Instagram influencers, the new digital gurus

The term "influencer" refers to digital opinion leaders who, through an Instagram post or YouTube video, can change buying behavior.

The term "influencer" has acquired considerable importance in the contemporary digital world. It refers to individuals who, thanks to their presence on digital platforms such as Instagram or YouTube, have the ability to affect the purchasing behavior and opinions of a large audience. These digital opinion leaders have a remarkable influence, often surpassing that of traditional media such as magazines.

Who's behind our favorite Instagram accounts, and why are brands losing their minds over instagram influencers?

"I'm in Saint-Martin for the next two weeks. Then I'm planning a hop home to Paris, before heading off to Rome and then LA ... all before the end of the month". It's impossible not to feel jealous: trips to top-trend destinations, fabulous clothes, endless parties washed down with surprising cocktails... Who doesn't dream of having the life of an Instagram influencer?

And yet, reality is much different - and more complicated - than our screens let us believe.

Let's start with the term "influencer": this refers to digital opinion leaders who, through an Instagram post or a YouTube video, can change the buying behavior of more people than a dozen magazines put together. They are trendsetters.

The instagram influencer, a true businesswoman

After all, what does an Instagram influencer do besides travel for free, receive products and take selfies, or in the influencer's case, force her "Instagram husband" to adopt the role of volunteer photographer?

"I try to give myself 1 day off every two weeks", told us. Mademoiselle Valérie. The job of influencer is therefore much more time-consuming than you might think. It's a full-time job, and requires a lot of hard work.

"Having a blog means being connected all the time: evenings, weekends and even vacations, when you'd like to take a break from it all, but it's hard to do. Even so, I'm finding it harder and harder to let go of this whole universe, it's fascinating."
The blogger tells us Eva Senzacqua

All instagram influencers ont du mal parfois à gérer leurs vies de famille et leurs boulots de d’influenceur, comme notre influenceuse Karenou Tichat who explains how difficult it is to reconcile the two: "Joker? No, seriously, it's very, very difficult. I try to divide my time and do the best I can. As they say, "no pain, no gain".

Everything can go very fast

Our blogger "Mademoiselle Valérie" embarked on the #influencer adventure in January 2016, in just 1 and a half years she has managed to be followed by over 60,000 people on Instagram. Just goes to show that with hard work, anything is possible!
"Perseverance, because it's a job that requires a lot of patience; it took me over a year before I had my first sponsored post or my first paid partnerships."

However, once the blog is up and running, and your name starts to stand out, things happen very quickly! Travel, sponsored posts, brand contacts, invitations and more can become your daily routine, but as Mademoiselle Valérie told us, you have to be persistent!

A quick scroll through her account reveals the reason: in her photos, the beautiful mademoiselle Valérie is at a BALMAIN fashion show, at the Fairmont Hotel in Barcelona and at a launch for the famous Clan Campbell DARK whisky. What her fans don't know is that a life of supposedly perpetual idleness demands maximum effort.

"The important thing is personality".

Influencers often have a personality that sets them apart, and they are propelled into the limelight as leaders, trend-setters to be followed and emulated.

This is what makes them trendsetters, products and brands. Hence the term "gurus", because in 1 post, they can launch a fashion trend, since they are followed by thousands of young people who will do the same the very next day.

They therefore play an essential role in the brand communication today. Sponsored articles, product swaps, remuneration - all techniques are used to get influencers talking about advertisers' brands, as this can change their image completely.

Any examples? Detox fashion (So Shape, Dietox, Skinnymint Teatox)

This trend has only become known through social networks and influencers. They are the new digital gurus.

The influence exerted by these web personalities is not limited to passive product promotion. They interact with their audience, answering their questions and creating content that resonates with their community. This ongoing interaction reinforces their credibility and influence.

Influencers: The New Opinion Leaders

Influencers are above all content creators, able to captivate massive audiences thanks to their authenticity, expertise in a specific field, or ability to entertain. They build relationships of trust with their followers, making them particularly effective in promoting products or services.

L’influence numérique des influenceurs est profonde et étendue. Une simple publication sur Instagram ou une vidéo sur YouTube peut atteindre des millions de personnes en un instant. Cette portée massive, couplée à un engagement de qualité, peut transformer efficacement les tendances de consommation et les comportements d’achat.

Influencers play a crucial role as trendsetters. They don't just follow trends; they create them. Thanks to their intuitive understanding of their audience's wants and needs, they are often at the forefront of the latest trends, whether in fashion, technology, beauty, travel or any other field.

Thinking strategy with brands

While instagram influencers are living fashion, newspaper websites are doing articles on the 10 best dresses of Cannes... Without even saying which is their favorite and why. As a result, we're losing money. In itself, it's very simple: when you produce bad content, it's because nobody's going to look at it.

As we explain Erica Black Sapes : « Je n’ai pas du tout envie de me transformer en « télé achat ». Je ne sélectionne que ce qui me plaît, me correspond, me semble Intéressant. Je ne fais pas la course aux collaborations ! »

Quality content addressed to the right target audience remains its priority. Personality, originality and participation: these are the three guidelines. To motivate Instagram influencers and their audiences, brands need to collaborate with them.

Like our influencer Nolwenn dls who explains: "My Nolwenn dls account is there to show them that you can feel good about yourself, even if you haven't had Nicky's buttocks done! Minajand a not suction-cup lips to unclog the sink!

In today's digital age, influencers are more than just content creators. They are vectors of change, opinion leaders who shape the perceptions and buying habits of a large part of the population. Their role in setting trends and promoting brands is now indisputable, and continues to evolve with the digital landscape.
You can also become a member of Value Your Network and become one of our influencers!

To become an advertiser and launch a campaign with influencers, please contact us at the following address: contact@valueyournetwork.com to launch your next influencer campaign.