What Is an Influencer? Audience Plus Credibility

In plain English

Two things are required: an audience, and enough credibility with it that a recommendation carries weight. Plenty of accounts have the first and not the second.

Which is why follower count is a poor selection criterion. A smaller audience that trusts the person outperforms a larger one that scrolls past.

What to know

Audience and trust

Both are required.

Category-specific

Credibility rarely transfers between subjects.

Assessed on engagement

Comment quality tells you more than follower count.

Disclosure required

Paid recommendations must be declared.

Why it matters

Influence is narrow. Someone trusted on one subject has no particular authority on another, and partnerships that ignore this produce recommendations nobody believes.

Common mistakes

×Selecting on follower count.

×Ignoring whether the audience matches yours.

×Partnering outside the person's actual area of credibility.

×No check on whether the engagement looks genuine.

FAQs

How do I assess an influencer?

Read their comments. Genuine engagement is obvious, and so is its absence.

Micro or macro?

Micro usually converts better per pound; macro delivers reach and signalling.

WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM

Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.

I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.

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