Would anyone actually want to become an Instagram influencer ?

[happilybemused]

I've long thought that it is an awful way of living your life.

You expose your entire life and young children online for what seems like in the majority of cases the odd free jumper/ face cream they probably would never normally use/buy.

Should add my days of cutesy children are long gone and I doubt my salty teens would ever endorse anything so that window has long gone.

Is it just my age ?

Not just me then. I'm just amazed when people envy their lifestyle.

It seems like a lot of work for little return to me.

I get that the big hitters apparently get free home conversions allegedly but most seem to have to plug awful clothes which I'm sure they'd never wear IRL.

Can't think of anything more time consuming and depressing than having to take 500 photos to find 'the one.'

I think this whole thing with MOD was the final straw. I didn't even know about her but the idea that they all secretly hate each other so no real friends even.

Teenage sons still think it's the best career ever. Sigh 😔

It seems like a lot of work for little return to me.

Someone I know with a 40k following earns enough for her husband not to work and for them to buy a house in a very expensive area and they live a very comfortable lifestyle. I'm pretty sure she's earning six figures, plus all the freebies

I hate it too. People I once loved become people I delete because they annoy me with their freebies and chirpy goooood morrrrrning videos. Everyone from Susie j verril to the mother of daughter (and the husband) clearly wealthy people who's kids don't need free leggings. The fact they then try fool us poorer folk to get us to buy their freebies so we can think I have the same leggings as so and so has for her kids. All abit cringe.

I know it's a good way of advertising and it clearly works. But some people overdo it. You can see overtime how they change. Even the Radford family have become advert and freebie show offs. I even struggle with Mrs hinch. She's seems lovely and sweet but it is so dangerous and bad for your health. spraying zoflora allover your beds etc. Those chemicals are so bad for your lungs. An overly clean house is so bad for a child's developing immune system. Not to mention breathing in all those fumes. It worries me how many people she inspires. I have girls on my Instagram I know from school hunching their sinks. I think get a bluddy grip. It's just housework and we all do it. I understand she does it for anxiety and yes her homes beautiful but it's not realistic and it causes People to feel inadequate.

I don't like the way things are going like this

Yanbu, just the word “influencer” makes me feel homicidal .
Opens the gates for any vapid arsewipe to plaster themselves all over the Internet

Christ no. I get upset enough when people talk about me on here and it's practically anonymous. I'd hate to be in the public eye, especially in such a toxic environment.

Not a chance, boring as hell.

I don't understand why people like father and mother of daughter's do it. I still think he's big headed because he wrote a book. He's just a normal dad with more money than the average Joe. They certainly don't need the cash so it's obviously a we need the fuss thing. They act like they are the first parents to have kids.

While I do think it is a bog ego thing for them as well so I do think you might be onto something there @Allthecake89 I admit I would be lying if I said I would not bite off someones hand at the chance of earning the type of money big influencers do. It would allow me to be at home a lot of the time so I could always be there for the kids, child care would never be an issue. We could afford for me to stay home and have agreed for me to do so but it would mean relying on one income so would mean sacrifices etc. If I could have my cake and eat it I have no doubt I would jump at the chance lol. Alas I think posting daily bento box ideas or something I would be into would never get enough hype to earn those kind of salaries lol

I cannot understand people who buy into the celebrity/influencer thing at all. Why? Who cares what some woman you don’t know does with her children...it’s very odd.

How do they make money? I know a couple of people with 30k+ followers but they don’t make anything from it, just enjoy uploading

It’s an easy gig if you just use dc. They haven’t said yes though to you uploading pics of their daily life.

So yep some will be gung ho for it

@teabagleftin a lot will have YouTube where you can earn a lot once you get a lot of views (we are thousands of views at least until you start earning) and brands are happy to pay for exposure. Usually depending on the contract that will mean a youtube video and x amount of instagram posts etc. Some pay actual money others give a voucher to spend a certain amount etc

@redappleandaquamarinebow1987 yes I totally agree with you. It would be nice in some ways. I don't know though. I am buying an ex council house and the nicest clothes my kids have are from next. I dont think I'm in the right criteria haha. To me it's like waving your dinner at a homeless man. It's sad. I wouldn't bring my kids up to show of their expensive toys to the kids across the road who's mum is abit skint.. I'm very much a all children deserve nice things. Whilst there always will be people better off I'd rather they didnt force it in other people's faces if you get me. I follow jac jossa. She's lovely. I do really really like her. But she recently received a huge box of frozen two goodies for her daughter the same age as my daughter. I was just thinking how most mums won't ever be able to go to Claire's and buy these things for their kids. Maybe a couple of bits from the collection. Yet all little girls love frozen and Disney. I then think she can afford to pay for that stuff herself and she could give it away to children that really can't have these things. I guess it just upsets me.

