Role models are the people whose behaviors and successes are emulated especially by other people. Our first role models are our parents and our caregivers, but can also be our siblings, neighbors, teachers, community leaders, or celebrities.
As we grow older, we look up to a variety of role models who help us shape our behavior and formulate our relationships. The main 5 qualities of role models are summarized in the infographic below.
Clear Set of Values: Role models motivate people to become advocates for social change and innovation.
Passion and Ability to Inspire: Role models show passion for their work and have the capacity to influence others with their passion.
Commitment to Community: Role models are focused to provide a benefit for society rather than for themselves.
Acceptance of Others: They accept others who are different from them.
Ability to Overcome Obstacles: Role models show that success is always possible and each of us has the ability to overcome obstacles.
Role models teach us accountability, and have a positive impact on our lifestyles and inspire us to set positive life goals.
Influencers, on the other hand, are the people who endorse entrepreneurs who produce innovative products and services within their field of expertise. Their followers look to them when making their purchase decisions. If/when a budding entrepreneur gets an influencer to endorse a product or a brand, he/she can tap into the potential consumers at the influencer’s circle.
Influencer marketing is a new form of marketing in which influencers are paid (cash or other incentives) to promote a brand, a product, or a service. It is a fact that consumers trust the recommendations of a third party (influencers) more often than a brand itself.
Thanks to the expansion of social media (FB, Instagram, Tik-Tok, etc) nowadays influencer marketing is booming and has become one of the most effective ways to attract customers. When entrepreneurs hire influencers, they expect them to bring their own network of followers, and their followers’ networks as well.
Because of their relationship with their audience, influencers have the ability to drive more traffic to the site of the entrepreneur which helps to increase the sales of the product through their recommendations.
In net, ınfluencers do not necessarily have to be role models and carry on their qualifications, but they are the business-minded people who provide a bridge between an entrepreneur and target consumers.