Influencer
Etymology
The word “influence” is centuries old, but “influencer” took its modern job-title sense in the 2010s as brands realized ordinary social-media users could move products better than celebrities. “Influencer marketing” formalized the arrangement. The term marks the moment audience itself became inventory to be sold.
noun · /IN-floo-en-ser/
A person who has built an online audience large enough to shape its tastes and purchases.
What it names
A new occupation: turning personal attention into a marketable channel.
Example
She quit her agency job once her cooking account made her a full-time influencer with brand deals.
Related idea
An influencer monetizes a parasocial bond: followers feel they know the person, and that felt intimacy is what advertisers actually pay for.