Digital Fame and Fortune in the age of Social Media: A Classification of social media influencers

Throughout time, the concept of celebrity has evolved to include new forms of\nfame created with each new technology. In today’s increasingly digital world, we are\nwitnessing the explosive growth of this generation’s new idols who owe their fame to\nsocial media and are better known as social media influencers. A number of terms are\nused to refer to all forms of fame on social media and even certain terms are often used\ninterchangeably (micro-celebrity, instafamous, internet famous or influencer are some\nof these terms). A lack of consensus on terminology and the characteristics that define\na social media celebrity or even who should be considered a social media influencer\nor a digital celebrity of any sort is widespread amongst both scholars and practitioners.\nThis study reviews landmark scholarship on celebrities that will help get a better\nunderstanding of the dynamics behind the creation of fame, how attention is captured\nand sustained, as well as the practices that make monetization possible for social media\ncontent creators. A comprehensive hierarchical classification of the different types of\nsocial media influencers is provided with updated definitions and characteristics to\ngive a better understanding of the growing range of digital content creators and their\nstatus. Furthermore, this study discusses the practices carried out by successful social\nmedia influencers and what sets them apart from ordinary fame-seekers in the context\nof scholar studies.