What Are Virtual Influencers and How Do They Work?

What are virtual influencers, and how do they captivate audiences without being real?

Virtual influencers are computer-generated characters developed to connect with audiences on social media platforms.

They do not live in the physical world but rather are generated through advanced technologies such as CGI and AI.

Once a plot confined to science fiction, this is now a very plausible scenario with revolutionary developments in sciences, engineering, and artificial intelligence.

However, when it comes to life, we are still not there, but at least in social media, human-robot interaction is happening fast.

Virtual influencers were recently exposed on Instagram, garnering millions of followers

Let’s Learn more about them, how they work, and why they’re changing the influencer landscape in this blog!

What Are Virtual Influencers?

Virtual influencers are artificially created characters, created to engage audiences on social media platforms.

They can range from extremely realistic human-like figures, such as Lady Gaga, all the way to more cartoonish representations of figures like Barbie.

These characters are fantastical and fictional and yet have distinct personalities, sets of traits, and backstories that will resonate with a particular audience, making them an effective tool for brands in the field of influencer marketing.

Virtual influencers are completely AI-generated personas and can be tailored to specific styles, interests, or niches of the audience to whom they appeal.

This flexibility in terms of being customized to fashion sense or personality traits, among other features, allows brands to connect with the desired demographic groups in meaningful ways.

This is a concept that has picked up extremely well in the Western world and is starting to gain momentum in Asia as well.

Unlike human influencers, virtual influencers continuously exist online without setbacks like physical existence, making them attractive to brands looking for dependable marketing tools.

Even though they are relatively new and on the rise, virtual influencers are changing the social media marketing landscape through their exclusive offering of some advantages that could never be achievable by the traditionally human influencer, such as controlled messaging and the costs involved.

4 Key Characteristics of Virtual Influencers

Customization: Virtual influencers are just varieties of looks, personalities, and backgrounds, which appeal to the target audience.

The gender, interests, and relationship status of virtual influencers, for instance, are thoughtfully considered to be much more relatable and engaging to their followers.

Content Creation: Virtual influencers are very similar to human influencers, but they create and post content, which could be a picture, a story, or even a video.

They can team up with brands, share products, and not ever sleep or take a break!

Interaction With the Audience: A digital character interacts with followers through commenting, sending direct messages, and live streams.

The content is made to elicit emotional responses among the fans to create bonding and loyalty.

Flexibility and Control: Virtual influencers can be added to any backdrop or context, allowing brands to come up with unique marketing campaigns without the logistical burden.

The actions and message of the influencer are entirely in the hands of brands, thus reducing the danger of using human influencers.

Popularity and Impact

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Just like regular influencers, these digital personas create content, endorse products, and collaborate with brands.

The reason digital influencers become so popular is that they do not have those complications surrounding human influencers—like personal scandals or scheduling issues.

Customization and Engagement

One of the advantages of virtual influencers is their customization capabilities.

Depending on what’s sought after, they can be customized as per different styles and interests to suit demography and thus be used as a tool to target specific segments of one’s audience effectively.

These can be backed by creative backstories and interactions scripted to make them more relatable and emotionally in touch with their followers.

Virtual influencers can see audiences any hour of the day, thus generating constant visibility for brands without the logistical burdens attached to real-life influencers.

How Do Virtual Influencers Work?

Virtual influencers are designed digital personas created through computer graphics and animation, programmed to interact with online audiences.

As alone they seem unanimated, it is through teams of creative professionals: graphic designers, animators, and marketers that bring virtual influencers to life.

Their looks, personalities, and even backstories are crafted to resonate with a targeted audience which can depend on gender, looks, interests, relationship status, and sexual orientation.

1. Creation and Management

Creating a virtual influencer means passing through a set of steps:

Concept: Designers and creators conceptualize the personality and style of an influencer, always keeping in mind what the respective audience likes to look at. This includes creating a compelling history about the character.
Designing: By using high-end software tools, designers create the physical appearance of the influencer. This includes facial features and even clothing styles.
Animation: The walking and waving gestures by animators will make the virtual influencer interesting and can represent the character’s personality. It could include walking, waving, or any other gestures that would make it come closer to the relatability factor.

