Influencers get the ability to determine their audience in a spectrum of ways by being authentic, relatable, and trustworthy. They develop a link with their community by the means of sharing personal stories, know-how as well as knowledge from a given field of expertise.
By Imran Maqbool Wani
With the development of social media, the ability to genuinely encourage the audience or just to show their daily life is the most important thing. They may all seem similar on the surface, but to navigate through the subtle differences, it is important to know the nuances of both. But who are those people who actively make a positive impact on society?
With social media platforms pervading the online space, a major shift in the digital landscape has taken place, and now many of us are inclined towards being seen or identified through a social media platform. On the positive side, it could be seen as a distraction from the underlying problems. On the negative side, it has led to a line blurring between that of genuine influence vs. the superficial. In the Kashmir region, the scenario is very common with many self-proclaimed influencers emerging, followed by much of their content lacking both weight and relevance. Hence, it is vitally essential to different categories with ones who move people for the better and with others who look for compliments through likes and followers.
Nowadays the phenomenon of age ceases to be associated with the notion of social media users who accumulate followers with their offline activities such as showing what they do and what lifestyle they have. However, these metrics and content are the most visible indicators of true influence and are not what defines an influential blogger or brand. Authentic leverage does not only involve achieving a job well done but also goes beyond that to offer a platform for influencing society and making positive changes in communities.
Today, digital media have saturated the public mind with the word “influencer” as a label for any noteworthy individual, mostly for their self-aggrandizement over shallow content and materialism. Above all, there is an increasing influence of unboxing content, paid content, and lifestyle posting on social media, which is rather a distortion of its true potency as a tool for the empowerment of the marginalized and for social change. In this light, it has become imperative to elevate the voices of those who mean well and truly desire to be the agents of enhancement in our societies through social media channels. The world today has moved itself to social media where the influencers who are authentic are those who voice out their platform by calling for the right social issues, knowledge spreading, and unity of people and love among people. They determine others to serve to lead interesting and meaningful lives, they dare to change established norms and they initiate campaigns for the right forgotten things. They are nothing but the characters of social media as the web-based mechanism for social good.
The increasing use of social media in Kashmir has resulted in the emergence of a new kind of influencer. Their uniqueness comes out of the fact that they have nothing to do with the common social media influencers who value form over content. Rather they focus on getting the attention of the public on the pressing matters that affect their community. The influencers through efficient use of their platform can generate motivation and encourage their followers to join in the actions meant to bring positive changes. As social media slowly becomes the primary source of information and inspiration, the demand for such influencers continues to grow.
Islamic scholars act as models for others by leveraging their positions to spread Islamic teachings, promote tolerant relationships and open-mindedness, and eventually deal with the problems faced by the Muslim community. An outstanding Islamic figure, Respected Mufti Menk, has been the source of immense inspiration to millions of Muslims around the globe as he delivers thought-provoking discourses and writing on Islamic principles and spirituality, urging them to develop their faith and contribute meaningfully to society.
That endless flow of shallow and self-serving content amid the constant stream should force individuals to exercise their critical thinking skills and use discernment. Authentic influence is not based on the number of likes one gets or how many followers they have but on their capacity to move, enlighten, and motivate individuals. It is vital to employ your influence to direct attention towards the essential problems, empower the marginalized voices, and initiate the dialogs that promote constructive changes. To determine whether something is an influencer or not, the purpose and impact should be kept in mind. An influencer poses astounding power to its dedicated audience by involving them in action, encouraging thought, and building bonds in a real way. They activate their spaces to promote causes, enlighten the audience, and reach out to your followers on a deeper level. In contrast, producers are paid to create materials such as videos, images, or written content as they come without necessarily setting any persuasions. However, while both generate material, it is their originality and their mindset towards the crowd that differs. Influencers primarily focus on having a positive impact, whereas, a content creator more often thinks of aesthetics or entertainment value first. Their triumph or failure is the test of how deeply they are involved in their music, how real their message is, and how strong their mark on their audience.
Influencers get the ability to determine their audience in a spectrum of ways by being authentic, relatable, and trustworthy. They develop a link with their community by the means of sharing personal stories, know-how as well as knowledge from a given field of expertise. Influencers bought trust and reliability by constantly publishing highly relevant materials which allowed them to become “experts in the field” and this made their opinions and recommendations highly “influential”.
It can`t be undervalued that people follow good content and thus they get to discover important information, various opinions, and good role models. Good content does not just inspire but also makes us aware and takes us far away from our boring way of thinking and instead of that, it motivates us to do or be better. Also, being exposed to good content, will sharpen your critical thinking and bring deiliverance in while making important decisions as well hence delivering you sound judgment and wisdom to navigate the complexities of the digital world. In conclusion, the key lies in good content that will enable us to improve our lives, broaden our learning, and positively change society.
It is on social media platforms that many people introduce themselves as influencers or motivational speakers even without having brought about a positive change or influence. The complainant should be revised to be more specific; stating that random comments or visible that lack a deep understanding of the society doesn’t mean that that person is an influencer at all. It is of paramount importance for people, in particular, young individuals, to be knowledgeable about the media they have in their hands and the people they are constantly connected with. The real power of influence consists of five very important pillars- authenticity, purpose, and the way society benefits from it. Social media may become a source of power and change the world for the better, yet, it is very important to differentiate who are the authentic leaders who use social media to rate change and the people who seek popularity through superficial posts. One of the important ways through which we can transform society using social media is by highlighting people who strive for substance and relevance. With this in mind, we can use the power of social media to create a society that is more informed, aware, and empathetic.
This article is my perspective devoid of any specific targeting, whether it be an individual or anyone including groups. – It’s the only thing that I am attempting to convey here.
