The internet has totally altered what it means to be famous. Growing up, if you wanted to make it big, you had to appear on TV or film or make music. But nowadays? You can be a global superstar if you have a phone and can use your imagination. You know people like Kim Kardashian, MrBeast, and Charli D’Amelio? They didn’t need Hollywood to make them famous—people created their audience, created their brands, and, let’s face it, created their empires on their own terms.
I’ve seen people begin from scratch, posting random content, never expecting anything to come of it, only to blow up months afterwards. And I’ve also seen talented individuals fall behind because they didn’t pay attention to what really counts on the internet. But what makes a social media star unique compared to the millions of others out there trying?
What Makes a Social Media Star Stand Out?
If there is anything that I’ve learned, it is that good content is far more important than people give it credit for. A poorly lit, shaky video will pass by your scroll within seconds. But one that is well-shotted, well-edited? That makes people pay attention.
Let’s use Instagram videos as an example. Everyone’s posting content, so if you need to make your content stick out, yours must visually appealing, engaging, and unique which means that you need high quality Instagram videos to increase the reach. I remember assisting one of my friends trying to grow his Instagram page—this guy had good content, but the lights were atrocious, the audio wasn’t great, and his engagement plummeted. The minute that guy started using better lights and better audio using a good microphone, views literally doubled on him.
Some of social media’s giants treat content like business. They know that people love visually pleasing content, and ensure that what they’re posting is tidy. Even cool-girl influencers like Emma Chamberlain goes out of her way to make her videos nice to maintain that sensation of real but compelling content.
The Most Effective Social Media Personalities
Not every social media star is created equal. Some are known by creativity, others by scandals, but others by what amounts to good fortune pure and simple. But one thing is sure—these are people everybody knows of:
Kim Kardashian – The Original Internet Queen
The internet never really had anything on her, though—she built her business on it ages ago. She built reality TV into a launching point for what is now multi-billion industry. She’s one of the best examples of how focus can turn into power, and she’s doing it well over ten years now.
MrBeast – The YouTube Prodigy
If you’re anything like most people, there’s no doubt that there’s no shortage of MrBeast videos that you’ve seen. You know how ridiculously absurdly crazy they’re like? He’s giving out islands, millions of dollars, even businesses. And yet, what his secret is to success is money—no, it’s knowing how to make people watch. His videos are brief, exciting, and never dull.
Charli D’Amelio – The TikTok Star
Charli blew up supernova-style on TikTok making dance videos, but what really allowed her to stay on our radar is that she brought people together on real kind of level. While there are influencers out there that are far-away, she never fails to talk to her fans, and that brought her bigger than a fleeting internet sensation—she brought her alive like full-blown brand.
Cristiano Ronaldo – The Sporty Social Media Monarch
Social media influencers are influencers too. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most followed people on Instagram, and is using it not only for football but also sponsorships, marketing, and fan engagement. He knows how to use his audience to his advantage.
None of these people got here by chance. They got what they were doing, built up their brands, and constantly adapted along with things adapting digitally.
The Dark Side of Being a Social Media Star
Let’s talk reality—being a social media star is cool, but it’s far from rosy. It’s got its darker side.
Burn out is real. When there’s constantly content that’s expected of you, keeping your relevancy, responding to fans. it gets old. I’ve seen content producers lose interest altogether because they were buried by how big of deals that that were.
The internet never forgets. A slip? People will dig up on it after years have passed by. Influencers have had career shut off by things that were said ten years ago. It’s brutal.
Privacy? Don’t make me laugh. The better known that you are, the more people expect to know everything that there is to know of your life. Some influencers can’t buy groceries without people knowing.
I had one of my students start taking off on TikTok really quickly, and it started off well. But within weeks, they were getting hateful comments, strange messages, and even fabricated gossip circulating around them. It got too much, and had to take a break for a while to save what was left of their mental health.
The Future of Being a Social Media Star
So what’s next? Social media is here to stay, but it’s changing.
You know Lil Miquela, right? The AI-influencer that has millions of fans? She never ages, never gets into scandals, and is totally controlled by brands. Spooky? Possibly. But it’s on its way.
Influencers no longer are only promoting products—now they’re actually selling products live on TikTok and on Instagram. It’s new QVC, but now controlled by 20-year-old ring lights.
The next generation of influencers will no longer be superstar influencers. Micro-influencers (people that have lower but very engaged audiences) will have most power.
I’ve seen it occurring already—brands are dropping big, generic influencers like hotcakes and contacting smaller creators that have real, engaged audiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is today’s most well-known social media star?
Depends on where you’re located. Cristiano Ronaldo is most followed on Instagram. MrBeast is taking YouTube by storm. And on TikTok? It’s Charli D’Amelio and Khaby Lame that rule supreme.
Can everybody become social media star?
Technically, but it takes a mix of planning, constistency, and good fortune. You have to really make that content people actually care to watch or follow or like or whatever if you’re gonna make it big.
The hardest part of being an influencer is what?
For most? Burnout. Maintaining trends, taking criticism, and constantly needing to come up with content can be mentally debilitating.
