That's What She Said

Dear Influencers,

I am so proud of you for finding a place in the world that you feel comfortable. It is so great that in this digital age, you have the opportunity to support your family by sharing your favorite products and influencing others to buy them and in a sense, help your followers to become more like you. However, I want to take a deep dive into your title of "influencer" and take a look at how this term has changed over the years.

                        

King Henry VIII

King henry - once titled "defender" of the Catholic church, Henry's personal circumstances would drive him to break his Catholic ties and found the Church of England. He used his influence in the public sphere to mix things up and make big moves. Mainly, leaving the Catholic church and influencing others to join the Church of England.

Henry VIII has always seemed to embody true monarchy. Even when everyone hated him for the person he was, people still fell into his influence and chose to follow him.  He also had done something toward giving it a better government, a useful navy, a start on religious reform and social improvement. 

Even his evil deeds, never forgotten, have been somehow turned into a memory of greatness because he gave his nation what it wanted: a visible symbol of its nationhood.

We know many people like Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others took a stand and influenced others to join their cause in human rights.

Modern Day "Influencers"

Social media Influencer is a new job title that we have come to give to women using social media to promote businesses & their favorite products in this digital age. "The digital age profits from mass interconnectivity across many overlapping networks, and individuals and organizations are able to leverage their influence by way of collaborative tools and various communications platforms."

I would be so bold to say that influencers would not be the correct word for these social media ambassadors. As a social media marketer, I see the “influence” these influencers have on our business. Many women claim that they are influencing other women to be or act a certain way, when in reality, they are promoting brands and hope their followers purchase what they are promoting.

To be a social media ambassador is not a bad thing. The fact that so many women can now support their families by sharing their products is a great thing. Digital individuality is known to “empower individuals by giving them access to knowledge and tools for self-realization, expression, and participation”

In the Romantic era, we learn that people were able to "champion individual thought, genius, and originality." Content creating for influencers is an art form, and we appreciate your ability to think outside the box to incorporate businesses products into your life!

I think we need to be realistic in the way we describe things and how we look at things in this digital age. Let's call it what it is and say people that have a true influence are those that help nations of people, help human rights and make differences within their community and nation. This does not mean that people can't use social media platforms to influence others, but I think we should be clear in the kind of influence we have on others and what it is we are "influencing" them to do.