Influencers and Instagramers complaining about not getting enough likes

[LateSeptembersunshine]

Feel free to scroll on by if you’re not interested in social media.

There seems to be a current trend of influencers complaining about people watching their stories but not liking their posts. Then I saw this video from a so called psychologist saying that lurkers are basically unhappy people or haters. That their followers should support them or piss off.

Aibu to think this is a really weird conclusion to draw and quite an wntitled attitude.

I must admit I love a bit of doom scrolling. It’s a guilty pleasure. I have an Instagram account but I don’t post anything myself, but I follow about 20 accounts. Of the 20 there are a couple of celebs, a few comedy accounts, a couple of budgeting type things and a few influencers.

Of the influencers I follow I watch their content because they generally have interesting content, but because of the algorithm I don’t really see their actual posts. Unless I actively look on their page I only see the stories. A coupe of them I Genuinely do love their content but their are a couple I follow more because it’s all a bit weird and a bit like reading a trashy gossip mag.

Aibu to think of you’re going to post constantly on social media no one is obliged to ‘support’ you or like everything you post. I’m talking about people who are making social media their living, not my own friend and family.

In the same way posting on mumsnet people will often read thread but not everyone is going to reply some just prefer to read stuff.

I’m probably more likely to like someone making comedy videos than someone trying to sell me an egg poacher tbh

Absolutely agree. I will like something if I genuinely do like it. Usually it is if it has brought a smile to my face.

I appreciate some YouTube craft videos. I see the instructions to like them but I seem to have to sign in to do this. That sounds like a fuss with another password to remember. Life is too short.

This isn’t new. I haven’t used Instagram for quite a few years now but when I did “influencers” would beg for likes / comments and express their frustration at the algorithms hiding their posts. I always found it cringe as fuck.

I don’t use TikTok but will watch YouTube shorts with DH sometimes and I only like to watch wholesome content like Francis Bourgeois and the guy who goes round offering tea to strangers. I have zero time for fake idiots who beg for attention.

I’ve worked in social media for about 15 years, and nobody really measures likes any more, the focus is on reach. People don’t really bother clicking like any more 🤷🏻‍♀️

If I wanted to watch ads I'd be watching Netflix or Hulu. At least they position their ads as advertisements, not as some kind of chic or neuroscience based or whatever the latest phrase the hucksters are using to advertise without saying it's their paid sponsership ads.

I’ve seen hundreds of Facebook reels, I’ve never like or followed any.

I’ve seen some people recommend a specific thing and they clearly say ‘this isn’t sponsored, I just really find this soap/brand of clothes/etc suits me because blah blah and I wanted to share that’

Chinny reckon

Liking is for boomers.

I don't have Instagram but I still go on Facebook now and again because there's a few useful groups I'm part of there. On my way in to them I sometimes look at a few other things and my reaction of choice is the 'care' face.

I only follow where someone is doing something that is of real benefit (e,g I like a lot of hiking and mountain content but only follow if someone is doing a walk for charity etc) or really gives me information / education that I feel I learn from (some farming content) or where I gain pleasure from talented arts content - there is a wonderful dancer whose work I love, who does fantastic pieces for his channel)

And I like if something has really made me properly laugh.

I am not going to be guilt tripped into follows and likes just because someone wants to earn money from me any more than I would buy a product in a shop that I didn't want.

And no, clicking Like isn't the same as parting with cash but it does have a cost - it skews and clogs your algorithms which is irritating and time wasting.

It's embarrassing. Influences are generally embarrassing full stop. When you see them out and about it's unbelievably toe curling. Prancing about filming or having themselves photographed like there is no one else around. The sooner these people are forced to get real jobs the better.

I do tend to like posts when I want to support the person (but I follow athletes not influencers). I always think a click costs me nothing - and it may help them with sponsorships.

What, precisely, is so enjoyable about doomscrolling?

Surely there are more worthwhile ways to spend your time.

The more people interact the more money they make, they higher the engagement the more brand deals etc they will attract. It's all about money.

It's like the small businesses who rant on Facebook about nobody using them and not getting enough custom, when everyone should be shopping local, when their products are cheaper elsewhere and their opening hours are restrictive. What a way to tun off your customers, to beg them to shop with you.

I'm not an influencer or anything (never even post on SM) but playing devil's advocate here

Yes, on the surface it does seem rude and entitled, but a lot of creators have taken a leap after becoming semi-successful and left their normal jobs to pursue content creation as their full time career. Which, like any other type of self-employment, is quite scary, and particularly in the field of SM can be hugely unpredictable.

If you've spent hours planning a post, spending money on outlay (whether that's a decent mike, camera and editing software, make up, tools, whatever), creating or performing the 'thing' (whatever that poster's USP is), filming it multiple times, editing it etc., then I can sort of see how it gets frustrating to be giving it away for free to people who can't even be bothered to click 'like', an action that costs them absolutely nothing. If you are dependent on a certain amount of consumer interaction to pay your mortgage and feed your kids I can understand, if not agree with, how they get so desperate.

