What is an Influencer?

An influencer is an individual who has built a reputation and following based on their expertise, authenticity, or lifestyle in a specific niche. These content creators have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of their audience due to their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their followers.

Influencers range from celebrities with millions of followers to micro-influencers with smaller but highly engaged audiences centered around specific topics or communities.

Types of social media influencers

Influencers are typically categorized by both their follower count and their content niche:

By audience size:

Nano-influencers: 1,000-10,000 followers
Micro-influencers: 10,000-100,000 followers
Macro-influencers: 100,000-1 million followers
Mega-influencers: 1 million+ followers

By content category:

Fashion and beauty
Fitness and health
Travel and lifestyle
Food and cooking
Technology and gaming
Business and entrepreneurship
Parenting and family
And many more specialized niches

Influencers are a key part of modern brand strategies, especially on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.