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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fed up of Instamums

999 replies

Hmmmmx100 · 25/08/2017 22:56

I followed a few of the more well-known Instamums but got weary of the constant daily barrage of brand endorsements. I can't relate to people on £100k a year in Farrow & Ball houses. I just can't. So I had to unfollow em all, every one. AIBU to feel a bit miffed that these people are using the idea of sisterhood to make money? They're not our friends, they're just there to sell us stuff that we probably don't need anyway.

OP posts:
RupertPsmith · 26/08/2017 20:02

I was cared for by the midwife during my pregnancy and she delivered DD1. It's my rubbish claim to fame.

She is wonderful at her day job.

langkaw · 26/08/2017 20:08

There was a thread about her that was pulled from here. I think it's the same one?

ibuiltahomeforyou · 26/08/2017 20:15

I strongly suspect that The Midhusband doesn't actually manage his own account hence why he doesn't usually do instastories - I think he sends copy/images to a third party who edit it and upload it. That is why his content often has special effects, e.g. Sped up videos of the twins in the garden. They are paying other people for social media production so get fancy extras.

With regard the 'friends' element, the Midwife and Midhusband, the Hypnobirth Mum and the Wacky Dresser are all managed by the same talent agency which is why those two went on one of their many holidays together.

TealStar · 26/08/2017 20:19

Langkaw yeah that's the one Smile

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 26/08/2017 20:29

I don't follow the midwife..... all that gift giving at xmas was just too much

As well as Claire ( a farmers wife) I like mrs m and katieandbaby as well as a few slimming world mums

Sortitout21 · 26/08/2017 20:35

Pappa - who is the one married to the food critic?

BabsGanoush · 26/08/2017 20:36

As well as Claire ( a farmers wife) I like mrs m Me too - there was a discussion just recently about YouTubeMums.

I sometimes watch Sarah This Mama Life (argh, hate 'mama'). She OK but speaks 'wacky' and I can't always understand her.

SkylarFalls · 26/08/2017 20:46

The two I was following have completely lost their appeal since they've had more sponsors. Now they're dull: trying hard to fake their old candid style while selling/advertising for their sponsors!

I follow one non mum who got really big on social media and was offered all sorts of deals which he was initially excited about, but he fine combed the small print and realied that he'ld be contractually obliged to act like a bit of a moron so he realised it'ld lose him a lot of his fan base so he turned it all down

wannabestressfree · 26/08/2017 20:48

This has made me chuckle....

simpaticasimpatica · 26/08/2017 20:53

Tell me more about the one who was made by her home....does she live down on the south coast by any chance??

TealStar · 26/08/2017 21:17

I don't know simpatica as I don't follow her. I remember her house being very beige though!

WipsGlitter · 26/08/2017 21:27

sorti it's Esther Coren. Her husband is Giles Coren.

Sortitout21 · 26/08/2017 21:33

Thanks Wips!

TheLittleBook · 26/08/2017 21:50

The American travelling one is Courtney Adamo. Or are we not supposed to say?

I did get quite into Instagram at first but it has definitely become just a marketing platform now. I wouldn't like to be an 'instamum' (even if I thought I could) though as they literally seem to spend all day on their phones and every moment is documented. Photos staged at every turn. Must be exhausting and do they even spend quality time just being a normal family? Especially the twee one, she always seems to be filming everything, does she ever just sit back and enjoy her life? Must it all just be made into a photo or story?

I think I know who you mean about the home that made me. I didn't realise she had a thread but I followed her before the instastories and then had to unfollow as I find her personality just awful and hate the way she talks about her kids.

Notyetthere · 26/08/2017 22:04

I actually don't mind instamums. They have a huge following and if I had a product I wanted to plug them I would definitely use them.

In fact some of the instamums that I watch on you tube don't always give glowing reviews of the products. For example Patricia Bright will say a product is rubbish if thinks it. She tells you whether it's a freebie or she purchased it herself at the start of each recording before she slates it.

@eakmumps I also like Emily Norris. She seems to be open about which products she is plugging so you know that from the beginning.

Pappawasarollingbone · 26/08/2017 22:06

Sort sorry yes Esther Walker. I do like her she seems genuine and funny.

MarcelineTheVampire · 26/08/2017 22:15

I like MOD/FODs, DLAM etc...they have recently gone mad on #ads and whilst I know they need to earn a living - it is a little off putting.

I couldn't be an 'instamum' as I quite like living my life and I just feel like once you have a massive following, it must be draining staging photos and thinking 'oh that would be good for instagram' etc.

