Social Media Influencers – Separating Real From Myth?

TL;DR

The article explores social media influencers, who have significant followings and can influence purchasing decisions. They are classified into categories based on their follower count, and their earnings can range from $100 to $1,628 per post. The article also covers the history of social media platforms and the evolution of influencers, including early adopters like mommy bloggers and notable influencers like Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Pirillo, and Perez Hilton. It discusses the industry’s value, expected to reach $25 billion by 2025, and how influencers earn money through various channels.

This article is an in-depth analysis of the species of the genus homo that are known as Social Media Influencers and how they are changing the marketing paradigm in today’s world. The article is long, but it could’ve been longer. This is for those who like to see the table before sitting to bet big. Marketing is no joke and one should know about this fairly recent form of marketing and how to get the most out of it.

Is it big?

The social media Influencer marketing industry has already caught many eyes with a lot of influencers building a successful career irrespective of their educational background. It has given the power to anyone and everyone to get their talent out in front of the whole world. It has changed the way of marketing and businesses by giving a chance to every business, no matter how small it is, to reach heights irrespective of the presence of investors to back them up. Most companies have already seen great returns by investing in social media influencers for promoting their products to the right audience.

Global Influencer marketing is valued at a whopping 16.4 billion USD  and is constantly growing day by day. It is further expected to reach 25 billion dollars by 2025 (source). The USA alone spends 4.14 billion dollars on Influencer marketing and Instagram is the leading platform for marketers. It is expected that nearly one billion people will self-identify as a creator on social media in the next five years. All this data shows the potential of Influencer marketing in terms of spending money. 

Is it big?

The social media Influencer marketing industry has already caught many eyes with a lot of influencers building a successful career irrespective of their educational background. It has given the power to anyone and everyone to get their talent out in front of the whole world. It has changed the way of marketing and businesses by giving a chance to every business, no matter how small it is, to reach heights irrespective of the presence of investors to back them up. Most companies have already seen great returns by investing in social media influencers for promoting their products to the right audience.

Global Influencer marketing is valued at a whopping 16.4 billion USD  and is constantly growing day by day. It is further expected to reach 25 billion dollars by 2025 (source). The USA alone spends 4.14 billion dollars on Influencer marketing and Instagram is the leading platform for marketers. It is expected that nearly one billion people will self-identify as a creator on social media in the next five years. All this data shows the potential of Influencer marketing in terms of spending money. 

Who are the influencers and how do they influence?

Social media influencers are people who have a following on social media and use their following to promote products, services, or brands. They can be celebrities or just regular people who have a lot of followers on social media. A social media influencer can control or influence what people think and do. They are often popular on social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, which have many followers. Influencers don’t just publish content themselves. They also curate content from other people and make it more accessible to their audience. 

Further in this article, we are going to explore all about social media Influencers, from the evolution of the social media influencer industry to various channels of earnings to how much money social media influencers actually make. We will also delve into key insights of social media influencers whose influence has opened new heights in the Influencer Industry.

Who are the influencers and how do they influence?

Social media influencers are people who have a following on social media and use their following to promote products, services, or brands. They can be celebrities or just regular people who have a lot of followers on social media. A social media influencer can control or influence what people think and do. They are often popular on social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, which have many followers. Influencers don’t just publish content themselves. They also curate content from other people and make it more accessible to their audience. 

Further in this article, we are going to explore all about social media Influencers, from the evolution of the social media influencer industry to various channels of earnings to how much money social media influencers actually make. We will also delve into key insights of social media influencers whose influence has opened new heights in the Influencer Industry.

Evolution from mere mortals to Social Media Influencers!

To those who admire social media influencers, for them, they are their ideals! But ever wondered where and how Social Media Influencers came into our lives? Before we dig more into influencers, let’s get into a bit of the history of Social Media platforms in short. For many, Facebook or Orkut is the first thing to pop up in their heads as the first social media platform. Maybe for older souls, Myspace and Hi5 might ring some bells too. But surprisingly, before any of them and far before 2004, when Facebook was founded, there was ‘Six degrees’ which is arguably known as the very first social media platform to exist. Andrew Weinreich founded it in May 1996 with basic services of online profile-making, school affiliations, and a friends list. This platform gained over 35,00,000+ users in no time. After this, many social media platforms came to our eyes such as  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc., 

With the rise of Social media, the concept of “influencers” began to take shape. Anyone with a significantly large number of followers on social media platforms could wield significant influence over their audience. It’s difficult to identify the first social media influencer, as the concept of an “influencer” has evolved. Some mommy bloggers can build large followings and become influencers in their own right, and they are the trendsetter in the social media Influencer market by taking the first step. Using their platform to promote products and services related to parenting. Others use their blog as a way to document their experiences as a mother and connect with other mothers, without necessarily seeking to become social media influencers.

