Are influencers becoming redundant?

[Bronx]

I’m aware this is a hyper-critical forum, but judging by many of the threads that I lurk in, there has been a real shift in alliances over the years.
Do you think the role of the influencer is becoming redundant?
I’ve become very critical of how I am now perceiving content on influencers instagrams, recently. I don’t buy products that they advertise or are gifted, and I find myself finding cheaper alternatives due to the price of a lot of the products.
How do you feel about influencers roles in the current climate?

 

[Buttercup1234]

Influencers cannot be trusted. They're paid to promote a brand, it's been years since anything people like that put on their YouTube or Instagram were their actual thoughts, or a product they actually use and endorse. If a brand advertises heavily (or exclusively) through "influencers", I won't buy it no matter how much it's raved about. Cut the poison off at the source.

 

[Cucumber and eggs]

Instagram was orginally for people to share their photographs and I joined as I have an interest in photography. Now its like one big shopping channel. I would never buy anything promoted by an influencer, usually its gifted, out of price range, a scam or the reviews aren't brilliant.

 

[Cocopops12]

Hopefully Nearly always people that have failed at ‘normal’ adult life so need the attention of strangers online.

 

[LittleMy]

They all jump on the same bandwagon and it’s all for cash/gifts. I mean if I have to see another #ad for Iconic makeup or Joy of Clean again...even non-cleaning accounts are being paid to promote the tit! It reeks of greediness to me. I no longer follow influencers anymore, they disgust me.

 

[They See Me Trolling...]

I believe this 100%, influencers are going downhill fast and people are seeing them for what they are, particularly during this pandemic. They are desperately trying to claw at any money they can get and it’s so obvious

 

[Bronx]

Who are the worst? I used to follow lily and Anna who get the same freebies and it’s so obvious.

 

[AdoraDelano]

I think they're over, or are close to being over. People are sick of being sold at all the time, and now that a) businesses have less money and b) a lot of people have lost their jobs, I don't think it'll be the same in future.

 

[Gembo]

I hope Influencers are on their way out! As someone said instagram started off as a photo sharing app and now it’s like qvc. I think companies have shot themselves in the foot. It wasn’t too bad to begin with and would definitely have been advertising for them. But now I don’t think they look enough into who they get to promote their products, they need to be more selective. So many companies I used to or would have bought from that I now think have devalued themselves enormously. Once you associate a product with someone it’s hard to go back from that and the insincerity and greediness of so many of them is really off putting. Not to mention when you see the same product being flogged on every account. I barely go on Instagram now it’s massively ruined it for me

 

[They See Me Trolling...]

Who are the worst? I used to follow lily and Anna who get the same freebies and it’s so obvious.

Girl, where do I start?
•Parttimeworkingmummy #1 for sure, she’d literally do anything for an advert, you’d think she’d have more than enough money from her PayPal scam
•jessontheplussize
•Beckyhomesweethome (also her daughter, who doesn’t have a thread here)

 

[Bronx]

Girl, where do I start?
•Parttimeworkingmummy #1 for sure, she’d literally do anything for an advert, you’d think she’d have more than enough money from her PayPal scam
•jessontheplussize
•Beckyhomesweethome (also her daughter, who doesn’t have a thread here)

That’s interesting that there’s now generations of influencers- I didn’t know!

I hope Influencers are on their way out! As someone said instagram started off as a photo sharing app and now it’s like qvc. I think companies have shot themselves in the foot. It wasn’t too bad to begin with and would definitely have been advertising for them. But now I don’t think they look enough into who they get to promote their products, they need to be more selective. So many companies I used to or would have bought from that I now think have devalued themselves enormously. Once you associate a product with someone it’s hard to go back from that and the insincerity and greediness of so many of them is really off putting. Not to mention when you see the same product being flogged on every account. I barely go on Instagram now it’s massively ruined it for me

Exactly. I look at my first Instagram post and it’s a picture of my friends/ cats, it’s for my friends; not for people I don’t know. Even YouTube, where I uploaded videos of my family to share with them and only them. It’s completely evolved.

 

[Eltonjohnsflorist]

Hmmmmm im on the fence. Because the reality is influencer promotion does often come with a discount or special offer of some kind and I think that will always be attractive to some degree

 

[They See Me Trolling...]

Hmmmmm im on the fence. Because the reality is influencer promotion does often come with a discount or special offer of some kind and I think that will always be attractive to some degree

Hahahahaha I cannot stop laughing at your name the PTWM thread would LOVE you

 

[coconochanel]

I think they would have been out a long time ago if the declaring things and ASA had come in sooner. I wouldn't buy anything they recommend.

 

[panda_eyes]

If all the influencers disappeared overnight, what would fill the void? Would adverts go back to just being clearly adverts with clearly marked #actors in them?

 

[Gembo]

If all the influencers disappeared overnight, what would fill the void? Would adverts go back to just being clearly adverts with clearly marked #actors in them?

Most of the things I see being advertised by influencers never had adverts before. Well not that I noticed, maybe in magazines, but I don’t remember seeing tv ads of many other ads for The White Company or Daniel Wellington or Benefit just for example. I can see why influencers were a good way to advertise products at one point but it’s just too saturated now. And when they’re advertising things like weight loss injections and skinny teas I think it lessens their credibility a lot.

 

[Buttercup1234]

I love it when influencers get so salty about brands like Drunk Elephant and bash their customer service etc...because they won't work with influencers. They know they don't need to and influencers hate that.

 

[Bronx]

Most of the things I see being advertised by influencers never had adverts before. Well not that I noticed, maybe in magazines, but I don’t remember seeing tv ads of many other ads for The White Company or Daniel Wellington or Benefit just for example. I can see why influencers were a good way to advertise products at one point but it’s just too saturated now. And when they’re advertising things like weight loss injections and skinny teas I think it lessens their credibility a lot.

I get the impression that influencers are probably cheaper than magazine and TV ads. Magazines are almost redundant now and I can’t imagine companies like the white company paying for a TV advert.

I think they're over, or are close to being over. People are sick of being sold at all the time, and now that a) businesses have less money and b) a lot of people have lost their jobs, I don't think it'll be the same in future.

Exactly. How are we supposed to afford a “sale” piece that’s still £200+ that an influencer has been gifted?

 

[Eltonjohnsflorist]

Hahahahaha I cannot stop laughing at your name the PTWM thread would LOVE you

what is ptwm thread? I’m there!

 

[Notyourpityparty]

A lot of influencers only use not sponsored stuff but PR Cos it’s there and free and don’t even repurchase it and as well as the fact actual sponsored products aren’t even in their proper rotation. I also hate when they do “drugstore” videos Cos they don’t actually like nor use these products