I can't remember the last time I saw any positive coverage concerning social media influencers, bloggers or vloggers so I decided to write my own and try to balance all of this negativity going around. These people are followed by millions of people - these people aren't going to follow someone they hate or are against for everything they stand for? I think a little perspective is needed in terms of online influencers. Here's a quick look at some of the positive impacts social media influencers can have:
They raise awareness
Bloggers, vloggers and social media influencers have millions and millions of followers across different platforms online and this is often an incredible platform to promote a product, charity or message, to start campaigns and share something they're passionate about and more. I'm sure instead of a news story about 6 or 7 influencers that have broken the rules, we'd rather read a story about how much money influencers have raised for charity and the change they've made (or at least have both).They create communities
These influencers tend to have a niche, even within the PR blogging community everyone sparks conversation and learns from each other over a common interest. As these influencers are building communities over a common interest, their audience tends to be very niche and is the perfect way for brands to select which influencer to work with depending on their audiences and interests.They're normally happy to chat!
My undergraduate degree is actually in Broadcast Journalism, and I've found one main crossover with that and PR is that when finding sources and people to talk to, social media influencers are usually happy to talk compared to your standard 'celebrity'. At the end of the day the world is a lonely place when you're working for yourself! The one perk of them working on social media is that they're ALWAYS online, there's always an expert blogger or vlogger on any topic, it's like having a whole host of experts at the click of a button!They provide FREE entertainment
Free entertainment is often difficult to come by in this day and age. Unlike a newspaper, magazine or Netflix account, you don't have to pay a penny to follow a social media account, watch a YouTube video or read a blog, it's all completely free! There are millions of profiles from across the world providing tonnes of FREE content for us all to consume everything from the latest make up trends to holiday ideas. This is an element of influencer work that should be celebrated and in my opinion more credit should be given to all of those who share their passions online to help and inspire others.It still to this day blows my mind that I can search a geotag on Instagram for a destination I'm planning on visiting and can plan out where to eat, what to see and where the best photo spots are at the destination, Instagram shows us much more than Tripadvisor or a holiday brochure ever could!
They're normal people
I think the one thing about influencers that most people forget they're actually just normal people (or at least they start out like that). Most 'social media influencers' juggle careers, life AND work hard on their blogs, vlogs and profiles because of their passion for it. I'd love to see more support for everyone and the fact that there are so many people worldwide working their socks off, being proactive because it's what they love to do - don't let a few bad eggs ruin the dozen!What do you think? Do you think we need to be thinking more about the positive impact of these influencers? Let me know below!
Beth x
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