Introduction to OSP: Influencers blog tasks

 1) What years did YouTube, Twitter and Instagram launch?

YouTube in 2005, Twitter in 2006, and in 2010, Instagram 

2) What is the definition of an influencer?

They haver a large, devoted following, who give their followers access to a carefully curated version of their lives. In this “authentic” context, sponsored content, known as “sponcon”, has proved a potent tool for selling products.

3) Give an example of an influencer and how many followers they have. Try and add some additional information, brand associations or other statistics if you can.

KSI- 24.8 million subscribers on his main channel 

4) How big is the influencer industry according to the article?

By the end of 2019, the influencer marketing industry was worth some $8bn a year. One recent report by Insider Intelligence predicted that it would grow to $15bn globally by the end of 2022. The tech consultant SignalFire thinks that “the creator economy” – built by those who post and monetise content online – employs more than 50 million people, and is the fastest-growing sector for small businesses in the world.

5) What are the problems associated with being an influencer?

There are the endless hours spent preparing for photo shoots, arranging photographers, changing outfits in cramped “pop-up tents”, editing photos and thinking up envy-inducing captions and hashtags. Demanding clients often force them to endlessly re-shoot photos or videos until they come out just right. There’s the pressure of always seeking to increase your follower count to drive up revenues. But arguably the toughest part, says Amy Hart (1.1 million followers), is negotiating payment in a crowded market. After all, she says, “there are a lot of me. If I turn around and say, ‘No, I want this’, they’ll say, ‘Okay, cool, we’ll go to one of the other 1,500 people who’d be happy to do this’.”

6) Why is it suggested that audiences actually like being sold products by influencers?

Some fledgling influencers even put out fake sponcon, on the grounds that the more sponsors you have, the more credibility it gives. An influencer culture has developed – or more accurately a series of cultures. The prevailing Instagram culture mixes rampant consumerism with inspirational bromides about self-worth, personal growth and “wellness”.

7) What representation of beauty is often found on Instagram or other influencer sites?

 It has been accused of propagating an unrealistic version of beauty.

8) What is YOUR opinion on influencers? Are they a positive or negative influence on our society and culture? Why?

I think there are both positive and negative things about influencers due to the diversity of people who are able to become influencers.I believe this as a person could be an influencer who is a bad person and may convince people to do wrong actions but there are also many kind people who promote healthy habits and help others.