Influencer Industry

[PartTimeNoseyWitch]

I just saw a regurgitated post from Reddit which was allegedly an influencer saying she uses AI to generate her “perfect lifestyle” pics so she doesn’t even have to spend money eating and going out to maintain her image anymore. Not sure if it is true, certainly interesting though! One of my friends is an influencer and I know she has used a greenscreen in one of her pics to make it look as though she has this magnificent bedroom. Personally, I could not be bothered to have to keep up such charades.

 

[gatita]

I hope the "influencer" bubble will burst soon, and that only the ones with genuine talent/knowledge will remain successful. Maybe that's wishful thinking. I do think it's great that the internet and social media have given opportunities to talented people to make a career from their skills, e.g. food bloggers, artists and comedians. However, it's unfortunate that it's also given talentless people the opportunity to make a "career" based on living a shallow, consumerist lifestyle.

Hopefully things are changing though. I sent in a complaint to Gatwick Express about a month ago, as I'd noticed they were advertising their service by paying "influencers" to post about it on Instagram. It just pissed me off because I used the Gatwick Express earlier this year, and I hate to think that the money I (and other ordinary people) spent went into the pockets of these people, who probably got the rest of their holiday paid for as well. It just seems absurd to me that posting a picture of your holiday can be considered "work". To be fair, the response I got from Gatwick Express was quite promising, and they've said management will review their methods of promotion. I hope the tide is turning, and companies will start to realise that influencer marketing isn't the way forward (as I'm not even sure it's particularly effective in business terms anyway).

I think the Coronavirus situation will definitely change society in a big way, and the idea that advertising a life of leisure and luxury is a legitimate choice of career will not sit so well with people anymore.

 

[Youcantsitwithus]

Not a single one that I have seen has tried to do anything other than instagram workouts.

A few options -
- Raise money for food banks
- Do a free promotion with one of the brands that is doing good
- Volunteer to support the elderly, I’ve seen so many local people doing this
- Zanna for example or any other of these health conscious bloggers - give away her PDF workout guides / healthy eating guides for free. Show that you are sacrificing some of your income to help others.
- Grace Fit Uk - showing off her London Mansion, why don’t you use your eco friendly clothing company to make some masks that the NHS is short of (maybe not possible but you get the idea)

Just show that they care, I get not wanting to talk about the situation but carrying on as normal flaunting their wealth and expensive homes and holiday photos reminding people of the money they don’t have and the holidays they won’t get to go on.

 

[houseofhoop]

Instagram influencers really get my back up so I’d be very glad to see the back of them.
I have a number of issues with it all.
1. Exploiting their children for monetary gain, without their consent
2. Promoting a lifestyle that is definitely not real
3. Lying to get people to buy crap they don’t need...not environmentally friendly, more packaging, more plastic, most unnecessary crap that will probably be thrown away.
4. Not be 100% transparent in what is an ad or what has been gifted.
5. These people could do so much good with the stuff they are gifted/ paid ad fees for. Most of them do not need the money or the stuff (especially food) they are given. I’d have much more respect if they did the promo and then gave the food to a food bank or something.
6. Giving people mental health issues when they true to keep up with what’s been #ad #gifted down their throats on a daily basis

my list could go on.

 

[Rosiepie]

What I find frustrating is seeing the same ‘influencers’ ( I can’t stand that word) staging photos of their kids or themselves, trying to sell products that they don’t use or perhaps use the once. I started a while ago to see through the fakeness of some of these people - their accounts which I liked a few years ago have sadly now changed to making money or trying to get gifts, trying anything to increase numbers. They have the audacity to keep telling their audience that they are genuine and honest, but the stunts they pull to sell something make you question them, and when you do they don’t like it. They call people trolls for speaking out about it, but they simply don’t like hearing the truth and being called out on their actions. They act like they are some sort of mini celebrity - IG has gone to their heads in a BIG way I’m glad I discovered Tattle and found that others were also getting sick and tired of it all too.

 

[Thistles]

Not an instagram influencer, but a minimalist blogger has just done an Ad for a backpack, and is planning/already left to go traveling around the world! For someone that gives monologues about compassion, living mindfully, reducing impact etc this comes off entirely selfish at this point in time, with no real sense of awareness and care for others, let alone the increasing restrictions on travel.

Other minimalist/low waste youtubers are using their platforms to talk about how certain aspects of the lifestyle are no longer safe or practical and to do what you can within these limits.... and then you have self absorbed bloggers who are creating a narrative that everything will be okay, just be a hypocrite and say inviting mindfulness and peace will absolve you of responsibility to others, buy this aesthetic reusable and bag though friends!

 

[Yel]

Instagram is *hiding * many posts now unless you pay them

She's being an idiot. Of course you aren't guaranteed to reach someone's feed unless you pay. The average person is following 600+ people so of course they won't see everyones post. Instagram want a fuckload of content and only show the best to it's users so they stay on the platform and have a good experience to make as much money for themselves.

Looking at some of the mummyfloggers comments you just notice how many lower tier/wannabe influencers are commenting...how saturated is that market!

Yep most comments are from people desperate to be infuencers, not people ready to be influenced!

I hope it's the year we say goodbye to mummy vloggers and family influencers. Cannot stand people pimping out their children for a paycheck.

The law will catch up and their business model will be dead in the water. Just a matter of time.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I also hope it will be the death of the influencer in the new year although I actually DO understand why brands are using them. Old school advertising and marketing no longer works.

Be honest! How many of you still watch tv ads? Or look at ads in actual papers, magazines, etc? How are the brands supposed to reach us if we don't see them, so I get the over saturation of social media.

What I DON'T like is that people you enjoy following will now sell their soul for a bit of dosh. Why can't they be more discerning and only work with brands they like or believe in. It doesn't bother me that rich people get gifted items, I mean would you turn down free stuff? Plus if they have xxxx amount of followers these brands know they are actually reaching people.

Also to the person who wanted an Audi, avoid, avoid, avoid! Severaly overpriced! Rather spend the money on a Porche or Mercedez, you'd be surprised how cheap you can pick them up and they are not expensive to service either

 

[ChilliBean]

It really annoyed me when Dog's Trust apparently paid Mrs Hinch 10 grand to have a Dog's Trust highlight on her Instagram page! I stopped donating money after that and just send the odd toys and treats now.

I have sponsored a dog for the past 6 years, even when I was a student at uni and was struggling financially I always gave to them and I am mortified that they spend TEN THOUSAND POUNDS paying that fraud

Sorry to double post but this is a perfect example of how fake influencer culture is. When you all turn up to the same *gifted* event in your hideous *gifted* coat. I would be mortified to turn up wearing the same thing as one friend let alone TWO!

 

[L3moning]

Seems like the best place to post this news from Australia; at least one country is starting to take serious action.

Any influencer who relies on skincare, supplements or protein powder will need to find a new job.

Influencers will be banned from receiving payment or benefits from spruiking health and wellness products.
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(source The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/)

Article : https://archive.is/XBwN0

So many influencers in the UK promote supplements and skincare so fingers crossed something similar is introduced.

The papers are always going on about something needs to be done about tattle (because it allows opinions that these busisnes entities can't delete), but silent about influencers damaging unregulated actions on society

The interesting bit to me is the "the code also prohibits endorsements by those who hold themselves out as having expertise or qualifications in a health related field".

Would that also ban those adverts for toothpaste where they say things like "88% of the dentists we asked (we asked 11) said our toothpaste was good"?

 

[Elleangel]

Christmas really shows the consumerism all the gifts they are getting and there are people who are going without, I used to love IG and there were some influencers I enjoyed at the very beginning who were good for beauty and style and I'd take advice from them when they were genuine, now since majority have sold out advertising everything they get sent for free, the integrity is gone. I haven't bought anything an influencer advertised now in a long time and I would say more and more people have noticed and stopped buying from these brands too, maybe this will be the beginning of the end when these brands notice the return isn't the same. I also feel that this forum has helped - I've noticed good few new members on different threads come on and say that they thought at first tattle was full of trolls etc but once read the threads their eyes were opened.

