The 5 Definitive Influencer Categories — Which is right for your campaign?

Icon art by Gan Khoon Lay, Pham Duy Phuong Hung, Jaime Carrion, Adrien Coquet, and Matt Brooks.

There are really only 5 kinds of influencers. While you may be able to define influencers across dozens of categories, there are 5 core segments that they all fit into.  

Doers, Movers, Lookers, Knowers, and Characters. 

If you’re planning to use influencers in a marketing campaign, these 5 classifications will help you better contextualize your goals.

Doers: 

Doers have a specific talent that directly connects to a product or service. What they do fits neatly with said product or service. 

Examples:

• An athletic influencer promoting an athletic shoe. 

• A photography influencer promoting a new camera. 

• A makeup artist influencer promoting a new foundation line. 

• A gaming influencer promoting gaming hardware. 

Movers:

Movers are travel oriented and what they are advertising is related to travel or suited for the mobile lifestyle. 

Examples:

• A travel influencer promoting Airbnb.

• A jet-setting entrepreneurial influencer promoting a new thin & light laptop.

Lookers:

For Lookers, their image is everything and what they are advertising adds to their aesthetic lifestyle.

Examples:

• A stunningly beautiful influencer promoting a gorgeous blouse from a fashion line. 

• A fashionable influencer promoting a new sleek smartphone that suits their style.

• A sexy influencer promoting an alluring swimsuit.

Knowers:

Knowers have technical expertise and their opinion is everything.

Examples:

• A technology reviewer influencer promoting a new gadget they are impressed with.

• An academic influencer endorsing a private educational service they find worthwhile.

Characters:

For Characters, the practical nature of the products aren’t as important — it’s the values this influencer shares with the brand or product that count. These are often celebrities.

Examples:

• Robert Downey Jr, famous for his tech-oriented Iron Man films, promoting a OnePlus smartphone in China.

• A famous athlete endorsing Wheaties cereal. 

• Bill Murray’s character in Lost In Translation, promoting that whiskey brand. 

Our advice: 

Whether you’re developing a marketing plan with influencers or an agency is recommending influencers to you, it’s important to contextualize your influencer strategy with these 5 core categories. 

An influencer you come across may have a million followers, but what is their value to your brand or campaign? 

When working with a Doer, Mover, Looker, Knower, or Character — you need to make sure their audience has the potential to drive the result you are looking for, but you also need to consider the image they represent and how it connects to your brand or product values. 

Want to know more? Get in touch with Ad Elixir for a consultation on your next campaign. 

In the meantime, read more about Doers, Movers, Lookers, Knowers, and Characters in action from some of my previous work before founding Ad Elixir. 

- Nathan