The Rise of the Influencer as a Role
Launch library · evergreen read
The influencer role first emerged as platforms slowly made it genuinely possible for an individual, without any traditional media backing behind them at all, to build a sustained audience purely through consistent posting and a recognisable personal voice that followers chose to return to again and again over an extended period of time.
What distinguished this role from earlier forms of online popularity was its sustained, cultivated nature over time. Rather than a single viral moment, influence was built through a steady presence, a consistent tone, and a relationship with an audience that felt genuinely ongoing rather than purely incidental or accidental.
As the role matured, it developed its own recognisable practices around posting rhythm, audience interaction, and personal branding, practices that now feel like standard tools for anyone trying to build an audience online, regardless of their specific subject matter or the particular platform chosen, early on or later.