While influencers aren't always celebrities, and celebrities can use their fame to be influencers, influencers can also have celebrity-like fame.
Sometimes, this can create confusion, and people mistakenly refer one as another.
Especially in the modern era of the internet and social media networks where even the most viral contents could come from the least expected people, the confusion becomes more apparent.
Both celebrities and influencers can have a huge amount of followers, and companies can hire them to promote their brands and products.
While there are blurred lines that separate them apart, they do have some distinguishable traits.
For example, celebrities are famous for their works through traditional channels, such as television, radio and magazines, whereas influencers get their fame from the internet and social media platforms.
Celebrities, The Famous But The Discreet
In a more detailed explanation, celebrities are those people who are famous, and those who managed to gain broad public recognition given to them by publication of mass media.
Most of the time, celebrities are those who work in the entertainment industry such as films, as well as notable athletes, famous musicians, or writers.
In one way or another, someone may also gain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their position as a political figure, or even from their connection to another celebrity.
Celebrities gain their fame simply because people idolize them, and admire their talents and/or looks, and enjoy their works.
More than often, celebrities have high net worth, and tend to be associated with jet set communities and socialites.
Influencers, The Powerhouse Powered By Openness
Influencers on the other hand, are those people who have the ability to "influence" people.
Usually, influencers on social media have the ability to influence people to buy something, promote something in a way using their power that allows them to create viral posts.
Unlike celebrities who are admired for their works, influencers are liked because of their reputation, their knowledge, and their expertise on a certain topic.
For this reason, people on social media platforms tend to follow their favorite influencers' opinions, and consider their contents as guides.
Another way of saying it, influencers are individuals with an impact on social media platforms.
These people have the power to move the crowd.
Influencers can include artists, athletes, pop culture stars, industry experts, thought leaders, bloggers, YouTubers and other content creators.
While celebrities can also become influencers, there are things that differentiate them even more.
Differences
While both celebrities and influencers can become famous and make huge amount of money, there are differences.
First, influencers tend to "live" from and through their contents.
Most of the time, influencers build their influence by creating quality content in the relevant niche, proving that they are excellent content creators. They spent time and effort into coming up with content ideas and then turning those ideas into content that their audience can consume.
Along the way, they can earn money, as well as fame and public recognition.
To be able to do this, influencers must be highly active on their platforms of choice, and should be relatable to their followers. They are also more likely to engage with their audience.
Influencers tend to be regular people, but are most often people that have expertise in the niche, and/or are highly interested in the subject.
For example, influencers can fall to different categories, like fashion influencers, game influencers, cooking influencers, travel influencers, and so forth.
For this reason, influencers are also more restricted to a more specific demographic, and usually have more focused followers.
Some influencers can also gain celebrity status due to the influence they have.
Influencers' common traits make them very different from celebrities.
Celebrities don't earn most of their income from endorsement, as celebrities earn their fortune based on their performances.
What's more, celebrities are often quiet and may even avoid social media network altogether.
This is why celebrities tend to be more distant with their fans. At times, this is because celebrities "live" under the spotlight of mass media, and often suffer from lack of privacy. Most influencers don't experience this.
Then, there is the difference where celebrities are bankable individuals who are either very famous, or just famous.
Because celebrities don't speak as loud, as focused, and/or as much as influencers, they may have a more varied social media following and fans, and don't usually appeal to a specific age group, region, or social group.
However, regardless of their credibility, celebrities still offer massive exposure. And in most cases, their reach extends to all demographics.
Conclusion
Fame and fortune, the two things that attract people.
For more than many generations, those under the spotlight and those who frequently appear on mass media can gain recognition. And following that recognition, is fortune.
In the early years of mass media, celebrities gained their status through traditional channels such as television, radio and magazines.
And for this particular reason, celebrities often look at their very best on screen. They try to portray themselves in perfection.
As a result, celebrities tend to be more out of reach, as they often present themselves as personas that are already constructed for the public.
That, in order to win the admiration of the masses.
Because of this, celebrities are idolized, but are preventing themselves from being related to their fans.
Influencers, on the other hand, tend to present themselves as they are. They’ve managed to build their influence by being “real”, and by being themselves.
Because they don’t feel the need to create a different persona to present to their audience, their audience can relate to them more than they can relate to celebrities.
In the modern days of the internet, anyone can become influencers, as long as they can influence others through their content.