• Dooce: Heather Armstrong was one of the first people to become known as a mommy blogger, and her blog, “Dooce,” was one of the most popular blogs in the mid-2000s. She wrote about her experiences as a mother and her struggles with mental illness, and her blog gained a large following.
• The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond started her blog, “The Pioneer Woman,” in 2006 to document her life on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. The blog quickly gained a large following, and Drummond has since become a well-known media personality and influencer, with a successful food blog, cookbook, and television show.
• A Beautiful Mess: Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman started their blog, “A Beautiful Mess,” in 2007 to document their creative pursuits and family life. The blog quickly gained a large following, and Larson and Chapman have since become successful influencers, with a successful home decor and lifestyle brand.

Again, these are just a few examples of early mommy bloggers who were able to build large followings and influence others, and many other people were able to do the same in the early days of blogging. No one could’ve guessed that these mommy bloggers were not only the mother of their children but were also going to birth an entire field of the marketing industry, but here we are. God bless them!

Apart from mommy bloggers, some early adopters of social media who gained a large following were also able to use the platforms to “influence” others too. A few notable ones:

• Gary Vaynerchuk: One of the first people to become known as a social media influencer, Vaynerchuk used his Myspace page to promote his wine business in the mid-2000s. He has since become a successful entrepreneur and internet personality, with a large following on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
• Chris Pirillo: Pirillo was one of the first to use social media to build a personal brand as a Social media influencer, and was known for his tech-focused blog and YouTube channel in the mid-2000s. He has a large following on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
• Perez Hilton: Hilton gained fame in the mid-2000s for his celebrity gossip blog, which he promoted heavily on social media platforms such as Myspace and Twitter. He has since become a well-known media personality and social media influencer.

It’s worth noting that these are just a few examples of early social media influencers, and there were many other people who were able to build large followings and influence others on social media platforms in the early days of the internet.

During those days, that is, the infancy of influencer marketing, the money spent was definitely not even close to what is on the table today. Over the years we have seen and are seeing that social media platform is helping people to grow their audience as well as earnings. A social media influencer is someone who increases a brand’s visibility and helps others to choose an exemplary service or product. 

Evolution from mere mortals to Social Media Influencers!

To those who admire social media influencers, for them, they are their ideals! But ever wondered where and how Social Media Influencers came into our lives? Before we dig more into influencers, let’s get into a bit of the history of Social Media platforms in short. For many, Facebook or Orkut is the first thing to pop up in their heads as the first social media platform. Maybe for older souls, Myspace and Hi5 might ring some bells too. But surprisingly, before any of them and far before 2004, when Facebook was founded, there was ‘Six degrees’ which is arguably known as the very first social media platform to exist. Andrew Weinreich founded it in May 1996 with basic services of online profile-making, school affiliations, and a friends list. This platform gained over 35,00,000+ users in no time. After this, many social media platforms came to our eyes such as  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc., 

With the rise of Social media, the concept of “influencers” began to take shape. Anyone with a significantly large number of followers on social media platforms could wield significant influence over their audience. It’s difficult to identify the first social media influencer, as the concept of an “influencer” has evolved. Some mommy bloggers can build large followings and become influencers in their own right, and they are the trendsetter in the social media Influencer market by taking the first step. Using their platform to promote products and services related to parenting. Others use their blog as a way to document their experiences as a mother and connect with other mothers, without necessarily seeking to become social media influencers.

• Dooce: Heather Armstrong was one of the first people to become known as a mommy blogger, and her blog, “Dooce,” was one of the most popular blogs in the mid-2000s. She wrote about her experiences as a mother and her struggles with mental illness, and her blog gained a large following.
• The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond started her blog, “The Pioneer Woman,” in 2006 to document her life on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. The blog quickly gained a large following, and Drummond has since become a well-known media personality and influencer, with a successful food blog, cookbook, and television show.
• A Beautiful Mess: Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman started their blog, “A Beautiful Mess,” in 2007 to document their creative pursuits and family life. The blog quickly gained a large following, and Larson and Chapman have since become successful influencers, with a successful home decor and lifestyle brand.

