AIBU 'Influencers'

[WoWsers16]

I am so sick and tired of wannabe 'influencers' trying to be all 'I am just like you' and trying to be relatable- yet they're all just trying to advertise anything they can, buy followers and try to get on the red carpets- wannabe Mrs Hinchs'!
Just watching the channel 4 news and an 'influencer' came up trying to help people save money because of the energy price increase.
She has a book out but her suggestions were laughable (bearing in mind her children go to private school, she has numerous houses she rents out and she seems to spend a lot of money buying followers!)

One suggestion- 'i know it is tough for mothers with children but try to get another part time job at nights and weekends' , turn off lights when not in use, etc... I had to unfollow her ages ago as all she seems to do is ads (does one for Tesco then shops at asdas etc...).
They need people who actually know what they are on about and not just trying to promote themselves xxxx

who is it?

moneymumofficial

honestly one of the worse wannabes - it is embarrassing x

People that suggest having two jobs is a perfectly acceptable state of affairs and not a signifier of how wage freezing, stagnation coupled with inflation have made working people often worse off than previous generations are very unreasonable.

I suspect that they purposefully use inappropriate people to get people discussing the channel/program. Click bait innit?

They are all just sales people. Their sales pitch is trying to relate to you make you feel like they’re your friend so then you buy their tat and line their pockets. The absolute mastermind sales people are mrs hinch & Stacey Solomon and then it goes down to others from there.

• cute pic of my kids
• buy my in the style / Tesco range
• help me pick what colour to paint my living room I need your help ( Do you really believe they’ll pick based on what you say!)
• so many have been asking where I got X/Y it’s from here #ad
• just wearing my new in the style clothes / cooking with my Tesco range (undeclared ad)
• love you guys so much

And on and on it goes! It’s a total con, exploits children and is poorly regulated by instagram.

I totally agree about the exploitation of children! Again moneymumofficial is terrible for this- has her daughter just dancing in a nappy, her son doing 'acting' totally pushy mum and it's just so wrong!
Agree they all follow the same Mrs hinch script!
A lot of the time their only replies are from other wannabe influencers - they block any negativity but live in a bubble where they think they're something they're not x
(Just annoys me so much lol )

The ASA need to get a handle on it.

So many of these women (and it’s mainly women I see) are doing these “reels” where they’re wearing 5 different outfits with the products linked. They’re preying on people.

Plus a lot of them write “ad/pr/gift” in the tiniest writing on stories, often on a background that’s the same colour. Ots deceitful and we’re being marketed to by stealth.

The problem is any criticism of influencers is seen as ‘trolling’ and told to ‘be kind’ - I don’t know of any other job where a person is immune to any kind of criticism or review of their work.

I don’t know this influencer you’re talking about but they are all carbon copies of each other and the whole thing hinges on followers thinking they care about them. So the better you are at fooling people about that the more followers and money you will get. Children in between ads also seems to be standard operating procedure

Totally agree Stacey Solomon and Hinch are the worst! Their accounts are just adverts and the worst thing is their friends followers actually buy all their tat!

And that's without mentioning the constant exploitation of their kids which is just sad.

@bobbiebo

Totally agree Stacey Solomon and Hinch are the worst! Their accounts are just adverts and the worst thing is their friends followers actually buy all their tat!

And that's without mentioning the constant exploitation of their kids which is just sad.

Stacey Solomon is the worst in that she constantly exploits her two younger kids who are too small to understand, and completely ignores her two older boys who no longer fit her instamum image 😔

I also think the advertising should be a lot clearer. If it was up to me they would literally have to say out loud:

'This is an advert! I am being paid to recommend this product to you.'

Before trying to shill whatever it is. Maybe with a bright yellow and red flashing banner reading 'ADVERT!!!' 😂

I’d think that older children would have an opinion that they don’t want to be shown.
That’s what Instagram is though isn’t it? Lots of sales people, I don’t mind and only follow people that I like what they show me.
I’ve deleted loads of accounts including moneymum as it was tripe and not money saving in the slightest!

Ones I love though
Francis Bourgeois 43 - the guy who loves trains, totally feel good
Celeste Barber - hilarious
Cornish Seal sanctuary - love me some seals
Recipe tin eats - best foodie one I follow :)

Influencers are no different to forever living, younique and alll the other MLM ‘try and sell shit to vulnerable people’ - I actively don’t buy stuff influencers promote.

I don't follow any

I’d rather click on insta where I’ve chosen and can immediately unfollow accounts I don’t like. I find the email inbox bombardment from most companies more annoying.

Don’t follow people you don’t like, cut down on screen time, what you are seeing on those accounts are people you’ve chosen to follow.
Unfollow and move on x

Let me influence you
I am 63
I still have a reasonable figure
I am healthy because I eat food that is local and in season
I don't get my nails done
I have a "toy boy" (well he is 56, not sure if that counts)
I do not answer to anyone
I cook from scratch
I am happy
I do not need plumped up 30 years olds trying to tell me how to live my "best life"

I dislike the influencer sales pitches & do not purchase items that are being sold in that way. I also ignore the bollocks suck up reviews that have been writer by Influencers .

Looks like she's getting a slating on Twitter too -
I prefer to see real people - I follow a lot of cancer Instagramers (having had cancer and being in remission ) these are the true influencers- but these sellers.
Totally agree with a precious poster - they are like MLMs!

Interesting that you’ve said that @WoWsers16
I follow 2 @WoWsers glitteringaturd and bowelbabe and actually Adeleroberts from BBC but was following her before her diagnosis. With Bowelbabe I love her but she does lots of influencencing, I kind of feel a bit uncomfortable watching people with hospital visits etc, feels sort of voyeuristic I’m not sure entirely

When you follow influencers, you lose the right to complain. Stop giving them power in the first place.

@BellatricksStrange

When you follow influencers, you lose the right to complain. Stop giving them power in the first place.

What nonsense. I don’t follow any influencers but saying if someone does they’re only allowed to fawn over them is rubbish.

@FiloPasty

Interesting that you’ve said that *@WoWsers*16 I follow 2 *@WoWsers* glitteringaturd and bowelbabe and actually Adeleroberts from BBC but was following her before her diagnosis. With Bowelbabe I love her but she does lots of influencencing, I kind of feel a bit uncomfortable watching people with hospital visits etc, feels sort of voyeuristic I’m not sure entirely

I follow those too- I agree about bowelbabe tho as she seems to Do a lot of ads recently - I think she is so passionate about the awareness tho-

I don't follow 'influencers' that I moan about tho - can't be doing seeing their faces on my feed hehe

Tribal mentality at its finest. That anyone would ever follow an influencer on purpose just baffles me.

The industry I work in is heavily dominated by influencers both here and internationally, over the last 5 years it’s become clear to see how manipulated and trend led people have become through social media.

They see no value or importance in products unless there’s some validation from those they follow. Truly bizarre. It’s like millions of people have forgotten how to be individuals and have their own opinion. I suppose it’s an evolution of tv ads and printed media but it’s frightening how hive minded folks have become. I see no end to it though, it’s just going to get worse.

@Thewiseoneincognito all very true. Also a lot of hero worship going on where they won’t hear anything negative about their chosen influencer and buy their stuff even if they don’t need it or even like it. It’s scary stuff’

I find the language very telling.
Influencers and followers.
Back in the old days it was mostly cults who had followers, and noone in their right mind would volunteer to be " influenced "
And having people follow you was considered creepy and pssibly criminal.
But I'm old so what do I know about the yoof of today.
It's all just advertising.
Although @Felicityflops if you're setting up a cult, I think i could get on board with the kool aid you're flogging?