A social media influencer is someone who has built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic and has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. They are content creators who have access to a large audience on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, or other online channels. Social media influencers establish themselves as experts in a particular field and share their knowledge with a curated audience on one or more social channels. They create and share content regularly to establish their expertise and work to build a relationship with their followers. By regularly engaging with their audience and offering insightful content, creators can often "influence" their followers to try a particular product. Social media influencers are not merely marketing tools, but rather social relationship assets with which brands can collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives.