Influencers

I like to call them influenzas, which fits your plague comment.

I think it’s a creepy term, why would I want to be influenced by a random person?

I hate that word too - these so-called influencers certainly cannot , will not, and shall not influence me.

I suppose there have always been influencers - the royals and wealthy people then stars, models, the favoured girl or boy at school....

Now people are making a living out of it though.

It’s only another word for someone pushing a product or a lifestyle, no different to advertising.

Celebrities have long been used to push products on TV. Influencing is just the social media equivalent.

What’s the difference between George Clooney advertising Nespresso or a long list of celebrities advertising for M&S?

I think there’s a certain amount of egalitarianism in social media influencing that’s to be applauded. A person can build a following (and a fortune) from nothing rather than having to be famous to start with.

“The online practices of influencers are now specifically regulated in France since a new legal framework has been set up with the law of 9 June 2023, amended on 6 November 2024 (the “Law”). The Law aims at regulating commercial influence practices in various sectors, including the health sector, and non-compliance with its requirements may entail criminal sanctions. It is the first time such practices have been regulated in the EU, and that may inspire other jurisdictions to adopt a similar framework in a near future”.
I only learned about this yesterday….

Thanks MayBee. I didn't know about that. It makes sense to protect the gullible.

Like you Nana8 I hate the term and the meaning behind it I would avoid being influenced like the plague
But then adverts don’t influence me either

Most are just grifters

Graphite

It’s only another word for someone pushing a product or a lifestyle, no different to advertising.

Celebrities have long been used to push products on TV. Influencing is just the social media equivalent.

What’s the difference between George Clooney advertising Nespresso or a long list of celebrities advertising for M&S?

I think there’s a certain amount of egalitarianism in social media influencing that’s to be applauded. A person can build a following (and a fortune) from nothing rather than having to be famous to start with.

I agree with you Graphite it’s just advertising.

I find it interesting that many people criticise brands for not showing their products on ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’ people, yet complain about influencers.

As you say many were not famous and have built a following from nothing.

I’ll stick with the granny influencers.
They are quite wise, have good life tips.
Plus I don’t have to look at person who has over done it with the face fillers 😂

I don’t understand the hatred. Anyone who watches commercial tv is ‘influenced’ (however much they may protest that they’re above all that) and the only difference between tv ads and fb reels etc is that the ads have a massive budget and sophisticated production teams.

I think there should be better regulation to ensure that it is very clear that content is advertising/advertorial, in case it’s not obvious (although it usually is), but why do so many people expect to get things free of charge? Advertising pays for content, other than on the BBC, and many object to a license fee for that, so 🤷‍♀️.

If I am looking into buying something I am happy for advertisers to try to influence me to buy their version, or for influencers to advertise the ones they are paid to show me. It shows me what is available, but I still have the choice over whether or which one to buy. If I am not in the market I don’t have to let myself be persuaded I need another miracle cleaning product or face cream.

I don’t avoid influencers like the plague as I never meet them😀. When they pop up on SM I can scroll by or pay attention if I am interested, (which I’m usually not, as I am trying to get rid of items rather than acquire more).

Why is the word ‘horrible’? It seems to me to perfectly describe what they do, which is to promote fashions, books, films, trends in household decor and so on. In a capitalist economy we need people to buy things or society will collapse. As individuals our spending patterns are up to us though.

Joe Wicks positively influenced me during the pandemic.

nanna8

Every time I hear someone described as an ‘influencer’ it makes me feel quite ill. What a horrible, horrible term and I would avoid any person described like this like the proverbial plague. Maybe I am just out of date .

How can you feel quite ill hearing a word?

Out of curiosity and for a short time, I followed a young couple on social media, but only because they lived quite close by and people were talking about them.

They seemed nice enough. All they
seemed to be doing was filming their everyday lives, featuring their two children. It became apparent they were were doing very well out of it.

They moved to a swanky new house, we saw the installation of a state of the art orangery, their extensive garden being landscaped and they were flying off for exotic breaks at regular intervals, all for plugging firms and services they used.

On holiday, hotels and restaurants as well as tourist attractions got a mention and accompanying photographs.

I found it incredible that their wealth grew so quickly but it became rather sickening after a while realising I, and their thousands of followers were the audience for this not-so-subtle advertising.

At one point the couple acknowledged their luck and their wealthy lifestyle but stressed that the work making and editing videos was very time-consuming.

I believe before all this she worked as a hairdresser and he was a brick- layer.
It was when they made a big deal of him 'at last' buying the car of his dreams that either in envy or refusing to be counted any more, I unsubscribed. They put the brand new Lamborghini on the drive down to " hard work. "

Social media has allowed for this whole new world where you can become extremely wealthy very quickly by allowing the world to come into your home, and glimpse your lifestyle. The children were growing up being filmed or staged for effect.
Their twelve year old daughter was given clothes, and offered a modelling contract. There's a huge knock- on effect by featuring children. I imagine the daughter will in time, amass her own following and never have to seek work in the conventional sense. Having 'followers' pays well.

I found it both fascinating and obscene at the same time, but there's obviously a lot of money to be made by filming your life, putting it out there and getting viewers.

Seems to be the way of the world.

petra

nanna8

Every time I hear someone described as an ‘influencer’ it makes me feel quite ill. What a horrible, horrible term and I would avoid any person described like this like the proverbial plague. Maybe I am just out of date .

How can you feel quite ill hearing a word?

I, for one, know what she meant!

someone shows up on my facebook feed who lives local and she seems to eat out loads. I'd be the size of a house

not a small house either

I know someone who runs courses on being an influencer. He is doing extremely well out of it. People saying they don’t follow or listen to influencers really don’t understand how influencing works. Yes, in SOME cases it’s someone being overt about selling a product, in other cases it’s very subtle and not about product endorsement but about changing, or forming, opinions.

What makes me 'feel ill' is the amount of money they accrue. It is not a career and it is horrifying that many children now aspire to be one.

And now we have the world of Pet Influencers! Yes, your pet can pay your mortgage and it's very lucrative apparently. There was a programme on ITV this week.
Meet the social media pet stars paying their owners bills

I'm going to find out if my daughter can get her budgie to pay her rent.

If I ignore them, will they just go away?

I’d like to think I am my own person and any «influence» is more likely to have the opposite effect.

I imagine one would have to ‘subscribe’ to their media platform to enable influencers to make money.

“A fool and his money” comes to mind.

Some where on youtube. ..sorry cant find it now..there is a funny video of a young man shopping in B&Q pretending to be an influencer. Made me laugh.

I follow Suzi Grant on Alternative Ageing. My age 77 and I suppose she would be called an influencer now although I dont think that's how she started out. Fun to watch I love seeing her shots of Brighton. Am too old for all the yoinger ones. Rather sad if their young children are roped in. Thry don't have much of a choice.

People have always made money by doing things that others don't value. It used to be footballers who got the flack for making more money than people of their class 'should' have. Then reality TV stars, now influencers. Train drivers are another group who draw criticism for making decent money, unlike, say, airline pilots, when both have the lives of passengers in their hands, but otherwise follow established routes which usually run smoothly. It costs a lot to train to be a pilot though, so they tend to come from wealthier backgrounds than train drivers.

Influencers are usually working class people with no obvious qualifications (but who knows - many may have PhD's in psychology and wear them lightly), and IMO that's what irritates people. They should know their place and stay in it.