Again, these are just a few examples of early mommy bloggers who were able to build large followings and influence others, and many other people were able to do the same in the early days of blogging. No one could’ve guessed that these mommy bloggers were not only the mother of their children but were also going to birth an entire field of the marketing industry, but here we are. God bless them!

Apart from mommy bloggers, some early adopters of social media who gained a large following were also able to use the platforms to “influence” others too. A few notable ones:

• Gary Vaynerchuk: One of the first people to become known as a social media influencer, Vaynerchuk used his Myspace page to promote his wine business in the mid-2000s. He has since become a successful entrepreneur and internet personality, with a large following on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
• Chris Pirillo: Pirillo was one of the first to use social media to build a personal brand as a Social media influencer, and was known for his tech-focused blog and YouTube channel in the mid-2000s. He has a large following on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
• Perez Hilton: Hilton gained fame in the mid-2000s for his celebrity gossip blog, which he promoted heavily on social media platforms such as Myspace and Twitter. He has since become a well-known media personality and social media influencer.

It’s worth noting that these are just a few examples of early social media influencers, and there were many other people who were able to build large followings and influence others on social media platforms in the early days of the internet.

During those days, that is, the infancy of influencer marketing, the money spent was definitely not even close to what is on the table today. Over the years we have seen and are seeing that social media platform is helping people to grow their audience as well as earnings. A social media influencer is someone who increases a brand’s visibility and helps others to choose an exemplary service or product. 

How much money brands are spending on Influencer marketing?

Here comes the money! Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular way for brands to reach and engage with their target audience, pronto, and many brands are allocating significant budgets for influencer marketing campaigns. According to a survey conducted by the Influencer Marketing Hub, the average influencer marketing budget for companies in the United States alone, in 2021 was $3.90 Billion and it is supposed to reach around a massive $7.14 Billion by 2024. That’s a whole lot of “illions”. However, some brands may spend much more on influencer marketing, depending on the scope and goals of the campaign. Below is a breakdown of how much of those “illions” were spent on which platform:

Instagram – $2231 million dollars (2022, USA)

Facebook – $739 million dollars (2022, USA)

YouTube – $948 million dollars (2022, USA)

Tiktok – $774 million dollars (2022, USA)

This is the total amount spent by brands on Influencer marketing in 2022 (Data for USA).

Do note that the amount that brands spend on influencer marketing can also vary based on the size and reach of the social media influencers, as well as the nature of the partnership. For example, a brand may pay a mega influencer with millions of followers a larger fee than they would pay a micro-influencer with a few thousand followers. Brands may also offer perks or incentives in addition to monetary compensation to influencers as part of a partnership.

How much money brands are spending on Influencer marketing?

Here comes the money! Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular way for brands to reach and engage with their target audience, pronto, and many brands are allocating significant budgets for influencer marketing campaigns. According to a survey conducted by the Influencer Marketing Hub, the average influencer marketing budget for companies in the United States alone, in 2021 was $3.90 Billion and it is supposed to reach around a massive $7.14 Billion by 2024. That’s a whole lot of “illions”. However, some brands may spend much more on influencer marketing, depending on the scope and goals of the campaign. Below is a breakdown of how much of those “illions” were spent on which platform:

Instagram – $2231 million dollars (2022, USA)

Facebook – $739 million dollars (2022, USA)

YouTube – $948 million dollars (2022, USA)

Tiktok – $774 million dollars (2022, USA)

This is the total amount spent by brands on Influencer marketing in 2022 (Data for USA).

Do note that the amount that brands spend on influencer marketing can also vary based on the size and reach of the social media influencers, as well as the nature of the partnership. For example, a brand may pay a mega influencer with millions of followers a larger fee than they would pay a micro-influencer with a few thousand followers. Brands may also offer perks or incentives in addition to monetary compensation to influencers as part of a partnership.

How many followers and how much money per post?

• Mega Influencers – A mega influencer is a term used to describe a social media influencer with a huge following. Mega Influencers are making an average of $1,628 per post (source). These individuals have the ability to reach and influence a large number of people through their social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Mega influencers often have followers in millions, and they may use their platform to promote products, share their lifestyles and interests, and engage with their followers. They may also collaborate with brands and businesses on sponsored content and other influencer marketing campaigns.

