See or hear the term "Social Media Influencer" and for many it immediately conjures the stereotype of someone so absorbed in their phone and the selfie or video they're taking that they are oblivious to the world around them— sometimes to hilarious slapstick effect.
Influence is more than influencers, but many brands still include influencers in their overall strategy. Some projects do get a boost from using the right influencer while others could benefit from tapping into other influence strategies.
Journalists shouldn't be left out of the equation either; many are influencers in their own right, like a tech journalist who has been covering that beat for a decade or more. Their audience trusts what they have to say and it might make more sense for a tech brand to reach out for their honest opinion around a project or product launch for a writeup than working with a social media influencer.