2. Content Creation and Audience Engagement

Just like human influencers, virtual influencers are content creators. They engage in posting images and videos on social media sites where they may market the products and services of the brands they will collaborate with.

Designed to induce emotional responses in the followers, that bond with the virtual influencer further entrenches loyalty to them.

3. Flexibility and Cost-Effectiveness

The greatest advantage of virtual influencers is their flexibility.

They can be placed in any setting—exotic travel destinations or high-fashion events—and that’s why brands may offer wide-range marketing campaigns with logistical restraints.

Moreover, virtual influencers are more likely cheaper than real influencers, because the latter save travel and accommodation costs by avoiding scheduling conflicts or even more dangerous scandals.

4. Data-Driven Strategy

Analysis of data provides close monitoring of the performance of virtual influencers.

Audience interaction insights aid in refining personas and content strategies to gain maximum relevance and impact for a brand.

5. Brand Partnerships

A virtual influencer is a product endorser as it has unique appeal and reaches an audience who are wider.

Connecting companies to their tech-savvy, trend-conscious audiences is largely facilitated by product endorsements.

By blending technology with storytelling, these digital characters engage audiences and drive brand growth in innovative ways.

Virtual Influencers: How They Benefit Brands

Virtual influencers are giving brand advertisers much mileage, and the reason is very apparent. They come with innumerable benefits, making virtual influencers a preferred marketing tool.

In other words, virtual influencers can make mistakes easily corrected by brands without the costly reshoots that human influencers often present.

Moreover, virtual influencers are always at hand to provide an uninterrupted presence of a brand. They do not require breaks nor raise concerns about incorrect interpretations of instructions.

Although high in level of realism through technological advancement, virtual influencers are hardly a human form; however, it does not scare major brands like Coach, Dior, Balenciaga, or Prada from working with them.

Many brands have gone ahead to create their digital characters that act as brand ambassadors. For instance, there’s Liv, a virtual ambassador for Renault.

6 Benefits for Brands

Better control: With virtual influencers, brands get complete control over content creation. Unlike a human influencer, who becomes unpredictable in his actions and causes a delay in the campaign, a virtual influencer can be edited to suit the brand’s messaging within 15 minutes.
Life Span: Virtual influencers do not age, giving brands a consistent look over time. Such consistency allows for customer trust and strategy building for long-term plans in that the potential complications of human influencers are eliminated in the context of virtual influencers.
Flexibility: A digital persona is highly adaptable and can be molded to suit any target population and easily can change between situations and settings. This fluidity allows brands to use a virtual influencer in a single campaign executed across different campaigns targeting various audiences.
Cost-Effectiveness: For a brand, working with virtual influencers can be more economical than working with real people. The brands save on travel costs accommodation and schedule-related expenses compared to any other big human talent, making it a financially sound choice for brands to work with virtual influences.
Data-Driven Insights: Brands can analyze the performance of virtual influencers in real time and make strategies accordingly to ensure that this engagement is maximum for their target audience.
Engaging the Younger Target: There is immense interest in digital content among younger consumers. Brands, thus, can utilize these virtual influencers as a way to tap into the market.

Companies that stay ahead should consider integrating these digital personas into marketing campaigns for new audiences and increased brand engagement.

15 Must-follow Virtual Influencers

1. Lu do Magalu (@magazineluiza)- 7.3M Followers

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

2.Lil Miquela (@lilmiquela) - 2.5M Followers

Lil Miquela, first developed by Los Angeles-based startup Brud back in 2016, is a virtual influencer and Brazilian-American character recognized by her freckles and gap-toothed smile.

She has worked together with high-end brands Dior, Prada, and Calvin Klein. In the past year, she released singles like “Not Mine” and “Hard Feelings.”

With millions of followers on Instagram, Lil Miquela publishes messages related to fashion, music, and social issues, including Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ rights.

