With the onset of social media and the web, becoming "viral" has become another way of getting famous. Twitter has decided to support this process by buying Niche, a startup that sorts online video celebrities with advertisers.

Founded in 2015, Niche acts as sort of a talent agency that matches online celebrities from Vine, YouTube, and any other popular websites with prospective advertisers that will net revenue. Twitter bought the company last Wednesday.

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While the financial terms of the deal were not wholly disclosed, sources say the website was valued at more than US$30 million.

"As more users and creators use different products as a way to share what's happening in their world, brands are also looking to partner with those individuals in hopes of generating moments that resonate with the people they are trying to reach," said Twitter director of product management Baljeet Singh.

The dynamics of being a celebrity has now changed with social media. Now, the internet includes people who have turned themselves into celebrities by posting funny, amazing or fascinating videos online.

Niche reports they have more than 6,000 social media creators in its growing stable of talent.

In an online post, Niche also said comedic personalities, aesthetic photographers, visual artists, food enthusiasts and even the fashion savvy have leveraged on new mobile platforms to build their ever-increasing fan base.

Niche operates from New York City and San Francisco. They describe themselves as more than just a simple talent agency for social media stars.

The services they add include providing analytics to back the popularity of their social media stars; fostering partnerships between video makers and brands and seeking bigger and better ways to connect to the audience.

Twitter stands to add around 13 million to 16 million users in the first quarter. This will be faster than the 1.4 per cent growth the company saw previously.

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