Good luck to them though.

Dozyoldtwonk · 26/08/2017 22:25

There are a few 'instamums' that I follow that have really beautiful feeds. . .contrived maybe, but they have inspired me to up my game with things like activities with the DC, nursery decor etc. For me, I use them as a positive force and if they start to get on my wick with the #ads & such like, I simply unfollow.

Also, the ones that have become really mainstream (MoD/FoD, Unmumsy, gin mum) have become a bit same old - I tend to follow ones with slightly fewer followers. I'm probably in the minority here but ads aside, I love the smoke and mirrors/illusion of perfect life stuff; we all know the drudgery of life and raising DC, I certainly don't use the 5 minutes here and there I can snatch to pop on Instagram and see more of it Confused. I don't want to see real life, I want to see fakery & feel inspired to up my game Grin I do find I come off Instagram most of the time feeling charged up and ready to do stuff, but it's not for everyone. . .don't follow people that make you feel inferior, bad or envious. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that Hmm

ASauvingnonADay · 26/08/2017 22:25

I strongly suspect that The Midhusband doesn't actually manage his own account hence why he doesn't usually do instastories - I think he sends copy/images to a third party who edit it and upload it. That is why his content often has special effects, e.g. Sped up videos of the twins in the garden. They are paying other people for social media production so get fancy extras.
He regularly does instastories and there are always spelling/grammatical mistakes in his posts/uploads so I suspect it is him.

I actually quite like MOD/FOD but I agree that it seems to have changed very recently and it's constant ad/holiday and it's dull.

Ditto I liked following unmummsy mum until she did instastories detailing every freebee she'd been given. It was painful, which I think was sad as I like her (or her online persona!) otherwise.

JuneFromBethesda · 26/08/2017 22:42

What I wonder is whether these bloggers start to lose followers over time as their blogs become one long stream of freebies. I can think of several I've lost interest in as what I originally liked about them - their genuine, interesting 'voice' - becomes drowned out by a relentless flood of sponsored nonsense. I vaguely remember one blogger writing a post about a special edition Ryvita tin Hmm - this was on a fashion blog. I mean for fuck's sake. If you want to 'monetarise' your blog go ahead, but at least be honest about it and admit that you've sold out.

fivefour3twoone · 26/08/2017 22:46

I still don't understand how they make a living from it...

Dozyoldtwonk · 26/08/2017 22:50

fivefour3twoone brands pay them to plug / promote their products, which in turn will (hopefully) lead their followers to adopt brand / buy products. Most of the products are market targeted i.e. instamum will plug baby bath products and so on. But as pp have said, some of the big guns have gone ridiculous and are now plugging stuff (& pocketing the fee obviously) that don't fit with their brand, demographic or market. That's it really. waits for someone more knowledgeable to come along & correct me/shoot me down

simpaticasimpatica · 26/08/2017 23:08

I didn't realise the one who'd settled in Australia was from one of the richest families in the US?!?!

ibuiltahomeforyou · 26/08/2017 23:26

@ASauvingnonADay the Midhusband only did his first instastory when he did the charity bike ride a. Poole of weeks ago, he referenced it. He has done some holiday plug stories this week surprise surprise but his other videos are on his actual feed so can be edited and uploaded.

The reason his written content has typos is because he is dyslexic so any third party company wouldn't necessarily alter that.

Lots and lots of celebs use third parties to manage their content uploads, they just take photos while out and about (and some write the copy too) and then office staff seed it out onto social media. I may be wrong but I'd be surprised if someone with a full time job, four kids, a huge revenue stream from social media had time to handle all their own posts. It's like when celebrities with several children pretend not to have nannies to appear more 'one of us'.

MoveOnTheCards · 27/08/2017 00:43

I work in marketing and we often 'engage' these instagrammers in campaigns. The fees some of them charge per post is eyewatering and have rocketed hugely over the last year or two. Even the really insincere ones. And yes, loads of them have agents who also coin it in on the back of paid posts.

Every paid-for post will be subject to a specific brief (including key phrases to include, what the photo needs to show etc) and often they're approved by the brand before being posted publically.

They are a powerful bunch when it comes to reaching audiences on a brand's behalf. Some I admire for the balance they achieve (these are the more picky ones when it comes to what they will/won't do for a brand, they have more natural and realistic links to the products or services they promote) others, who seem to plug anything and everything I struggle with.

Even as someone who works in this industry I get frustrated with apparently random brand plugs which I know are completely bought by a brand because the instagrammer has a large following, rather than because they truly believe in the product or services.