With this perfect balance of activism and brand relationships, she is among the most popular figures in this digital landscape and tests the power of virtual influencers.

3. Barbie (@barbie) - 3.5M Followers

One of the best examples of a toy perfectly suited to embracing the simplicity and potential of social media is Barbie, the iconic doll Mattel introduced in the late 1950s.

She has a large following across various platforms: she boasts 12.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 3.5 million on Instagram, and nearly 750,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Her vlogs on YouTube, which started as early as 2015, include closet tours and life advice.

One good example would be when Barbie joined with the National Down Syndrome Society to come out with the first-ever doll with Down syndrome.

She was also involved with the American Foundation for the Blind and Nyx Cosmetics. In all of these, Barbie finds ways to reach out to her target audiences and will even be found participating in the social cause movements.

4. Guggimon (@guggimon) - 1.3M Followers

Guggimon, a digital bunny from Superplastic, can be defined as playful yet edgy, combining a fascination with horror and fashion.

Since its launch in June 2019, people have been mesmerized by its quirky content, which is reminiscent of the animated series Happy Tree Friends.

Its partnerships with high-profile brands including Gucci, Fortnite, and Paris Hilton demonstrate how digital characters are increasingly playing key roles in the fashion and entertainment industries.

In addition to his online engagement, Guggimon was also popular as one of the hype stars of DJ Steve Aoki’s Color of Noise tour.

With creative content and brand partnerships, Guggimon continues to entertain and engage a global audience.

5. Any Malu(@anymalu_real) - 695K Followers

Any Malu is a fully animated Brazilian virtual influencer created by Combo Estudio. Since her debut in 2015, she has evolved from a concept to become one of the new YouTube sensations, with almost 4 million subscribers and hundreds of millions of views on her videos.

Despite this, Any Malu is among the few digital influencers to have her own television show that aired on Cartoon Network Latin America between 2020 and 2021.

Any Malu is well known for focusing most of her content on animated movies and games such as Inside Out, Valorant, and Animal Crossing.

Through energetic, yet relatable yet engaging posts, Any Malu attracts many in the internet space, thus making her an epitome of rapidly rising virtual influencers who can effortlessly connect fans across different media channels as the boundaries between reality and animation

6. Nikuro (@liam_nikuro) - 11.7K Followers

Liam Nikuro is Japan’s first ever male virtual influencer, created in 2019, by digital agency 1ssec Inc.

As a Japanese-American music producer and part-time model in Tokyo, he has gained popularity through affiliation with such music icons as The Weeknd and Post Malone.

As of now, he has more than 11K followers on Instagram, where he posts about his passions, which include ramen, the Washington Wizards being his favorite music.

It is within this context that the presence of Liam has made digital influencers evolve by engaging with a fan base through relatable content, blurring boundaries between reality and virtuality.

His character promotes today’s culture at the same time as addressing social issues, so he is such an important figure in the ever-growing landscape of virtual influencers.

7. Shudu (@shudu.gram)- 238k Followers

Shudu is the first digital supermodel, created by photographer Cameron-James Wilson in 2017. This innovation blends art and technology to redefine the traditionally static concept of beauty in fashion.

She has been paired with the likes of Fenty Beauty and Balmain, essentially breaking open the usual modeling notion because of issues revolving around diversity and representation.

Wilson’s work with Shudu is one of the best examples of changing iconography in fashion; how art and technology merge to form new ideas of beauty.

She has been criticized for her creation, which was made by a white male artist; however, industry-wide appreciation for Shudu’s impact only grows every day.

8. Noonoouri (@noonoouri) - 490K Followers

Graphic designer Joerg Zuber created Noonoouri, a digital influencer with large, expressive eyes and a love for high fashion.

Since her debut in 2018, she has worked with Dior and Versace amongst many other prestigious brands, fusing style with social advocacy.

Beyond fashion, Noonoouri is strongly supportive of major causes in society: sustainability and animal rights, fitting her vegan lifestyle.