I hope for 2020 that there will be crackdown on family vloggers and intsamams, they are the worst in my view for using their children to advertise products and basically just having them in the public eye for their thousands of followers who then know everything about them.

 

[Yel]

New bingo advert poking fun at infuencers, it has a green juice drinking infuencer that the voice over says no one's watching then she eats some sausages.

The slow drip of negativity about infuencers and their industry that is signalling a change.

 

[ChilliBean]

I really hope this is not true.

I really am considering ending my sponsorship with them if they think thats an appropriate way to spend money, that could be better spent on the dogs! I don't know how Mrs Hinch sleeps at night. Its not as if Dogs Trust aren't a well known charity that they would need that level of advertising. Also why would an influencer as wealthy as Mrs Hinch (who loves her dog SO much) not offer to work with Dogs Trust for free as it is a charity???? These people truly have no soul.

Apologies but I am raging that any of my hard earned cash has potentially lined the pocket of the likes of these influences

 

[Rosiepie]

Are there any brands that you are particularly sick of seeing being constantly gifted or promoted?
I’m Fed up with seeing those expensive Balsamhill Christmas trees being gifted to wealthy individuals. They gifted a lady who already owns at least 7 Xmas trees Oh and The White Company keep on advertising their products too by gifting or paying fees. The worst was a £1k outdoor fire pit gifted to a very wealthy family. The greed of these people who take take take and advertise to make money, but insist they are only doing it to share with their loyal followers. Yeah right!

 

[working9-5]

I think we can safely say influencers will now have to start to think of a real job that produces something of worth or helps society.

Don't come crying that you chose insecure vapid work and were not prepared for a recession that brought it to an end. Even without the virus, a recession would have still happened soon enough.

They're not creatives or creators, just a shopping channel with instantly disposable content. Would you watch a re-run of a QVC show?

Even now most of them are just plugging their ‘content’ and ignorant to the chaos unfolding around them. They could at least use their platform to do good and help people. It is disgraceful and hope their bubble bursts.

 

[whut28]

Amazing news!
I dont follow many influencers at all but when they come up in my fyp I usually scroll past anyway - I dont believe their reviews are genuine at all, plus there are so many kids on social media now all at an age where they are easily influenced or led to believe there is a miracle cure for everything. My 2 year old suffers eczema and I sure as shit never want her to listen to someone who has been paid to advertise a product and probably doesnt even suffer with it (im hopeful she may grow out of it)

 

[georgiecait]

Yesss I love this!
I would be very happy to see the disappearance of those useless hair gummies!

 

[Sven]

Sophie Robinson Interiors is continuously posting about all her newly done work in her house, inc. blinds, curtains, wallpapers, sofas and a treehouse outside. Her husband is a builder. She calls him the builder husband as if she has more than one.

That’s so vile. People might be losing their jobs and houses. These people are utterly deplorable.

 

[Deleted member]

Didn’t know Asda gave away food! Is this Xmas food that they are advertising?
Asda are running a charity campaign to help combat hunger. Ironically they pay fees to instagrammers to tell followers about the charity. Wonder how many mouths they could feed on fees paid out alone?
Im also sick and tired of people who are clearly advertising a product but don’t declare it, or try hiding the fact they have been paid a fee. So many gullible people out there worshipping instagrammers who are fake and their lives are as fake as anything!

One influencer got lots of the Extra Special range Christmas food,booze and Christmas crackers- for herself and husband.
The other got stuff to make a steak dinner to advertise how asda have reduced their packaging.

 

[sleepycat]

Oh no,what's every reality tv show loser going to do when they can't promote protein powder?they might actually have to get a job but surely they're too famous for that

I wonder if their overly expensive tea fits in the no longer paid products. I'm tired of their 25€ tea that just tastes the same as the 5€ one