Identifying the new Influencers in the Internet Era: Social Media and Social Network Analysis

Social media influencers (SMIs) can be defined as a new type of independent actor who are able to shape audience attitudes through the use of social media channels in competition and coexistence with professional media. Being able to accurately identify SMIs is critical no matter what is being transmitted in a social system. Social Network Analysis (SNA) has been recognized as a powerful tool for representing social network structures and information dissemination. SMIs can be identified by their high-ranking position in a network as the most important or central nodes. The results reveal the existence of three different typologies of SMIs: disseminator, engager and leader. This methodology permits the optimization of resources to create effective online communication strategies.