What is an influencer?

A social media user who affects others' behaviors

An influencer is a popular social media user whose posts affect others' opinions and behaviors. Because influencers have the power to influence many people, they are often sponsored by brands and companies. Sponsored influencers post about their sponsors' products, in hopes that their followers will buy the products.

What is the difference between an influencer and a celebrity?

At this point, not much. Because social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have become so popular, most celebrities (actors, musicians, athletes, etc.) use those platforms and act as influencers. (As you'll see below, the five most popular influencers are all "typical" celebrities.)

However, some influencers are famous only because of their social media content. These influencers are people who are experts in a certain niche, regularly produce viral content, or have otherwise built up an online following. These influencers are celebrities because they are influencers, not the other way around.

Who are some popular influencers?

Some of the most popular social media influencers include:

  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Justin Bieber
  • Ariana Grande
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift

Each of these influencers has hundreds of millions of followers, spread across several social media platforms.


I went to Wal-Mart with my brother yesterday and found out that he's an influencer, apparently? We got swarmed by mobs of teens.

The influencer's motto

Related Slang


Updated May 24, 2021

Influencer definition by

This page explains what the slang term "Influencer" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the team.
