What is a Digital Influencer?

Today we have a guest post from Arlene Foy. Arlene has an avid interest in all things consumer, social media and technology related. She is part of the PR team working at Fuzion’s Dublin office. Arlene’s love of writing stems from years of following her public relations career path and focusing on her interests. You can find Arlene on Twitter here.

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“I am social media”

How many of us can actually say this?

Technology expansion and Social Media takeover is a global conversation that is always there to be had. It has vastly taken over person to person conversations but it has also enhanced it, by allowing us to have our face to face conversations in several different ways through Apps and to be honest I really think this is fantastic!

However, these advancements have opened up a whole new careers sector of ‘Digital Influencers’, a new role that is not just about having a job, it’s a lifestyle and a way of expression, doing what you love and sharing it with others.

So what is a ‘Digital Influencer’?

For me it is someone who exists across multiple platforms and through sharing their thoughts, skills, lifestyle, likes, dislikes and discoveries with a dash of personality have carefully nurtured an online following of people, who are genuinely interested in what they have to offer or live to criticise their being!

So how has this simple thought sharing activity grown so much that it is now a sought after career?

Recent findings from the Sermo Digital Influencer Index, shows us that bloggers/influencers have extended their reach and influence by creating a multi-platform presence in a global, female dominated “Industry” – yes I think it has grown so much that it can now be referred to as its own industry!

The research also showed that because of access to these other platforms, blog readership figures are falling and Instagram is leading the way because it is the one platform that allows users to be visually appealing and is a somewhat compact version of Facebook and Twitter with a higher rate of engagement. Another interesting finding was that Digital Influencers were now creating multilingual content to achieve global status and inherit more followers – smart!

Many Digital Influencers have built a solid and lucrative business from doing what they love and showing people who they are.

Much of their business includes brand collaborations, affiliation sales, charging for posts or mentions and making appearances to name a few! This has worked quite well for some of Ireland’s Digital Influencers and Sermo paid recognition to Ireland’s Top 10 with one particular influencer making the Global Top 16, Suzanne Jackson of SoSueMe. (see below for full list)

The PR world is very much aware of the Digital Influencer world and many are now staple contacts in all PR agency press databases.

Here are some of our top Digital Influencers:

Suzanne Jackson – So Sue Me  @SoSueMe_ie

Pippa O’Connor – pippa.ie @pipsypie

Joanne Larby – The Make Up Fairy @MakeUpFairyPro

Lisa Jordan- Just Jordan @JustJordanBlog

James Butler – Jus de James @JamesPatrice

Marissa Carter – Coco Brown @CarterMarissa

Grace Mongey – Faces by Grace @FacesByGrace

Rosie Connelly – Hearts Heels and Handbags @rosieconnolly

Sermo Digital Influencer Index:

Top 10 – Ireland

So Sue Me – Suzanne Jackson Pippa – Pippa O’Connor Chloe Boucher Anouska  – Anouska Proetta Brandon Thunder & Threads – Leanne Woodfull

Erika Fox – Retro Flame My Name is Vogue – Vogue Williams James Patrice – James Butler Penny and Polaroids – Nuala Gorham Ciara Doherty – Ciara Doherty

Rising Stars

• Lauren Bejaoui
• The Daily S’elf – Nadia el Ferdaoussi
• Catherine Poulain

You can take a look at the full Sermo Digital Infuencer Index on this link.