邓晶  供稿

During the recent Singles’ Day shopping frenzy, Li Jiaqi has again proved his influences as an online celebrity, attracting millions of viewers to his live broadcast on the e-commerce platform Taobao. Dubbed “iron-lipped man”, this male beauty blogger in his 20s once tested over 300 types of lipstick on his lips in a seven-hour live video streaming. His effort and competence earned trust from his audience and makeup brands. It took him less than a year to increase his bank balance to over 10 million yuan.

在不久前的“双十一”购物热潮中，网络红人李佳琦在电子商务平台淘宝上的直播吸引了几百万人观看，再次证明了自己的影响力。这位九零后男性美妆博主曾在一次七小时的直播中给300多只口红试色，由此被称为“铁唇哥”。他的敬业与能力赢得了许多观众与美妆品牌的信任，不到一年时间，他的收入已经超过千万人民币。

The success of this online celebrity demonstrated the significant impact of a group of people: influencers. An influencer, in this specialized use, refers to a person with the ability to reach a huge audience and persuade others to act based on their recommendations. Not from the entertainment inidustries like traditional celebrities, an influencer may be anyone from a blogger to a celebrity to an an online entrepreneur. 

这位网络红人的成功显示出“影响者”这个群体不容小觑的影响力。“影响者”在此特指能够接触到大量受众，并且有能力说服他人采纳他们的建议行事的人。与出身于娱乐圈的传统名人不同，“影响者”的身份多样，可能是博主、名人或网络创业者。 

Most influencers make a living on social meidia. Based on their established credibility in a specific industry, influencers monetize their influences by sharing sponsored social media posts, becoming a brand ambassador and starting their own business.

这些“影响者”中的大部分都在社交媒体上谋生。他们依靠自身在特定行业建立的信誉，通过发布广告贴、品牌代言或自主创业等方式将影响力变现。

In fact, influencers have a long history in marketing. Initially, companies signed endorsement deals with compelling figures like TV stars and athletes to help sell their products through television and radio ads. The rise of social media has created a new class of celebrity and some of them have seized the opportunities to translate their massive followings into millions of yuan each year. However, if you take a look behind the scene of the wonderful influencer lifestyle, uncertain incomes, performative vulnerability and the hustle for sponsorship can take a toll. Some influencers have quit their social media platforms due to the rise in competition and psychological strain.

事实上，“影响者”的营销由来已久。起初企业会请电视明星、运动员等大众信赖的名人来为产品代言，通过电视、广播等渠道进行广告宣传。而社交媒体的兴起创造出一类新的名人，他们当中一些人抓住机遇，将可观的粉丝数转化为每年上百万的收入。然而，他们光鲜的生活背后也不乏隐患，如收入不稳、表现不佳、缺乏赞助等都会给其带来负面影响。因为竞争加剧和心理压力，一些“影响者”最终选择离开社交媒体平台。

“In the business world, influencer culture is already an established force,” according to Kevin Roose, a writer for The New York Times. As influenncer marketing moves forward, the key to success will still be a greater sense of trust and credibility between brands and consumers.

《纽约时报》专栏作家凯文•罗斯称，“在商业世界，影响者文化已经成为公认的发展推动力”。随着“影响者”营销的进一步发展，成功的关键仍在于培养品牌与消费者之间更牢固的信任感和可信度。

VOCABULARY

demonstrate v. 展示

entrepreneur n. 创业者

endorsement n. 广告宣传

take a toll (on) 产生恶果