Squid Game" and donating millions to charity, highlight his creativity and generosity, making him a favorite among global audiences.

4. PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg): PewDiePie gained fame through gaming content, especially Let’s Play videos, and later diversified into reaction and meme content. His humor and unique editing style have made him an enduring YouTube personality.

5. Huda Kattan: Huda is a beauty entrepreneur and influencer who started with makeup tutorials on YouTube and now runs her globally recognized brand, Huda Beauty. She’s a leader in product innovation and inclusivity within the beauty industry. Huda Beauty products now have a stable position in Sephoras and continue being user favorites with their high-quality and engaging products.

6. Markiplier (Mark Fischbach): Markiplier is a gaming YouTuber celebrated for his engaging gameplay videos and creative projects like A Heist with Markiplier. He blends entertainment with philanthropy, often supporting charitable causes.

7. Dr. Mike Varshavski: Dr. Mike is a medical professional and content creator who simplifies complex health topics with humor and relatability. His videos aim to educate and entertain audiences on wellness and healthcare.

8. Charli D’Amelio: Charli is a TikTok star who rose to fame with dance videos and later expanded into lifestyle content. Her relatable personality and collaborations have made her a top influencer on social media. Charli and her sister Dixie gained their top popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic, their brand and engagement seemed to be going downhill with some unsuccessful brand launch attempts. Still, fans are supporting Charli and Dixie.

9. Chiara Ferragni: Chiara is a fashion influencer and entrepreneur whose blog, The Blonde Salad, turned into a global brand. Her content combines luxury fashion, travel, and family life, inspiring her millions of followers.

10. Bretman Rock: Bretman Rock is a beauty and entertainment content creator. A charismatic creator blending makeup tutorials with humor and lifestyle content, Bretman is a favorite for his unfiltered and relatable personality.

How brands are using influencers in the Influencer Marketing Industry?

Brands use influencers in various ways, such as through sponsored content, product reviews, giveaways, affiliate marketing, brand ambassadorships, and co-creation. The goal is to reach a highly engaged audience with authentic, relatable content that drives consumer action. Influencer partnerships are a great way of connecting with their audiences for brands. Brands usually look unrelatable to consumers, however influencers are much more authentic and relatable. Fostering an authentic and relatable brand image as a brand can be very challenging and costly. On the other hand, just working with an influencer who has this image already settled is much easier.