Influencer ethics on Instagram

[MadameGrizzly]

Continuing the discussion on whether influencing on Instagram is an ethical business model, particularly around the disclosure of advertising and the over exposure of children.

AIBU to think it isn't a sustainable career unless the influencer is scrupulously ethical?

Sali Hughes is fab. She's NOT a fan of mummy instagramming though.

Fair enough badmotherpukka.

I guess you didn't need to attend the mother's meetings because you were already a journalist.

The 'concerns' are the transparency of advertising. The ASA need to get their act together on #gifted and kids - not in ASA remit? They can't ban/regulate instas branding their kids.

Re helping women - you do with your flex campaign and the others that spring to mind are selfish mothers charitable aspect and feathering the empty nest's charitable work.

@PavlovaPrincess just at the previously mentioned Pregnant Then Screwed event. Will be back, not ignoring.

Sali Hughes wasn't on my radar, @BadMotherPukka, so I had a look and really like what she is doing. I've been involved in a similar education related idea in my community.

In my circle of friends our mantra is to put our educations to use to help people who for whatever reason aren't well educated.

Sadly the only influence I have is over my children and cats, and quite frankly they take no notice of me. The Instagram influencers undoubtably do have a hugeinfluence. Image if they harnessed that?

I am raising my DDs to be kind (when appropriate), but I'm also raising them to be fierce (when appropriate), to be outspoken (when...etc), to be be judgemental (when necessary).

I despise this current trend for pressurising women into being appreciative, mealy mouthed drones. There's nothing empowering about forcing your curly haired moppet into wearing a tasteful outfit and pose for the pleasure of your followers, when they're desperate to do their own thing.

There's nothing supportive about only ever getting together with your other white, thin, privileged besties at exclusive London venues. To then earnestly discuss the plight of under privileged women in the inner cities (whilst artfully posing their Mulberry clutch on the table).

whilst artfully posing their Mulberry clutch on the table

Or the protest step.

#neverforget

No, I think they like to artfully pose their pretty shoes on the protest step.

@MadameGrizzly I know what you're saying, but I don't think they should be put under any pressure to become a more 'worthy' account if they don't want to.

In the same way that I buy Heat or Vogue, I sometimes enjoy a bit escapism. I agree that using feminism or mental health to sell more crap is just bollocks though. Be honest about what your account is, rather than trying to address 'issues' when all you're really wanting to do is get a free handbag.

Lol MadameGrizzly

feminism and motherhood and mental health and body postitivity - all being used by thin white women to justify selling stuff. I honestly despise it. It dilutes everything.

I’m sorry I can’t remember who said it, but the poster who said the transphobia and the ‘bullying’ of instamums should not be compareable is absolutely correct, it’s a loathsome thing to do.

I'm just frustrated by the amount of free shit and the number of free junkets the influencers receive when they already tend to be wealthy.

Of course they aren't obliged to be worthy, but a smart influencer should see that doing a small amount of good in society would underpin with actual actions their 'be kind' and 'support all women' messages and it would also balance out the constant shilling.

A pleasant bonus is that they could feel all benevolant and magnanimous.

Did you see the tags, @Confusssed? Although a regular person might not think to check the tags on a protest image.

I don’t mind the completely visual accounts, eg a fashion blogger and luxury. Although I mostly follow fashion photography and design etc

But people should put their own work in, use themselves rather than instaflog their children to hawk stuff - yes great word

Or they can but then can the mama stuff and be transparent about how it’s all for the £

I don't mind straightforward fashion accounts. Or accounts that support a campaign, and provide a newsfeed for what is going on in that campaign. I have problems when the campaign is really just a front for flogging more gear or building a following so you can grab more #ads. Those ones are relatively easy to spot.

I think the tagging is often done because of the DMs (isn't it always about the DMs? ). The amount of times that MP has done a really great caption/update about flex and someone goes "but where is your jumpsuit from?", so I have a little sympathy with the tagging, because the only way to completely avoid the questions is to do the post naked, or just wear the same clothes in every single post, but that's hardly a solution. But then who sits on a step with their bag artfully placed in front of them in a protest shot? As well as the obvious product placement, it makes me shake my head a bit that people are so desperate to buy literally everything they see on IG.

I don't mind the 'hawking' but I find I don't trust many of them anymore since discovering they've been doing it for years without saying they were doing it. Sorry to mention her - MOD - but it seems her holidays, kids' clothes etc. were freebies. When challenged last year over Portugal she didn't say ' hey yes we had a discount/freebie 'she blocked/ingnored and then whined about being picked on. I just see her, DLAM, Lisa Dawson as being disingenuous now.

The interiors bloggers are all at it too. I had to unfollow several, one in particular, because her feed is basically a magazine of ads and promotions. She seems like a really nice woman but I was pissed off when she promoted a La Redoute rug as being the ‘Best Buy of the year’ and to snap it up as it would ‘break the internet’. It’s shit quality and has shed everywhere . It’s the last thing I’ll ever buy as a result of insta-flogging. If I’d known that she was being paid handsomely by La Redoute to advertise the thing I wouldn’t have bought it, but because she endorsed it I thought it must be ok.

Never mind, you live and learn

I was genuinely mystified as to why certain big interiors names are never mentioned by the instafloggers, such as Graham and Green and Cox and Cox, and now the penny’s dropped: they probably aren’t being paid to do so 😂

Cox and Cox have definitely started doing more Instaflogging. I unfollowed Just a Little Build a while ago because of the sneaky ads that were creeping into an otherwise lovely feed, including ones with C&C.

That La Redoute rug apparently has its own IG account. That's the thing with Instagram Things - they look very instagrammable but nobody really gives proper feedback on the quality. It is so superficial.

Interesting RE C&C, Reboot. Actually it wasn’t ‘that rug’ (I know which one you mean), it was meant to be ‘the next rug’ but I don’t think it took off despite the blatant flogging.

They all went crazy for that rug, I've always thought it was too white and really impractical, wouldn't stay clean for 5 mins in my house.

The funny thing is, that the rug in question (with its own acct) is actually pretty horrible IMO, and I’d never choose it. I always wondered why it was so popular then I twigged that it was part of a deal between LR and the bloggers. Not that any of that was obvious! A lot of Emperor’s New Clothes on Insta.

Agree Nipers

On the surface we probably look like a ripe field to plunder for followers and flogging hence the talks between Mn and Instamums

When there’s a reason we’re discussing it here and not slavishly lapping it up on the actual accounts

I do not want the online world to be more of that mama / you got this bilge

Luckily it didn’t go down well, tg