With a sizeable online following, she has used this platform to bring attention to various causes and is, therefore, a fantastic mix of a fashion icon and an activist.

Her style makes her stand out in the developing virtual influencer world: a promise of meaningful representation.

9. imma (@imma.gram) - 393K Followers

Imma, Japan’s first virtual human model, was developed by Aww Inc. With her iconic pink hair, Imma has spread rapidly in the virtual world of art, fashion, and culture.

Dior and Versace are top brands she has partnered with, demonstrating just how flexible and influential digital models can be.

Recognized among Japan Economics Entertainment’s “New 100 Talents to Watch,” Imma embodies art and technology.

Her projects range from some of the most stylish campaigns for high-fashion brands to premier art exhibitions, which demonstrate a growing acceptance of virtual influencers around the globe.

In her work, Imma represents fashion and social issues, making her an outstanding voice in both the digital and real world.

10.Bermuda - (@bermudaisbae) - 220K Followers

Bermuda is one of the most notable virtual influencers, characterized by bold personality and sexy looks, that emerged in 2016.

She entered the public eye with a staged “hack” of fellow influencer Lil Miquela’s Instagram account, which proved a bit of style.

Based out of Los Angeles, Bermuda makes sleek fashion and music content, but she is actually working towards inspiring women to pursue a career in robotics. Find her on Spotify with a rendition of “Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Bermuda is represented by Brud, the very same company that produced fellow virtual influencer, Lil Miquela.

Brud stands apart in promoting digital personas using innovative storytelling and marketing strategies that focus the audience on virtual influencers.

11. Code Miko – (@thecodemiko) - 150K Followers

The name for this futurist virtual influencer and streamer is Code Miko, or “Miko,” recognized for her interactive live streams in the gaming and entertainment sectors. Miko’s developer is known as “The Technician.”

Miko diverges from other virtual influencers through the technical sophistication of the content and real-time audience interaction.

Miko, a character derived from an NPC in a failed video game, with ambitions to be part of a AAA title, interviews the creators and reaches out to her audience.

This fusion of entertainment and a unique storytelling format has given her such a mass following that it’s redefined the virtual influencer landscape.

12. Kyraonig – (@kyraonig)- 256K Follower

Kyraonig, or Kyra for short, is India’s first virtual influencer, debuted by FUTR Studios in January 2022.

The virtual influencer based out of Mumbai picked up fame and has garnered more than 257K followers on Instagram.

Describing herself as a “dream chaser, model, and traveler,” lifestyle content revolving around travel, fashion, and food makes its way to Kyraonig’s audience. Kyraonig has already collaborated with brands such as Titan and Morris Garages India.

Kyra is one of the virtual influencer trends that appear to be going viral around digital areas.

Being a CGI designed for Gen Z and Millennials, she is appropriately related to a relatively younger audience and has a plan for further development that will increase her interactivity with AI.

Her rapid rise within the landscape of influencers shows how virtual avatars can engage audiences and represent brands well.

13. Aitana Lopez –(@fit_Aitana) - 336K Followers

A conceptual virtual influencer from the House of The Clueless, Aitana Lopez was created to resemble a real human with a strongly identifiable touch.

Aitana has popularity on social media such as Instagram where she posts topics related to fitness, fashion, and travel across Europe with her pink hair locked in a rather impressive fashion.

At 25, Aitana represents that line crossing between art and technology by this very influencer space, edging how close it is to true reality in digital personas.

Her presence, the evolution of virtual influencers, provides new avenues to engage audiences while still advocating the causes they believe in.

Despite being a product of technology, Aitana effectively connects with followers across the world, making a blur between virtual and real interactions.

14. Rozy – (@rozy.gram) - 175K Followers

Sidus Studio X created Rozy, South Korea’s first virtual influencer, who premiered in August 2020.

She was designed to be perpetually 22 years of age and has very quickly risen to prominence in the beauty and entertainment industry, securing thousands of brand endorsements and advertising contracts.

