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?

WipsGlitter Huntersandheels is on the cruise too. Blossoming has put #gifted on her most recent photo, which she didn’t do on the previous one. It’s all just a bit cringey and boring now, all these ads.

Style Mum is on the cruise. DMBL40 is getting some pushback on her last post on her grid.

Some pushback? Two comments that could be read either way maybe?

I read them as negative not positive, and to be fair there are only four comments in total. Her last three posts about the cruise have very low engagement.

FlyingBird I'm not sure I'm allowed to say but 3 words starts with "mid" ends with "chic"

I've been enjoying DMBLs posts recently and really liked her first cruise posts but I've just skimmed past these posts. It's a bit overload after the last one. I think I'm at cruise saturation point now.

Also it looked like a giant floating Westfield on the stories I did flick through. It didn't, errr, float my boat, as it were. Fair play to her for full disclosure though (not sure why it just wasn't an #ad rather than gifted tho, as they clearly required a specific hashtag to be used = control)

I was sure the first stories about the cruise were tagged #AD by DMBL40 so was surprised the posts are #gifted.

(I don't much like the paisley frock in the last post.)

Freddie Harrell is on a paid partnership, blossoming and dmbl are gifted, hunters has an ad, I can see at least 2 other bloggers on the same hashtag/trip which are not disclosed at all (and I haven't looked very hard). Clearly the brand hasn't given any guidance at all. What a shambles the current ASA rules are.

It's very tempting to report so that the cruise line is given some ASA guidance. It really shouldn't be this hard!

DMBL40's rants keep it real! She seems to have a shortish fuse with her kids, plus she has a son with Aspergers which of course can be exasperating.

Did she start on MN's S&B board, or am I imaging that?

I like her feed. It is what it is and she's transparent (now) and naturally funny. She said on an earlier thread that she wasn't a MNetter though I think she was quite popular on S&B as I think I first heard of her on here.

Her newly updated bio cracks me up. Certainly covers all bases

(not sure why it just wasn't an #ad rather than gifted tho, as they clearly required a specific hashtag to be used = control

I would agree with this (and I'd hope the ASA would too) but some influencers use gift as a way of indicating that they've paid for some of it rather than getting the whole lot free or that they haven't been paid actual cash to promote (which according to ASA guidelines would be the wrong usage).

The guidelines for social media advertising are ripe for an overhaul. ASA really needs to get their act together over this.

I also like DMBL40. She has a sense of humour and she's snowboarding has taken criticism on board.

snowboarding?! Where the fuck did that come from?

She's taken on board criticism, ffs

Give it time, Pavlova 😂 🏂

She definitely said she wasn't a MNetter, flying. Go and research it for me would you?! (Hope you are feeling better)

I'll gift you a free Be Nice or Go Home T shirt? No obligation to say thanks but it would be lovely if you did.

Flyingbird, funnily enough I used to feel inferior when I followed her. I had to unfollow her as I just couldn’t relate to all the freebie holidays, trips, lunches and all round mwah mwah fabulousness which I’m sure has gained more momentum over the last year. It is a shame as I actually like what I see of her as a person: erudite, witty, self-deprecating, and I love her style! However for me it was definitely a case of having to unfollow for my own sanity.

Little bit different, I follow some other mums on insta, I don’t actually follow the famous ones you’ve mentioned although I’ve heard of 1 or 2. these are other mums with kids the same age range as mine and who I saw their pics after following childrens shops on there (handmade clothing, hair bows etc), anyway I know of 4 separate accounts that were offered £50 to spend on a designer childrenswear website (not naming as I’m sure I’m not meant to but it’s a worldwide site not an unheard of site) in exchange for tagging in their pics. They didn’t have to #gift or #ad or anything like that. Just share the pic and tag where the outfit had come from (which wasn’t out of the ordinary for these people anyway). 1 of the mums got some doc martens for her daughter but never shared pics, the website never questioned why. The other 3 all shared their pics as requested.

My page is private and my pics probably not profesh enough so I’ve never been approached for anything like this but it’s crazy to me since that 4 people I know had this offer (followers between 2000-5000) were offered this so many more will have that I don’t know of. Madness how much money can be given away, especially when they sell multiple designers so it’s not their own product.

Just been reading MoD's race thread and I really don't get it - or her. The review is not a review - it offers no insight, no critiquing of the book, no anything. To grow an audience on the back of a single job and then morph into a "magazine" just smacks of trying to stay relatable as you see your usp, children, disappearing over the horizon, and the notion that you don't care about likes, just creating conversation, just made me laugh. For these IGers to survive, surely there must be honesty - the honesty to admit that you are a business, a brand, a money making endeavour. With that honesty comes integrity and then comes respect. You can play the cutsey , homespun game but don't then be surprised that people might want to disagree and call you out on it. Own it - you are a business, looking for a new angle to reinvent yourself.