There are many examples of mega influencers across a variety of social media platforms. Chances are you already know them but just for clarity, here are some names:

Cristiano Ronaldo on Instagram

These are just a few examples, and there are many other mega influencers on various social media platforms with millions of followers. Some mega influencers focus on specific topics, such as beauty, fashion, travel, fitness, or politics, while others have a more general focus and appeal to a wide audience.

• Macro Influencers – Macro influencers are social media users who have a larger following than micro-influencers, but a smaller following than mega influencers. They typically have 500K to 100K followers (source) and may have a more general focus or appeal to a wider audience. They are making on average whopping $500-$1000 per post. Macro influencers often have the ability to reach and influence a larger number of people through their social media platforms, and they may work with brands and businesses on sponsored content and other social media influencer marketing campaigns. Like mega influencers and micro-influencers, macro influencers may focus on specific topics such as beauty, fashion, travel, or fitness, or they may have a more general focus.  

Here are a few examples of macro influencers:

• • Jenna Kutcher on Instagram and YouTube (focuses on entrepreneurship and personal development)
  • Rachel Hollis on Instagram and YouTube (focuses on personal development and lifestyle)
  • Camila Coelho on Instagram (focuses on fashion and beauty)
  • Casey Neistat on YouTube (focuses on vlogging and storytelling)
  • Danielle Bernstein on Instagram (focuses on fashion and lifestyle)

In addition to these macro influencers, there are many others with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of followers on various social media platforms. Macro influencers may have a specific focus or appeal to a wider audience, and they often have the ability to reach and influence a large number of people through their social media platforms.

• Micro-Influencers – Micro-influencers are social media users who have a smaller, more niche following than mega-influencers. They typically have 10K – 50K followers, and they often focus on a specific topic or industry. If we talk about the money, on average they are making $100 – $500 per post (source). Micro-influencers are considered to be more authentic and relatable than mega-influencers, and they often have a strong connection with their followers. Brands and businesses may work with micro-influencers to reach a specific target audience, as they can provide a more personalized and authentic form of marketing.

Here are a few examples of micro-influencers:

• • Emily Schuman on Instagram (focuses on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle)
  • Aimee Song on Instagram (focuses on fashion, interior design, and travel)
  • Lily Pebbles on YouTube (focuses on beauty and lifestyle)
  • Meaghan O’Connor on Instagram (focuses on fitness and wellness)
  • Jeanine Amapola on Instagram (focuses on food and travel)

Various social media platforms have many other micro-influencers with hundreds of thousands to many millions of followers, but these are just a few examples. Micro-influencers may focus on specific topics such as beauty, fashion, travel, or fitness, or they may have a more general focus. Brands and businesses may work with micro-influencers to reach a specific target audience or to add authenticity and credibility to their social media influencer marketing efforts.

• Mid-tier influencers – Mid-tier influencers are social media users who have a larger following than nano influencers and micro-influencers, but a smaller following than mega influencers. They typically have 50K-500K of followers, and they are making on average $500-$5K (source), and they may have a more general focus or appeal to a wider audience. Mid-tier influencers often have the ability to reach and influence a large number of people through their social media platforms, and they may work with brands and businesses on sponsored content and other influencer marketing campaigns. Like mega influencers, micro-influencers, and nano influencers, these social media influencers may focus on specific topics such as beauty, fashion, travel, or fitness, or they may have a more general focus.

Here are a few examples of mid-tier influencers:

• • Danielle Carolan on Instagram (focuses on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle)
  • Gary Vaynerchuk on Instagram and YouTube (focuses on business and entrepreneurship)
  • Rachel Brathen on Instagram (focuses on yoga and wellness)
  • Saffron Barker on YouTube (focuses on vlogging and lifestyle)
  • Hannah Bronfman on Instagram (focuses on fitness and wellness)

A few examples of mid-tier influencers with thousands to hundreds of thousands of followers can be found on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Mid-tier influencers may have a specific focus or appeal to a wider audience, and they often can reach and influence a large number of people through their social media platforms.

• Nano-Influencers – Nano-influencers are social media users who have a very small following, typically 1K – 10K followers. They are often considered to be more authentic and relatable than larger influencers, as they have a more personal connection with their followers. Nano influencers may have a specific focus or niche, and they may be experts in their field or have a unique perspective that resonates with their followers. Brands and businesses may work with these social media influencers to reach a specific target audience or to add authenticity and credibility to their influencer marketing efforts.

