Influencers are defined as people who can build a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views.

The number of influencers in Rwanda has increased, not with this era where individuals can get advice on anything, from cooking to how to pass an exam or an interview, from the internet. But one could wonder what makes someone eligible to be an influencer, or what distinguishes a good influencer from a distrustful one.

"These influencers are people who play a key role in understanding what’s going on around the world, they publicise various activities, especially on social media. We want to thank and support them,” said Christian Kalisa, a creative producer at KCN LTD, during an interview with this paper inquiring about the ‘Rwanda Influencer Awards’ scheduled for December.

When one hears about influencers, these are some of the questions that come to mind: What exactly is an influencer? How did they get there? Who do they have an influence on? What is the ultimate goal? 

Becoming an influencer, according to Epiphanie Tuyisenge, a social media influencer known on Twitter as ‘Rwanda Beranova’, entails being a voice for your audience or followers. "An influencer should be able to raise public awareness regarding public grievances or challenges, as well as suggest potential metrics for resolving such problems.”

The objective of influence is to help improve the way their communities are currently working.

The majority of those classed as influencers are well-known and well-liked. A person whose way of life inspires others, from the shoes they wear to the cars they drive or the places they visit. They are usually journalists, well-known musicians, fashion models, and so on, and as a result, they become brand ambassadors or hold other positions that allow them to exert their influence.

Basile Gasore, a Kigali local, feels that people value the opinions of the ones they admire before forming their own opinions on a subject. "If you are a loyal Bruce Melodie fan and see him using a Tecno phone, you will most likely find Tecno appealing all of a sudden.

"I believe that given how essential they may be in people’s lives, they should be used to influence crucial issues. Not only does the influencer have to promote soaps and hotels, but he/she should also engage in important discussions about Rwanda’s unity, child defilement, and other topics for example,” he says.  

There could be influencers for both positive and bad change, according to Gideon Kabenla. "We respect and revere individuals like Kwame Nkrumah, who inspired and led people to independence, however, there were others who were well-known, but who used their influence to harm their communities. Rwandan journalists and musicians, for example, who influenced people to commit the Genocide against Tutsi were agents of the devil,” he remarks. 

People should pay attention to who they allow to influence them and to what extent, Kabenla adds. 

While one may not understand why such power is given to someone as opposed to oneself, we are all susceptible to being influenced unknowingly by individuals we value in our life, thus, it is prudent to be cautious.

In the article ‘What are fake influencers and how can you spot them?’ the author, Jacqueline Zote, says, "Before you can learn how to spot fake influencers, you first need to have a clear idea of exactly who they are. This will help you spot the characteristics that differentiate them from real influencers.

"Fake influencers are social media users who, by all appearances, seem like influencers. They post high-quality images that are not much different from those of a real influencer.” 

But the major difference, Zote writes, is that their following mostly comprises of fake accounts and bots. In other words, they do not have meaningful influence over a real audience.

"In a lot of cases, there may be a group of people behind a single fake influencer. This would usually involve creating a fake account of a person that doesn’t exist. They would use stock photos or hire a model to pose as the person. They would also buy followers and engagement to make it look like the person is influential.”