The great influencers have undertaken a “surge”, and taking advantage of their positioning as public figures, they are developing million-dollar businesses.
Influencers are undoubtedly the most prominent opinion leaders in the world of social networks, with hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of followers they are capable of generating viral trends that transcend borders through their publications. But now, and thanks to their positioning as rulers of the networks, influencers are broadening their gaze to the business world.
According to data from the report “Content creators and their new reality: the value of engagement”, by IAB Spain and Grupo Go, the number of content creators that can be considered profiles with real influence in Spain stands at approximately 2,200 accounts on Instagram and 1,800 on TikTok. As new brand ambassadors, influencers demonstrate time and again their ability to reach audiences successfully, as an environment marked by messages, these content creators are able to generate community and bring audiences closer to the products and services they recommend.
This is why the presence of influencer agencies is strengthened, with the aim of formalizing relationships between brands and content creators. Unlike the practices of the past, advertisers are no longer merely looking for one-off collaborations, but are seeking to generate long-term collaborations with recognized influencers, who allow them to establish meaningful connections with younger audiences. But now influencers are strengthening their commitment to invest in their own brands and companies.
As they point out from El Mundo, in 2023 “influencers are no longer satisfied with working for agencies, but have become entrepreneurs”, these have generated their own industries relying on their ability to influence. “They live off brands, yes, but their own.”
A new influencer landscape
For example, Lola Moreno, the 21-year-old minor influencer known in the networking world as “Lola Lolita” is one of the most prominent content creators in Spain. Since the age of 12 she started uploading videos to the internet, to become the networking phenomenon she is today. Lola, whose content focuses on dancing, has even conquered global celebrities such as Shakira, Rosalía or Camilo, who have shared cameras with the Spanish influencer.
“Neither Instagram pays me, nor Tiktok either. If I live, it’s thanks to the brands that feed me,” said the influencer, who is represented by her mother, administrator of the agency Lolita Manager, who also manages the profiles of Sofia Moreno (Sofia Surfers), as well as another dozen influencers. In this way, the agency is nourished by the various collaborations of its clients with multinationals such as L’Óreal, McDonald’s or Pandora.
Also noteworthy are the cases of Aida Domenech, better known as Dulceida, or María Pombo, who have created million-dollar companies based on their positions as influencers. “In 2022, Pombo invoiced more than one million euros with Tipitent, while Dulceida’s company grew 70% more after Covid, reaching 3.3 million. And they have done so by using their professional colleagues to promote their brands and support their events,” says El Mundo.
Events, award galas, agencies and festivals in which these influencers participate with their brands are examples of the success of the model, “the suppliers are glued to be part of the events organized by their brands,” says Lorenzo Remohi, CEO of Glow Filter, the company of the influencer Marta Lozano.
The phenomenon of influencers to entrepreneurs
As pointed out by El Mundo, more than half of the influencers have their own businesses, and in this sense, the ecosystem of influencers is in a constant process of “today for you, tomorrow for me”, where appearing in a photograph next to a recognized face opens countless doors when it comes to collaborating with brands.
The figures reached by collaborations have multiplied in recent years, going from 100 euros per post in the beginning, to thousands of euros in a few years. Currently, a post with an average influencer is valued at 3,000 euros, according to Abaccino sources.
As the CEO of Glow Filter points out, influencer marketing is fundamental, “right now anyone who wants to run away from influencers has no idea, they are the greatest sales treasure: they can sink or boost a business. Every company should, as soon as it can afford it, invest in them,” says Lorenzo Remohi.
According to a recent study carried out in Germany, 61% of consumers who follow influencers on social media confess that they would be more likely to buy a brand’s products if they were promoted by their favorite influencers.
While the influencer economy is based on collaborations with brands, there is a generalized trend of influencers becoming their main investors by developing businesses that are sustained by their social media presence.
From starring in the campaigns of major brands to positioning their own brands, influencers have now decided to undertake “in waves” creating brands that are beginning to position themselves in the “mainstream” world as companies in their own right.