I think the only one I really love and has never come across showy is the lovely unmumsy mum. She has always kept it real. Continued to show the things people loved her for. Messy house sometimes. Lego everywhere sometimes, bathing in the kitchen and her kids being normal kids! She's a breath of fresh air and when she does an ad you feel she's accepted a gift and she's cautious about what she says. That makes me think she still is very much in touch with reality. Whereas I don't know what father of daughter's will do in a few years when he can't use his twins to make out he's gods gift. I can't stand the stupid dumb faces he pulls either 😂😂 I think I better stop now I could moan all day hahaha xx

So, how on earth do you GET 30k followers?

That's what I don't understand. Though, as a frumpy middle aged woman with a really messy house and salty teens, I suspect I fall outwith the market of beautiful insta guff.

Eh? But surely this is influencing? You must have enough followers to make it worth Borden's time/money. Why else do you think they send you free stuff?

They put them on the website, don't they? So when you are looking to buy a product, you can see some 'real' person's picture of them or their children or whoever wearing it. I don't think you need any followers at all. I wouldn't call that influencing in the true sense, but I'm not up on this kind of thing.

I get some freebies and money for posting things on my instagram. Past month I have made an additional £400 to my usual income and I only have 5k followers.

It didnt start out with this intention though; it was meant to just be a place where I can share my cooking and what I am up to but within the past year it picked up a "following" and companies started approaching me to advertise etc.

So I thought it better look into declaring this stuff to HRMC and understand how this all works - quite a bit of effort but I've found a lovely community of support and friendship.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria I suspect a large portion is finding a niche within a trend that will make you stand out, then be consistent post everyday at set peak times, after that it is probably a bit of luck that one of your posts gets a larger amount of attention. Don't stop posting but continue to be consistent and the followers will come. I tried makeup for some time but it was just too much stress and was giving myself daily migraines and a fever it was just not worth it etc

The areas I'd want to be an influencer in don't pay very well, I don't think.

How do they make money? I know a couple of people with 30k+ followers but they don’t make anything from it, just enjoy uploading

Some of it is ad revenue through YT. But in a lot of cases with Instagram its about sponsorships with brands. Not all get freebies and that's it. They'll get brands to pay them to promote. Or they will have affiliate links so they earn a percentage whenever people buy through their link.

It is more than just posting a few photos. There is a lot of work behind the scenes.

I don't do social media influencing but i do have a blog that earns me a tidy sum through affiliate partnerships. I only promote something i believe in, though. But to make six figures, it is a full time job.

I have a friend who has made quite a lot of money out of it, he’s a PT and he now makes most of his money from big brand deals.

It isn’t something I would be interested in, as someone who was on the receiving of some awful stuff from a large number of people due to who my partner was at the time it just wouldn’t be worth it. Plus I’m very boring!

I’m not sure my skin is thick enough to handle it and also don’t think I could be bothered with it but I wouldn’t mind the freebies .

My daughter has an Instagram page for her hobby (horse riding)

She has about 5k followers and gets lots of DMs from companies offering freebies. She never replies or accepts anything, it’s not what she wants from it. She just likes sharing her experiences and her progress with her pony

She’s never done anything to gain a following and there are hundreds of teen girls with @equinexxx pages, I guess it’s all about the #. She posts about 3 times a week

She posted a funny picture once of her (grey) pony absolutely plastered in mud and hashtagged it #greyhorseproblems or something like that - it got hundreds of likes and comments and about 200 more followers to her page.

I am younger than you and agree with you however:
There was this 19 year old (I think) influencer from Essex on TV the other day who gets to test out flying in new planes before the big airlines roll them out to the public. In the previous month he had flights and hotel paid for him to go to Dubai & Maldives. He was an absolute airline enthusiast though and really knew his stuff well. He was making a living out of it. That doesn't sound so bad to me.

I'm 24, and no I wouldn't.

I know someone who has been what you might (and she certainly would) call an influencer.

She is so batshit that she managed to alienate a large percentage of her market and has descended into writing poetry below windswept photos that represent her inner life. It's embarrassing.

Her daughter was used relentlessly for a number of years but I guess has objected. Hoping the next poor child will be left alone.