This does, of course, depend on the type of people you follow. If, as it sounds, you hate-follow some creators that's a bit of a 'you' issue. But I follow mainly creators whose content I actually appreciate and that interests me, and try to bear in mind that 5/10 years ago I would have to pay out to buy, say, a home design magazine, or go to watch a comedian doing a gig, or for a make up consultant session. Nowadays I can get all that for free, so clicking the heart button or even typing a quick comment is the least I can do.

I also think it's worth reacting to 'good' content because currently the easiest way to get clicks and reposts and comments (and therefore money) is to rage-bait, so think it's better to reward people who actually put the effort in to create something vaguely interesting than those who deliberately try to annoy people enough that they feel they have to post to correct or argue with them - which is exactly what they want. It sounds like your psychologist could maybe have been doing exactly that, OP.

I do it sometimes. An influencer friend explained why it was important. But the ones who whinge about it or do a woe is me “I put so much effort in and what content do you want to see from me” I find annoying.

It’s the non disclosure of adverts / freebies etc that really does my head in. Just be honest. Alex Jones from the one show was tagging Nielsen in all her holiday posts - but it was never clear what the relationship was. Maybe she just did really like them and wanted to support them…

A couple of days ago I commented on a post about people suddenly unfollowing accounts when they did a sponsored post.

She was saying how sad it was that we didn't want to support people trying to make a living from what they love doing.

My comment was along the lines of already being inundated with ads and not wanting more. She replied to me about how she was sure I wanted people to like my posts and share my pottery.

I tried explaining that that's not what I used social media for, but it was as if I was speaking a foreign language.

I post random stuff to share with friends and family, I have some other random followers (mostly potters) and I occasionally use my account to show photos and videos of things I've made (for example at Christmas time on the Poncetastic thread).

I've recently started narrating my videos as my DBIL is blind, but I do feel daft doing it as it's really difficult to not fall into using an ''influencer voice'' 😅

Or that the posts are shite?

Well the posts probably are.

I just fail to understand why anyone would want to waste their time watching them in the first place. Beggars belief to me.

You know who is the worst for selling out/cashing in? It's that older couple whose son always used to start the video with "When my parents ... (found an old coffee machine or whatever). He was really nifty with his editing skills and the videos were genuinely funny.

But now it's wall to wall days out, shopping trips, supermarkets - all nothing but pure advertising. I scroll away immediately.

I live near 2 of them who are related. One is on her second go round of trying to sell expensive matching sweatshirts and joggers and the other is pimping out the same pair of "seem free" (she can't spell) leggings from Amazon every week alongside shilling free toys that companies send her kids. I do wonder what on earth they have to talk to each other about. Algorithms?

Didn’t realise that I was meant to like some randoms post. Oh well clearly I have failed the insta test!

They’re just jobs aren’t they 🤷🏻‍♀️ or side hustles at least. I’m sure they can think of other topics when they’re not working.

I wouldn't go out of my way to like anything. It all seems very transactional on there. My friend had a cooking account on Insta and she had to spend lots of time liking other people's pictures and following them to build likes and follows for her own page.

I had a lot of likes and follows when I first joined Insta and uploaded my travel pics, but most of them stopped following me when I didn't follow them back

What I find odd is someone with a good career selling their soul for likes and click throughs to Amazon, like Stacey Solomon. She has a lucrative tv career but she voraciously adds Amazon links to her Instagram - it is done in a very cynical way. She is personable so she knows her followers like her and are invested in her family and she is quite clever in her hard sell. It is revolting to watch. At what point does the need for more money end? Her sister has jumped on the bandwagon too, she isn’t quite as personable.

Every Tom, Dick or Harriet think they are an influencer these days. The ones that make me laugh are ordinary people clutching them little furry mics going into Boots to give their “expertise “ on skincare. They think they are broadcasting to the nation!

BTW - you can reset your algorithm in settings on Instagram. You still keep who you are following but it stops the endless suggestions. I do it monthly.

Not a chance.

They’re all grifters, the sooner they fail, the better. It shouldn’t be a job, and it should be illegal to flog your children’s privacy and childhoods online for money, likes and free stuff.

okay....

You seem to be tarring pretty much everyone who works in content creation with the same brush which suggests you don't actually know much about it...

I don't follow anyone who posts content about their kids or who sells stuff?
Most of the people I follow post about history or do comedy skits. Occasionally some decorating and recipes.

They may be 'grifters' but the etymology of that term is just someone who works hard rather than has things given to them?

There are a lot of things to dislike about social media and content creation but there is an element of meritocracy to it to that I like - the way that people can just build a platform based on something they are interested in and if enough people like it they become successful, but it's all on their own merits - they don't get the leg up of having a first from oxford or a parent working for the BBC.

Same with comedians - traditionally the main way to grow a following was to do the comedy circuits which are especially off putting for women - driving round the country to do gigs almost exclusively late at night isn't conductive to family life, and face to face heckling can be intimidating and verge on aggressive. It's very understandable how somebody who wasn't in a position to do that can shoot skits in their own home in their own time. I don't begrudge someone giving their dream career a shot.

That's the beauty of the algorithm - it shows what it thinks you want to see. If it's only showing you 'grifters' trying to sell you stuff and sharing their kids then that's because that's what you've been watching!