The rise of virtual influencers
Although they are still a relatively new idea, virtual influencers offer a distinctive method of influencer marketing. They distinguish themselves from the competition, making them a desirable choice for businesses trying to stand out. We’d like to talk about who makes virtual influencers and why in this article.
Who are virtual influencers?
Virtual influencers are computer-generated personas with unique personalities, styles, and hobbies that are created to resemble real people. They are produced utilizing software for 3D modeling and animation, and they are frequently used as a marketing technique to advertise goods and services to online audiences.
These influencers might be created to seem and behave like people, or they might have fantastical appearances like robots or animated animals. They frequently share stuff on social media and have their own profiles.
In a poll done in 2022 to learn more about consumer preferences in the US, 58% of respondents said they were actively following virtual influencers. Interestingly, adult members of Generation Z were found to be the group most likely to follow virtual avatars, with a startling 75% confessing to doing so.
Let’s look at the top virtual influencers who have already captured the hearts of millions of people worldwide.
5 popular virtual influencers to follow
The future of influencer marketing is virtual! They work with major brands, discuss the newest developments in technology, and never have bad hair days. If you haven’t already, have a look at our list of the top five online influencers you should start following right away.
Lil Miquela
A 19-year-old social media star named Lil Miquela first surfaced on Instagram in 2016. She’s well renowned for her fashion taste, modeling prowess, and activism on mental health and social justice issues.
Brud, a Los Angeles-based startup, developed the approach. Lil Miquela has a sizable Instagram following despite not being a human. OnBuy, a British trading site, predicted that Lil Miquela will make roughly $11 million in 2020.
She started her own clothing line, collaborates with brands like Calvin Klein and Samsung, and makes music. Even now and then, Lil Miquela is in a relationship. She does, in fact, face competition from a Brazilian-born woman.
Guggimon
Another virtual influencer that has grown in popularity on social media is Guggimon. Guggimon, a character designed by Superplastic, is renowned for having an individual and edgy look and frequently dons punk-inspired attire and accessories. Additionally, he is well known for his work with numerous fashion labels and for creating bizarre and occasionally unsettling artwork alongside his friend from the metaverse, Janky.
Shudu Gram
British photographer and digital artist Cameron-James Wilson produced Shudu Gram, dubbed the “world’s first digital supermodel,” in 2017. The fashion and beauty sectors have taken notice of Shudu’s outstanding physical features, which has contributed to her appeal. Her Instagram feed has showcased partnerships with prestigious companies like Furla and Louis Vuitton, among others.
Nobody Sausage
Portuguese-born Nobody Sausage first debuted on social media in 2020. This amusing figure was created by motion graphic designer Kael Cabral and quickly became well-known on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok for both its adorable and distinctive appearance and its entertaining and relatable content. Nobody Sausage is an example of a growing movement of online influencers who provide a novel and unorthodox viewpoint on social media and influencer culture.
Noonoouri
Joerg Zuber, a German graphic designer, designed Noonoouri in 2018, a young, fashionable lady with big eyes. She has already established herself as a fashion star in the world of online influencers and dons a variety of expensive clothing and accessories. Noonoouri is renowned for her partnerships with fashion houses like Dior, Versace, and Fendi as well as her support of humanitarian causes including animal welfare and climate change.
The phenomenon of AI-generated worlds
Some digital artists go one step farther and use AI to create entire universes. These digital settings frequently have fantastical and dreamlike scenery, and they are intended to provide users with immersive and participatory experiences. There are a number of reasons why artificial intelligence-generated worlds on Instagram are so popular:
– They offer respite from social media’s demanding and overpowering nature. Users can interact with these worlds and explore them in ways that are disconnected from the real one.
– Virtual worlds provide a fresh medium for artistic expression. The amount of artistic creativity is increased by the ability for users to create their own digital places and share them with others.
– Artificial intelligence-generated environments are becoming more popular, which fits into a bigger trend of virtual reality and online experiences. They provide a window into the future as technology develops further.
Do virtual influencers perform better than real ones?
It may be true that fake influencers are superior to actual ones if you compare HypeAuditor’s findings over the last three years. For instance, the engagement rates of virtual influencers are roughly three times higher than those of real influencers.
Women between the ages of 18 and 34 make up the majority of virtual influencers’ audience (44.76%). However, there are also a lot of younger persons (14.64%) between the ages of 13 and 17. This is twice as many young people as the typical influencers, whose young audience makes up only 7% of their whole audience on average.
Let’s also take note of the optimistic expert predictions for Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta cosmos, which may be the ideal setting for online influencers.
What is the uncanny valley?
Of course, there are drawbacks to using virtual influencers. The uncanny valley is a concept you may be familiar with. It’s a term that’s used in robotics, computer graphics, and animation to describe the uneasy sensation that can come from encountering a robot, virtual character, or other man-made object that looks like a person.
This is a crucial aspect since it shows how carefully designing and presenting virtual influences must be taken into account. Virtual content may eventually bear particular labels, such as 18+ on movie posters, for example. However, for the time being, virtual influencers coexist with us in the online world and support the growth of influencer marketing.