Nano influencers may make money in a variety of ways, such as through sponsored content, affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and selling products. The amount of money that nano influencers can make is $100 – $195, including their niche, the size of their following, and the demand for their content. Some nano influencers may also make money through donations or crowdfunding platforms like Patreon or Ko-fi.

Here are a few examples of nano influencers:

• • Katie Stone on Instagram (focuses on personal development and self-care)
  • Alex Elle on Instagram (focuses on poetry and personal development)
  • Frank Lipman on Instagram (focuses on health and wellness)
  • Katie Sturino on Instagram (focuses on fashion and body positivity)
  • Angie Lee on Instagram (focuses on entrepreneurship and personal development).

Famous Influencers and their take away:

Markets are brimming with social media influencers in and out. They have gained popularity with their unique content and with much hard work as well. Here are some of the most famous Influencers who are making a real impact on the world with a lot of hard work, creativity, and crazy-never-seen-before experiments:

Famous Influencers and their take away:

Markets are brimming with social media influencers in and out. They have gained popularity with their unique content and with much hard work as well. Here are some of the most famous Influencers who are making a real impact on the world with a lot of hard work, creativity, and crazy-never-seen-before experiments:

Mr. Beast – Jimmy Donaldson popularly known as Mr. Beast is an American YouTuber and social media influencer with over 124 million subscribers on Youtube. Mr. beast is making nearly $30 million as a social media Influencer, this is a very big number! He is well known for making stunt-making videos. Currently Mr. Beast is the fourth largest subscribed channel on the Youtube platform.

Mrwhosetheboss – Mrwhosetheboss is a very popular Youtube channel with over 12 million subscribers on Youtube run and hosted by Arun Rupesh Maini. He is making between $33.6K – $757K per year. His videos focus on tech and gadgets with a unique approach.

MKBHD – Marques Brownlee is an American Youtuber with more than 16.5 million subscribers on the platform and he is estimated to be earning a massive income of nearly $750,000 per month. This is a crazy number. Marques is also known for creating tech and gadget-related videos. He also has 4 million followers on Instagram and nearly 900k followers on Facebook. This puts him quite high on the list of top social media influencers.

Khaby Lame – Khabane ‘khaby’ lame is an Italian social media Influencer and very famous on Tiktok for his life hacks videos. Khaby’s lame earnings have already been revealed and he is making around $740,000 from his social media platforms. Khaby lame is the most followed personality on Tiktok. Currently, he has over 151.3 million followers on Tiktok.

The sources of all this money the social media Influencers make?

There are several ways that social media influencers can make money:

Why do companies hire Influencers to market their products and services?

Most brands hire social media experts or Social media Influencers to succeed in their content strategy and to sell their products and services. Social media Influencers have a large audience and followers which attracts many brands for collaborations regarding offerings. Almost 84 percent of U.S. brands use influencer marketing and spend on average $1,000 per Instagram post, according to a study by Mediakix.

Moreover, 76% of marketers said they prefer to work with social media influencers who have at least 10,000 Instagram followers, while 58% said they would pay more for posts from influencers who have more than 100,000 followers.

The main reason why companies hire social media influencers is that they can reach a large audience at an affordable cost. Social media influencers tend to have a much bigger following than traditional celebrities, which means that they can get more people with their social media influencer marketing message.

What’s the bond between social media marketing agencies and influencers?

Social media marketing agencies can help influencers in several ways:

By working with a social media management agency, social media influencers can focus on creating content and engaging with their followers, while the influencer marketing agency handles business. This can be especially helpful for influencers who are just starting out and may not have experience working with brands. You can get in touch with us for social media management and Influencer marketing services by visiting – https://www.epiphanyinfotech.com/social-media-management/

So, what’s the final word?

Social media is the best way to increase your and your business’s popularity, there is no doubt about it. But, it can also help you test your product and its demand. Businesses don’t fail, but products might. And data might help you understand your next step to make a winning product. As a business, you just need to figure out your right audience and strategize your influencer marketing goals step-by-step to reach your desired returns. So don’t wait for your time to come! Your time is already in. Whether you find becoming a social media influencer intriguing or just looking to grow your business online, you cannot miss Social Media Marketing. As a business, if your product needs an easy head start to gain visibility, social media is non-negotiably your go-to marketing channel. While, if you are a social media influencer, on the other hand, having some extra hands to expand your channel, is going to fast-track your growth.

Looking for a team that you can rely on and grow with? Check out Social Media Management pricing and plans here and request a free quote today!