Are influencers becoming redundant?

[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.

 

[OhhBacon]

We need to stop calling them influencer. The word has a gentle, softly softly connotation.
It’s like they are just telling you about this product and it’s up to you to decide if you fancy buying it, they are simply putting a little idea in your head..influencing you.

We need to call them salespeople. That’s what they are, they are selling and they are on commission for everything and more that you buy.

Am I over sales people on Instagram, pretending to by my mate...yes I am.

 

[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.

 

[Cocopops12]

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

 

[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...]

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

 

[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.

 

[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 shit! It reeks of greediness to me. I no longer follow influencers anymore, they disgust me.

 

[chocolate choux]

I think so, and they’ve ruined themselves. Like others have said, they’ve basically turned IG/YouTube into shopping websites. The original appeal was that they weren’t celebrities, and they weren’t being paid to advertise, they were just ordinary people sharing their lives and passions. Now they’re all fake as fuck and touting the same old shite. I actually feel like I’ve grown immune to certain #ads because I’ve heard it all before and the little rebel in me doesn’t want to fall for it

I hate YouTube sponsorships in particular, especially when they’re unrelated to the content or when the video has been made to fit the ad, ruining it entirely. Nothing worse than watching a video just to hear “before we get into that, XYZ are kindly sponsoring this video, blah blah blah, they’re giving you guys 15% off with this code” no thanks!

I think some influencers will survive, the really popular ones and the ones who aren’t blatantly sell outs. But hopefully the bulk of them will become redundant

 

[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.

 

[Zenchick101]

Over it - the most successfull ones are just carbon-copies of each other. I'd never been that influenced before and recently was and got scammed - lesson learned.

 

[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]

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?

 

[bottie1000]

I'm mainly over the whole influencer thing, and can't remember the last time i bought something from a 'big name'. However as a POC with curly hair I do follow every similar women and am interested to see how they care for their hair, skin, etc. as many brands in most supermarkets near where I live just don't cater to me at all. So in that case if i see someone i rate advertise something i'll do my own research on it and maybe use their code. But a lot of these women have around 100-150k followers, so don't feature on these threads.

 

[Shopgal]

I actively won’t buy products gifted to influencers now. I find the mummy influencers the worst. I was recently in the market for a double pram and noticed 2 particular brands influencers were suddenly swearing by, contradicting what they previously said. I was going to buy one of those brands but got something different. I also will not pay full price for hello fresh. These companies need to know they are cheapening their products.

I'm mainly over the whole influencer thing, and can't remember the last time i bought something from a 'big name'. However as a POC with curly hair I do follow every similar women and am interested to see how they care for their hair, skin, etc. as many brands in most supermarkets near where I live just don't cater to me at all. So in that case if i see someone i rate advertise something i'll do my own research on it and maybe use their code. But a lot of these women have around 100-150k followers, so don't feature on these threads.

There are some good ones out there still that highlight brands or tricks I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. I also like the ones who say what they think and don’t care if they drop followers. Sadly these are becoming a rare breed.

 

[PurplePhoenix97]

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.

I don’t think so either and all that lot on YouTube like Lydia, Victoria, Josie ect. I think they’re done now that they've got their houses, they’ll have a baby and that’s them done and dusted. No one will give a toss after they’re thirty with kids.

It’s all about the new generation of wannabe efame munchkins who want to dethrone Kylie Jenner and be the next bunch of “it” girls. It’s always happening now and all these crappy market tat brands like PLT and Missguided are looking more at these girls to use and flog their crap. But it depends on the shift in style too. The only reason PLT, Missguided, I saw it first and Boohoo, Miss also or In the style ever did well was because the asian male owners hopped on the Kardashian bandwagon when it first came out, when that camel nude style went viral and they got cheap knock offs from China and started up sites, selling that look to young girls. But the majority are my age now and are nearing thirty.

So the next wave or fame hungry fuckers are due and god help what they’ll be. A lot of the younger ones are into eco, sustainability and vegan everything. But we all know they’ll still be made in China or India anyway - they’ll just claim they’re eco for show and the trend.

I think Instagram and YouTube will remain but I have a feeling another platform (not Tiktok) but something else will come forth soon.

We’ve had the MySpace era, we’re nearly done with the instagram era of tragic sex doll clones. So something is coming and I fear it’ll be more melodramatic and overly vain as what’s on the go now. Generation X claim to be the best since they’re all for the new age rights but they’re the whiniest and laziest in my opinion.

And I think marketing will shift in another direction using these bastards too when the time comes and they’ll earn even more money. Eventually jobs will all be online based. Holograms are coming soon I’ve heard.

I’m telling you. We’re being replaced with AIs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the new new influencers in another ten years will film themselves on 3d hologram devices and just program their fake virtual selves to do things so that their actual selves don’t ever have to work. So they’ll earn and do fuck all. Tin hat theory but I can see it happening.

 

[bellinibobble]

I think so! Apart from if you follow some niche people for a specific interest.

It just feels like the same people get gifted the same products. Once I see three or four influencers receive the same item, or do the same ad, there’s no way I would buy the same thing full price! I’d just feel like a mug.

As an example, it’s clear so many Essex influencers have some sort of partnership with a guy who designs Howdens kitchens. I would go out of my way not to use them if I needed a kitchen, because of their connection to Instagram celebs.

 

[RedMagnolia]

It has the opposite effect on me, I am completely put off any product that an influencer has been gifted. I'd rather have recommendations from friends and family - and threads on forums where people have tried various things that they now love. No hidden agenda.

 

[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?

 

[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.