Ethics regarding Instamums and huns

[BurberryIsSo2000]

Homeisthecalm here, I think it's suitable to start a new ethics thread.

Since clearly, the one from yesterday isn't really about ethics but Clemmie.

Thanks all,

Keep it as nice or as stingy as you like

I'll start off by saying things should be clearly marked 'ad' or 'gifted'

Although the term gifted gives me the rage

Ha ha ha Clemmie Telford has opened a MN style thread - #asktheaudience. If you can't join them, beat them?

I like Clemmie Telfords post, just had a look, lots of good information and experiences on there. Mumsnet doesn’t have the monopoly on these kinds of discussions. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen CT say anything negative about MN, except that time a poster on here made an awful comment about her children’s looks, understandable really.

Sticking with keeping this thread to topic, we chat a lot about the negatives, what about positives, who do we think is setting a good example on instagram when it comes to working with brands?

Not an instamum, but I am impressed with the way Emma Hill goes about it, her account is fashion orientated and she does seem to regularly address her choice of brands she will work work and is very clear when something is gifted or an ad.

PeppaP I agree. But I do find it interesting that a few of them have recently changed their style to these 'open forum' type posts. The cynic in me thinks it is because the algorithm requires engagement, not likes....

I think the way Susie JV has started working with brands is good, I liked her story with the vacuum cleaner, it’s the real/unpolished stuff like that that works for me anyway.

Reading instagram is getting too big for itself. Bloggers used to have IG accounts on the side and now everything happens on IG and blogs are dying out.

It’s absolutely because engagement is what counts, but I suppose many will be doing IG for hopeful business reasons rather than just because

But also remember the old style blogs that used to end on a question

Blogs are pretty much out
As an aside when someone links a blog I think what I have to click through to another page to read a long piece of text? Nope

No-one mentions the likes of Louise Pentland, who is hawking the eff out her new baby (well not new, I think she's 4/5 months now) and as a result has moved away from the YT stuff of fashion/make up to parenting/motherhood. I unfollowed, because I knew too much about her life/baby - like, she vlogged her birth. Is nothing private? Her daughters will not thank her for the weekly vlogs when they're older, IMO.

Same with the Saccone-Joly's - put the camera down and live your life!

Sorry that wasn't discussing ethics. Reign it in JellyBaby!

It's annoying to read only about a few parents and their children as money making - SO many of them do it. They get pregnant and its like the money just rolls in - fitness in pregnancy, beauty products for pregnancy, whats in my hospital bag, and then it just rolls onto the nursery, pram etc. Brands fall over themselves to send things and I just wonder how fair the whole industry is? Middle class white women who don't work a 9-5 being sent tons of free stuff to promote to other mums/families most of whom can't afford £25 muslins etc? I'm rambling because I'm on my own and have no one to talk today....!

The Meldrum’s have money from outside of the revenue they make on social media.
I have no idea if that’s from wealthy family (her side seem pretty well off...) or from savings accrued from when he was working off shore but they have money from somewhere.
Look at what they have and how they live, plus the fact that she has never had a “real” job.... it just doesn’t add up!
How would a young couple, 1 not working, get the money and mortgage for a huge house like they have??
Unnecessary (but lovely) home improvements (garage conversion/new kitchen)
3 kids
2 cars (one of which is a BMW....)
Various foreign holidays each year
Multiple trips to London/Edinburgh etc
High end home wares/regularly buying new things for their home
Ridiculous amount of new clothes/shoes etc (I know some comes from Primark but a lot of it is Boden/Jules/Ralph Lauren etc)

It’s all smoke and mirrors

I don’t find them particularly offensive, I just think it’s a bit fake.... doing a pound land “haul” but then going on 2 holidays within the space of 2 weeks....... who does that?!

Good on them, if they have the means to live that way then it’s not harming anyone else but I do wonder how long it can realistically last....

Does anyone follow honestmum ? I’ve only just started following her. She has posted this about her children and there was apparently something on sky news today about featuring your children on SM that she was on. Don’t know how to watch it online though but could’ve been interesting.

I don't know a lot of the other parents mentioned. I was only aware of MP, The ODs, CB, SMS, CT, DLAM, and a couple of others. That was enough in one feed!

I don't think the format works at all. I now enjoy the IG feeds of artists, crafters and those who live in photogenic places - basically back to the original idea of pretty pictures. The interiors and parenting feeds shout 'free content' to me between ads. They feel forced. And I don't mind seeing the occasional kid, but not a kid as a 'brand' in itself. Once I see a pampers ad, I'm out.

I've followed honestmum for ages now and on Twitter too.

Me too
I’m absolutely fine with pretty pictures / style / fashion and like what I follow but no parenting ones ugh

That whole segment just makes me think wth are you doing

The interiors and parenting feeds shout 'free content' to me between ads. They feel forced. And I don't mind seeing the occasional kid, but not a kid as a 'brand' in itself. Once I see a pampers ad, I'm out.

I don't mind seeing occasional ads. They are what they are, and I scroll on by.
If a feed becomes completely ads and hardly any original content, then I lose interest and unfollow. There should be a happy medium.

Agree that I can't be bothered to read blogs. And refuse to 'swipe u' ever again incase I'm funding any of them. I'm the person at the library reading the magazine

Cady I find it hard to just scroll by. You often have to scrutinise the posts to check whether it is an ad. You see a picture, then read text so you're already engaged. It's worth checking some of them to consider what they are actually 'providing' between ads now. I guess I've just gone off them, so perhaps I'm too critical.

Oh yes no idea what the swipe up deal is but I know I don’t want to find out

It’s funny I actually don’t mind ads, as in a Chanel ad for example - ie content that looks pretty. I follow a few where I’d never dream of being engaged in content elsewhere. Then again I don’t mind ads in magazines it’s all just nice images - although I don’t buy them. Hairdresser reading material usually

But I do have a balance between do I like you enough to fund your lifestyle? If a no then bye. So being funny helps (Leandra) but being dull doesn’t (just unfollowed one that is a fashion person brand - PS)

I never swipe up and find blogs more tedious and 'me, me, me' than even Instagram. The mummy ones about having a beautiful day with my children etc make me want to gouge my eyes out.

Marsha that's the thing. I don't mind ads. A pp mentioned vogue mag being half ads, but to me they are often beautiful in their own right. Some of the American IGers do something similar, so it has some artistic merit? The English IG style of lazily styled, poorly phrased posts e.g. The infamous Dorset Cereal air bowls, are just crap.

I don't mind ads. A pp mentioned vogue mag being half ads, but to me they are often beautiful in their own right

Magazines like Vogue do my head in. Cost a fortune to buy and the majority of content is adverts, the occasional filler piece and practically nothing worth reading at all.
Practically buying a book of adverts and nothing else.

Agree Reading
I also find unattractiveness feels magnified when it’s on my phone, so it has to be very pretty and appealing to stay

And agree Bored at least IG displaced the mummy blogs tg! (although IG parenting version now to be avoided instead)

I knew you were going to quote me Cady! It's beginning to freak me out. You can just reply....you're wasting thread space

Fashion isn't really for reading about. I suppose it depends what you like looking at. I can look at my own kids' pile of lego, my messy kitchen etc. Looking at other people's is just a bit...boring.

Reading - I wasn't "quoting you", just replying to a particular bit.I did "just reply."
It makes it so much easier so people know which bit you're referring to.
Otherwise as it's a fast moving thread it gets lost in other stuff and cross posts.
Moan at MN for not having a quote user function instead, it'd make things a lot less complicated and easier