GRWM to Learn About Influencers
- Chloe Coker
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Look around where you are. Who do you see in advertisements? Chances are, they are most likely an influencer. Influencers are now everywhere, and they have made their way out of social media into real-world advertisements. You can now see your favorite influencer on a billboard or even in television ads, where traditionally influencer marketing would have been done solely on social media platforms. The number of influencers has grown so much that there are now categories to describe the amount of influence someone has. Micro-influencers have fewer followers than macro-influencers, typically around 10,000 to 100,000 followers, but they have much higher engagement rates. Macro-influencers, on the other hand, have 100,000 to sometimes more than a million followers and are considered "internet famous." Although they may have a massive following and reach, the engagement rates are low (Gasner, 2025). Companies choose influencers based on their follower count or engagement rate, as well as their niche.
A social media account is tailored to what influencers know their audience wants to see, and constantly produces high-end videos to ensure the audience stays (Luttrell & Capizzo, 2025, p. 58). What the influencer constantly produces is their niche. This plays a significant role in sponsorships with brands. You would not want MrBeast promoting your skincare product, because: 1) they are two very different audiences, and 2) both the content creator and the business may receive backlash from their followers/consumers, as it is not a typical partnership. MrBeast is known for his outlandish challenges and money giveaways, which predominantly target a young male audience with very little interest in skin care. You would want someone like Selena Gomez to showcase the skin care product, since she has a large young female audience and focuses on beauty and self-care as part of her niche. Influencers have a responsibility to leverage their popularity to endorse trusted products or services in a way that aligns with their image and the product or service's brand image.
VS.
Many influencers are participating in the viral Get Ready With Me, aka GRWM, trend to subtly endorse skincare products. The GRWM trend took off as beauty influencers began sharing the makeup they used and the steps they took. People tend to follow beauty influencers because their makeup looks are stunning and they are just ultimately pretty. Influencers know their followers aspire to be like them, which is dangerous to the audience in a marketing sense. For example, let us say a handful of followers love the influencer's lashes and comment on them. The next GRWM the influencer creates will most likely feature a mascara product to endorse, as the mascara company and influencer know the audience will purchase it. Brands from all over the U.S tap into trends and use the influencers as marketing. When done correctly, an influencer can make it feel more recommendable than an ad; they are advising their audience to buy the product, not telling them to.
A Look to The Future
Not only products and services, but influencers also affect lifestyle choices. One-third of people seriously consider influencers' recommendations when deciding what to read, watch, or even eat (Shein, 2024). Which makes me believe future trends or content may be a constant following of the influencers' day. They could record every aspect of their lives, potentially leading to more marketing opportunities with brands. Basically, just a Live My Life trend. Followers already base their choices on what influencers say or do, so observing the choices they make in their daily lives will lead to greater engagement with the companies or services they use. Macro-influencers could easily partner with a popular store to showcase in their video.
The number of influencers on social media will only grow as more generations move to online platforms. How influencing is done may look different, though; in my opinion, it will be a new extreme, either positively or negatively. The positive side may have influencers naturally endorse brands with click-to-buy features on all products shown, especially in GRWMs. On the negative side, future influencers could start endorsing products solely for the money, rather than for what is best for their audience. Every bit of content will have a marketing aspect, and influencers will get sloppy with their posts just to get the word out there. Either way —positive or negative —influencers are not going anywhere, and if anything, they will be used much, much more. So, if you are not sure about a future career yet, start your journey to becoming an influencer now.
References
Shein, J. (2024, March 20). U.S. shoppers are under the influence: 74% of consumers have purchased a product because an influencer recommended it. Global Press Release & Newswire Distribution Services. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240320786326/en/U.S.-Shoppers-Are-Under-the-Influence-74-of-Consumers-Have-Purchased-a-Product-Because-an-Influencer-Recommended-It
Gasner, W. (2025, September 17). Micro VS. MACRO: Partnership model delivers top ROI 2025. Stack Influence. https://stackinfluence.com/micro-vs-macro-partnership-model-top-roi-2025/
Luttrell, R., & Capizzo, L. (2025). Understanding PESO. In Public Relations Campaigns An Integrated Approach (p. 58). Sage Publications.
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