An Exploration of Social Media Users’ Desires to Become Social Media Influencers

Abstract

With increased social media (SM) use, users are becoming frequently more exposed to SM influencers. This study aimed to explore SM influencer aspirations among young adults, specifically investigating the desire and rationale to become a SM influencer. Moreover, aspirations of becoming a SM influencer were explored by perceptions of SM influencers and SM use. The sample included 769 young Canadians (aged 16–30) who were mainly women ( n = 599, 79%). Overall, 29 (4%) participants considered themselves to be SM influencers, whereas 579 (75%) participants reported that they wanted to ( maybe or yes) become a SM influencer. The top three reasons for wanting to be an influencer were money, the opportunity to try new products or services, and it’s fun work. In addition, having certain perceptions of SM influencers (e.g., knowing an influencer, or having been influenced) significantly predicted the desire to be a SM influencer ( p < 0.001). Moreover, certain SM usage patterns (e.g., time spent on SM) significantly predicted the desire to be a SM influencer ( p < 0.001). These findings could help researchers understand the impact of SM influencers on their followers and the potential reasons why SM users aspire to become SM influencers themselves.