English-Speaking Influencer's Virtual Personality: Linguocreative Aspect

The research is based on the modern direction of global language studies – Internet linguistics. The central elements of self-presentation of English-speaking influencers on the video sharing platform YouTube – self-nominations and self-descriptions – are considered from the perspective of their linguistic creativity. 100 web profiles of influential users, containing two-phase self-nominations (100 nicknames/handles and 100 channel names) and self-descriptions (100 text units) have been analysed. It has been stated that in self-nominations the majority of influencers prefer their real anthroponyms, creating occasionalisms in the form of monostructural formations from their first and last names, thereby branding their real name. Less influential users create innovative onyms by combining their name with some language unit or inventing a pseudonym through word formation, blending, modifying idiomatic expressions. Variations of linguistic creative manifestations are also observed within self-descriptions in the forms of greetings, calling to join the channel, providing brief information about the type of content, the user's interests in the form of word play, with various syntactic structures and paraverbal symbols. All these points indicate the leaders' efforts to create their own innovative brand and attract an audience.