Introduction to OSP: Influencers blog tasks

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

YouTube was launched in 2005 and Twitter was launched in the year 2006 where as in 2010 Instagram was launched. 

2) What is the definition of an influencer?

A social Media influencer, is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. This person has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of there authenticity and reach.

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.

An example of an influencer is Nicki Minaj who wore a pair of bejewelled pink Crocs shoes on Instagram, where she has 136 million followers; demand for pink Crocs spiked 4,900% in hours. 

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

The influencer industry was worth by the end of 2019, $8 billion a year. Now, by a recent report, by the end of 2022, it would be worth $15 billion globally.  

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

The problems associated with being an influencer is that people online take advantage. This is because industries promote famous influencers online to promote their products.

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

This is because audiences already know the influencers that are trying to get the product sold to them. Whatever the influencer buy's the audience will follow e.g Parable Of the Sheep.

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

The representation of beauty that is found on Instagram is the "Instagram face". The "Instagram face" is a young girls face with poreless skin and plump high cheekbones with long lashes and full lips which are left generally without no lipstick/lip gloss on. An example of an influencer that has the "Instagram face" is a model called Bella Hadid who has 42 million followers online.

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

I think that influencers are a positive and negative to our society and culture. This is because influencers online take advantage of their followers they have online and make them buy products that the industry have told the influencer to promote. E.G Morgz who tried to promote an app called the Mystery Box which worked but got caught out that he was getting paid to react to whatever fake prize he got from it. On the other hand, influencers are a positive too such as other people who are following the influencer they can pick up new things of what the influencer shows and then they can share the same idea's of the influencer to their friends or family.