Rozy’s enthusiastic personality and stunning looks have attracted a strong social media following, where she posts a glamorous life of traveling, fashion, and attendance at high-profile events.

Rozy has approximately 175K followers on Instagram and earned over 1 billion Korean won in sponsorships in the first year.

Rozy collaborates with major brands, like Tiffany & Co. and Calvin Klein, but also encourages sustainability.

Rozy depicts the phenomenon of virtual influencers, who harmonize state-of-the-art CGI techniques with relatable content and will lead the way for modern advertising and celebrity culture.

15. Puff Puff – (@itspuffpuff) - 1.3M Followers

Puff Puff is an affirmational penguin and influencer on TikTok with more than 1 million followers, spreading the message positively and upliftingly.

In all his posts, Puff Puff is always consistent, safe, and positive, giving the audience something to hold onto and treasure and encouraging affirmations.

The engagement of fans with Puff Puff attracts special attention to the insatiable need for positive messages in the digital space.

Though Puff Puff enjoys a funny personality, his history is a more poignant story since he had experienced loneliness and torment.

However, he is strong and positive, holding the purpose to warm and comfort his followers. Having the content meant to uplift his audiences, Puff Puff has efficiently claimed a good-sized niche in the landscape of virtual influencers, demonstrating that positive energy breeds connection for many viewers around the world.

Virtual Influencers: Advantages and Disadvantages

8 Pros of Virtual Influencers

Production becomes much smoother with the virtual influencer since, unlike human influencer-related productions, there will be no hair and makeup professionals to be hired, no studios to be rented out, nor places to be found.
No travel expenses for brands: virtual influencers do not need flights or accommodate any.
Emotion-free interactions: emotions or attitudes are thus avoided with virtual influencers; consequently, the collaboration is made much easier.
Presence in Multiple Places: Virtual influencers can be present at different places at a time thereby maximizing exposure and engagement.
Novelty Value: As a new concept, virtual influencers get higher media coverage as well as attraction therefore it is a new choice in marketing.
Dependability: Virtual influencers are reliable and predictable, hence there would not be a chance of sudden temperament shift or surprise.
High Engagement Rates: virtual influencers can achieve nearly three times the engagement of human influencers.
24/7 Availability: These digital personas are always online, allowing for constant interaction with audiences at any time.

4 Cons of Virtual Influencers

High Initial Costs: Creating a 3D digital character driven by AI can be very expensive, scaring off some brands.
Declining Novelty: As the novelty of virtual influencers wears off over time, interest in them may decrease.
Ethical Concerns: Since virtual influencers cannot experience the products they promote, such as food or clothing, this creates certain ethical dilemmas regarding authenticity.
Limited Emotional Connection: There may be constraints on the emotional bond consumers can form with virtual influencers compared to real people.

Are Virtual Influencers the Future of Digital Influence?

This has thrown open the doors to new virtual influencers and provoked questions as to whether these virtual influencers can altogether replace human influencers in social media marketing.

Such evolution causes brands to look for new ways of marketing that can help achieve sales targets with less expenditure and fewer complications. Brands that fail to adapt to this trend risk falling behind.

With the first virtual influencer, Liv, as a brand ambassador, Renault has already taken an essential step.

The sales-driving ability of virtual influencers is inevitably going to be one of the key talking points in marketing circles, and this trend might lead others to look into similar channels.

However, while some consumers appreciate the novelty of AI-generated characters, many still prefer the authenticity and emotional connection that real humans offer.

These virtual influencers will, of course, become more realistic more emotionally intelligent, and personalized in times to come.

Brands and virtual influencers may soon face compliance challenges as consumers demand greater transparency regarding the use of AI-driven characters in marketing.

In the metaverse, virtual influencers could serve as brand ambassadors in various digital settings, such as virtual shops and events, revolutionizing online engagement.

Yet, marketers must navigate ethical considerations to ensure authenticity and avoid manipulation.

The focus should not only be on leveraging these innovations but also on using them responsibly to maintain audience trust while exploring the vast potential that virtual influencers present.