Instamums 4

[mammyoftwo]

Following on from Instamums 3.2

I've heard of some yes. I've heard of Motherpukka for example.

I agree chocolate. I feel like an informed viewer (not follower) now. I do feel like a bit of a twit for the amount of advertising I didn't click until #corfugate. I genuinely didn't think about where all the stuff was coming from! That goes for DLAM, stylemesunday and CT too.

@CadyHeron This might sound like a dig, but it's a genuine question.

If you'd never heard of them before these threads and you haven't heard of the rest of them, why are you so invested in defending them?

But which instamums do you enjoy following Cady? You seem very overprotective of some of them

Ok cady I just wonder if you didn't feel as engaged and duped like some of us did. Would that be fair?

I'm not invested in defending them. Just baffled at those professing to not like them/think they're goons/selling out but still not being able to tear themselves away from their feed.It's bizarre.

@Stellastartsitall for all instaparents it must be crazy, to go from normal life to have a free car, have a holiday, have these clothes, come to this event and then have hundreds of thousands of people messaging you and commenting and saying how funny/great/relatable/real you are. It must be exciting and the fact it's financially rewarding an added bonus. Then the flattering book deals role in. With a couple both getting it it must be even harder to reign it in and see straight. At least with it being just one of a couple, the other can keep their feet firmly on the ground. This is not aimed at any particular instagrammer, there are so many you see about and with book deals etc. It must feel quite nice after normal life, which lets face it for all of us we have bad weeks or can feel stuck in a rut.
But it does seem (to me) that some have not got the balance quite right and it's taking its toll.

I've been following mod for over 2 years. Ive seen the way she has evolved. She's been promoting stuff without disclosure for a whole 2 years! Some transparency now but only due to mumsnet threads.

That's just it though - she does trade on her midwifery and will doubtless be back to sandwich the next #ad with another midwife post. I would have more respect for her if she was just upfront about where her interest really lies........ And, yes, I guess she is free to monetise her kids - we are all vecoming aware of the mental health aspects of social media on the young.

I go on Instagram quite a bit.
I'm not daft enough to think though that I have to have everything I see on there and if I can't have it it means I'm failing (mentioned earlier in the thread) or that if someone posts a snapshot of their day it automatically means the kids aren't being looked after.

Guys I really appreciate I’m just coming in here and I’ve been following the thread (well, all of them). I’ve not been commenting because I’ve just been a little nervous! Anyway, I really see so much value in lots of the points you’ve made around confidentiality for kids and clarity for advertising. It’s such a new world of marketing really and I think everyone really needs to know what the guidelines are and how to respect and stick to them. Anyway, so many thoughts and I’ve been writing a whole response in my head all day but by the time I’ve actually had time to write, I’m half dead to the world. But really, I wanted to say thank you for the points raised. Amidst some detours and some cruelty, there has been value. I love Instagram but I’m increasingly wary of the clarity that is offered. Not that I’m gonna fall prey to what’s being advertised necessarily, but I like to know whether it’s from the heart or obligation that they speak highly of certain things. Anyway, I’ve seen people sharing some pages that they love so here are mine -
@mutha.hood - runs small business and is clearly passionate about encouraging mums whilst trying to learn about the rules so she can adhere
@iamalisonperry - again - really clear and respectful. Runs amazing podcast that I always sign into
@mamas_scrapbook She’s a mum but no kids on there plus lots of mental health info but not spoken in a ‘youokayhun’ or patronising way. Plus her stories 😂😂.
@mother_pukka I know she’s been on here loads but I always find her very upfront with ads etc in a way that others like to put it at the end of hashtags
Ahhhhh so many to say. And so much to say. I know it’s a total mindfield of learning and choices and repercussions that we might not yet know about..but there are good people doing good and clear things, and trying to help/make a difference. So it’s sad if the whole thing is tarnished. I think the ad standards agency need to have a good long think about this form of marketing which in a way must be unchartered territory, but people need to work with the rules they’ve got rather than defy them until something more divinities comes along. Anyhow, I’m falling asleep so I’m sorry if this is littered in typos. But I wanted to say thanks, it’s been interesting! Might contribute more but am a little nervous (currently buffeted with wine and pizza) x

@CadyHeron I don't really know what to say to that.

I'm not sure why you've decided to get yourself so involved in a thread when you know next to nothing about what's being discussed. Now that's baffling.

She just needs to admit she's so busy enjoying all the perks and the rest (like her blog) which lead to her book and instafame are less important at the moment.

That was my point to Cady, Stella. That's how I felt about lots of them. They made me feel stupid that they'd been advertising to me without me realising.

So all good then Stella,surely? As she's clearly listened then if she wasn't before.
So why does she keep being brought up? It's obsessive and not healthy to be watching certain people so much.It comes across as complete stalker territory.

@cadyheron you do seem unable to process responses sometimes. I made a goon reference, to if my husband was acting like a bit of a goon, it's not an offensive term. And I haven't seen any regular poster say they did not like accounts they follow. And you have nothing idea if people commenting 'can't tear themselves away from feeds' with the content some put out there you'd only need to watch once a week or fortnight to be well informed. Someone I follow (not mentioned on here) posts about 25 stories a day, I've maybe watched 5 twice. I like her pictures and content but I could not deal with that amount of stories.
If I disliked someone I'd click unfollow. Please stop with the overused inappropriately used goon reference and the old, if you hate them.

Cady but what about the stealth advertising? What do you think about that? If you had followed them and realised it was staged advertising? Do you understand some of us might be miffed and be relieved to discuss it with others?

@cadyheron you do seem unable to process responses sometimes.

Likewise. It's blatantly obvious that nobody really wants a discussion and just wants to be left alone to slag off.

You're going round in circles Cady. Who's being slagged off?

Cady but what about the stealth advertising? What do you think about that?

I have said several times that if you're going to have an ad, you should be declaring it as it's not on to do it by stealth. You should be transparent.
Do you understand some of us might be miffed and be relieved to discuss it with others?
Yes,when you're discussing ones that aren't being declared, you'd have a point. People have been moaning about ones that actually are declaring though.

We can say if we like or don't like a part of someone's insta persona. Its not automatically slagging them off. They and you Cady need thicker skin.

You're going round in circles Cady. Who's being slagged off?

Well, yes, because I keep being asked the same sodding thing and nobody seems to be computing anything!
Why do MOD and FOD keep being wheeled out? It's truly bizarre if it's a thread concerned about ad transparency. As the holiday pictures that people are complaining about actually do have an ad notice on them.

You get your knickers in a knot the moment mofod are talked about. Ive said she's a gorgeous woman brilliant at her midwife.

Surely if someone has a public Instagram profile, they are putting themselves out there. They accept the good (free holidays, free organix snacks!) so they need to be able to accept a bit of criticism too. If they can't do that, they really shouldn't have made themselves 'public'

Cady some of the transparency clearly only happened because of these threads. Several have changed the use, positioning and style of #ad #AD in only the last couple of weeks, including MOD, DLAM, CB and MP.