To think Mumsnet doesn't hate Instagram influencers?

[jamoncrumpets]

And for prominent influencers who I will not name here for fear of them kicking off and getting the thread pulled to even hint that this might be the case is irresponsible on their part?

SO much gets discussed on MN every day. So much gets criticised. Social media influencers are a new and intriguing phenomenon - why wouldn't they be discussed here? For better or worse?

Many people have supported influencers for the way they earn money. That gets ignored. Many have politely criticised and pointed out ways it could be more ethical. This gets ignored. One or two have made comments that are personal or cross the line, these have been pounced on and discussed publicly.

The 'arguments' die down. People stop caring. Then prominent influencers go and start the whole thing up again.

Blaming MN is just lazy and irresponsible.

I certainly don’t hate them, there’s a few I don’t like, but last time I mentioned that it caused a right old shitstorm, so I won’t be doing that again!

I like Instagram, I like following lots of different fashion/interior accounts. I’m not their target market though, I’m not easily influenced, and I don’t shop at a lot of the stores they gain commission from through swipe up.

What I don’t like is the lack of transparency, the desperation and obsession to reach 10k so they can monetarise their accounts easily with swipe up affiliate links. The follow fridays with the same people banging on about the same accounts. How some start off quite stylish, but then brands they wouldn’t have previously touched with a bargepole creep in through freebies and their style totally changes. How they can’t accept constructive criticism at all, and set their fan girls on dissenters.

That sounds like a lot of things not to like! But still there’s a good camaraderie on instagram, and I chat to a lot of nice people.

Boredandtired - you've been on the threads too, some have said that they find them unethical, don't like what parenting feeds stand for, and the fact the use the kids. If you haven't seen it, fair enough, but it's been there.
Not from everyone, obviously, but some. The question was AIBU to think this - it got answered. Maybe not the answer anyone likes, but AIBU answered all the same.
OP said AIBU? - Answer - YABU.

I didn't know 10k followers was a pertinent threshold and meant swipeable affiliate links, that's interesting.

Business accounts on IG - can anyone set one of those up no matter the size of following or does that only kick in at 10k?

I think someone mentioned earlier accounts in which neither parent now works as the income from their IG/blog etc is so much.
I have no problem with that but as we have seen recently it can all come undone quite quickly, one tone deaf comment or post can be your undoing. So if your family income is dependent on IG or YouTube you must have to be so so careful with everything you do and say.

Cady I don’t get what you’re saying there. The majority have said yanbu

By your own admission you’ve said you and one other have said otherwise

Dilly I agree on that

I follow the brands I like and buy from already. Interiors, holidays and fashion. I don’t need there middle people and their families to sell. In fact if the brand does I’d avoid them.

Currently considering a new kitchen, a small kitchen company tagging and hanging around the usual suspects put me off and stopped me from looking into it

I can decide if I like a product, being influenced just puts me off

Marsha -I meant that OP said AIBU and there's more than one way to answer, that's all.

Ok fair enough, I get it : )

I posted this on the other thread too. A bit of a sad tale.

www.lizziesomerset.com/mumsnet-full-support-advice-place-bash-mums/

Is that just a blog? I hate blogs and don't want to click on it!

It is. It is interesting. About the reality of being an instamum for one person. But of course don't click if you don't like them. It's not mine by the way!

@theladyhasarrived I totally agree with this. If it becomes your business you need to take great care and have a thought out management of your account and what and how you post. If you are hotheaded and impulsive (I still have a screenshot of Jamie Oliver giving someone a right telling off on his page that was later deleted! It amused me as made it clear it was obviously him posting!) then you need to bear that in mind and get someone to oversee it, even a partner or have rules like not responding to a certain type of comment and deleting inappropriate comments you don't want representing your posts.
If you do this you won't get caught out and risk you business. However by playing a safer game you may get followers more slowly... just imagine how leaving up negative comments that get picked up on and responded to (and therefore now due to new post algorithms show at the top under the pic) get promoted and increase engagement, it's profitable to leave it there a few hours/days before deleting.
To be fair the only accounts I now follow of this genre (the mums) are always responding in lovely ways even to some mild critism or questions. It's good account management.

@wearelocal sorry didn't mean to be rude. I don't swipe up to blogs on Instagram and I'm aware that it all counts as traffic and I'm just wary of blogs these days 😊

@cadyheron I just would never sum up the whole threads as being full of that content. Some discussion about accounts has been related to things happening and in no way poking fun or just to take the p*.

Bored - I haven't said the whole threads have been full of it, I said there's been some good discussion too.
You've just said yourself that there's been discussion but p* taking too. You're right.Though when there's no discussion for a while that's literally all it is so it isn't unreasonable for them to think that MN does have a problem with IGers.

Sorry BoredandTired. I didn't know that. In summary, she described a pretty miserable 'free' holiday and why she unmonetised her blog. I just thought it might be relevant to the general discussion.

I did not say there was pss taking, I was referring to their being interesting content that was in no way poking fun or taking the pss.
That said I have absolutely no problem with Lavender Flannel or Foderation as they were not meant in a deeply unpleasant way and were not to cause harm. Sometimes conversation lends itself to some humour and that's ok too, that happens here and on IG.

@wearelocal that does sound pretty dire!

I don't really get that blog. It comes across as resentful of the fact she is "forced" to put #ad on posts more than anything.

YourLookie really? That wasn't how I read it. I thought she just made free stuff sound a bit sh*t.

I read if that she felt hamstrung by the fact she had to disclose collaborations so she wasn't able to monetise her blog without it feeling "authentic".

Is that what they are called now influencers!!

I'll have to politely disagree with that analysis YourLookie. I do think it's a bit 'woe is me', but I think she's saying she couldn't pull off the fakery as it made her feel uncomfortable.

It's probably a bit off thread topic anyway. I found it having a google to see if any other mum instas/bloggers had mentioned mumsnet. I agree it is unreasonable to think MN hates instagram influencers, but on the whole it's fair to say that the overall commentary on threads shows a lack respect for them.

It was a good opportunity for her to say what she personally thought about some of the other ethical issues raised in the threads (which she touches on at the end but offers no thoughts on) but it misses the mark. Would like to see part 2 of that blog where she addresses those points from her personal perspective as a blogger.

That's kind of the point though. If you have a strong moral compass (as she seems to have) then the foundations of flogging stuff you don't believe in off the back of a blog or IG are shaky - hence her uncomfortable feelings of "inauthenticity"