Bloggers and brands 2.

[Merriboo]

continuing the discussion from the previous thread about transparency and disclosure (or lack of) by bloggers

Sorry only just saw this! Yes I did buy the dress, reckon it will come into its own in the Spring.

Sorry that message was meant as a reply for DillyDally. Looking like a real pro at this internet thing 😳😳

I’ve been following since thread 1. My take on the whole influencers thing is that we should assume everything had been gifted unless they say it isn’t.

I watch a few YouTube channels and most of them do get a ton of free stuff. My favourite is Grav3yardgirl. She is honest with what is free and what she buys on her own. She frequently links small businesses and Etsy shops when they send her things she likes or if someone asked where she bought an item of clothing or jewellery. She’s honest about what she has been sent and I like the fact she will film half of her videos with no makeup and messy hair. She doesn’t brag about what she has, I think that’s why I like her so much.

I do follow some of the other bigger channels and it’s blatantly obvious when people have been paid to promote a product. I did have a few times when I was unsure - for example Wayne Goss was always raving about how good The Ordinary skincare range was. I was suspicious he was getting paid for that but he has since cleared up that he isn’t. Also some of the family vlogs don’t always disclose when they have had a free stuff or free holidays etc.

I do also avoid Instagram. I liked the old days and using it to take arty photos but now it’s just a ‘look at me and all my stuff’ platform and I find it tiresome and boring.

Thanks - yep, pretty much how I feel about influencers - seems they are mostly flogging gifted freebies, like the Jigsaw coat which is everywhere right now. Am also more aware of the "...... any recommendations, advice please........ " posts which then tie in neatly with other bloggers posts (no such thing as coincidence!) and lead to more freebies........... Still like Instagram for the pictures and ideas but do understand the money-go-round that it is.

I don't understand why Lily Pebbles rarely washes her hair. She is always saying on Instastories how greasy it is. Why not just wash it? She puts makeup on and goes out to events with it all greasy. I would feel so dirty.

Re bullshittercallerouters...I saw the reason they shut down the page. But they also seem to have deleted all of their posts? I wonder if illness (which is tragic) was the only reason for the page closing? I hope honthehuns picks up that particular baton.

In other news, I've just spotted Denise Van Outen in the Dancing On Ice audience wearing one of those bloody Bella Freud jumpers.

Quite housewife2010 - it is just basic hygiene. Dirty hair is just pretty gross.

I mainly follow just a few fitness ppl on IG, and not fitness.models; I prefer real life people who have turned their lives around.

One of my oldest dearest friends has been sucked in by an MLM; beach body on demand. She's a hairdresser but apparently also now a "coach" and a nutrition expert. Daily posting videos on FB and IG about BOD's health shake ("we don't call it a protein shake because it's so much more than that"). She talks about all it's "goodness" and "nutrients". She is lovely, and has admitted she is trying to put her DC through uni, and before becoming a "coach" she used the plan for 6 months and is very fit. But it worries me. At the end of the day it's a pyramid scheme and I think it's dangerous to call their people "coaches" and have them dole out fitness and nutritional advice

There's a petition in Ireland to stop unqualified people giving fitness advice. I follow two bloggers one post fitness stuff but even a couch potato like me can see her technique is crap!

Yes I'm aware of that hips hence the post. It's scary isn't it. I follow about 4 people but they post mostly about mindset struggles and motivation etc although some post their own made up routines and have educated themselves. This interests me more than the expert with the airbrushed body. As someone said on this thread before, I am more interested in real people. That's what MN offers I think. The skincare thread on here is a perfect example.

I prefer real life people who have turned their lives around. and I follow about 4 people but they post mostly about mindset struggles and motivation.

^I think that's a bit of the heart at why people get turned off by 'influencers'. The original interest and USP was about 'people in progress', not the 'perfectly formed'. The latter is what drives consumerism with the promise of attainability in products x, y, and z. However, the more plasticine these former bloggers, now influencers, (the term alone denotes the shift in hierarchy) become the further away they drift from what once bound them to their original audience.

I think the reluctance on the transparency front also ties into wanting to present this 'perfectly formed' image, disclosing means undoing much of that illusion.

I know the source is MNs enemy but the accommodation seeking clogger has been issued a sizeable bill for increasing her brand footprint

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5297031/Dublin-hotel-sends-YouTuber-INVOICE-5-289-000.html

Payment in social media mentions not accepted

*blogger, not clogger

I agree Bo. I do feel that a lot of bloggers still want the illusion of not having their shit together (and I'm sure many don't) but it does come across as completely contrived and insincere.

notthequeen I do think he's taken that a step too far, and is actually after more publicity/keeping the story going for his own benefits. Couldn't she send him a bill for publicity too?!

I also agree botemp. I've seen AH talk about bloggers needing to produce beautiful content, but there is a fine line between lovely imagery and cringeworthy 80s catalogue poses. I don't follow that Lily Pebbles but to me her page looks so contrived, and that's even before you get to the Special K post. I still like DMBL40's posts because they feel natural and haven't changed too much over the time she has been on IG. There is no sense that she took hours putting up a tripod to get the perfect shot - it still feels like "quick, take a photo with my iPhone", and I think that feels more authentic. I'm massively put off by over-produced IG content. It feels fake.

Regarding the hotel man, I also think he has gone too far now. He made his point, now he is coming across like a bully.

To be fair to lily pebbles (and I’m not really a fan) she has VERY curly hair that takes har a long time to tame. I suspect that’s why she doesn’t wash it much, I don’t think it’s fair to make out she’s grubby.

Agree that DMBL40’s blog has a genuine feel to it and especially since she’s now tagging gifts. There’s a natural vibe about it and no frills.

I think AH’s blog and Instagram is to purely get us to click on her links and gain commission. She showcases a huge amount of clothes and I suspect she returns most. Clothes that don’t do her any favours and clothes that don’t appear to fit in with her life-style, she raves about them all and after the initial hard-sell, we seldom see her wearing any of the clothes again.

Oh dear...it appears everyone is suddenly in need of plants .

On a more positive note: The smearforsmear campaign is getting lots of attention on IG thanks to many bloggers/IGers doing the lippy photo.

Ah yes #plantgate - a perfect model of Instagram at its money-go-round best!

See no one has got plants in my feed (yet!). Who is getting them and where from?

Wips Erica Davies did a set of stories on her plants which seemed fitting as she’s asked about interiors a lot & loves a plant. In particular recommending a specific brand for good artificial plants (don’t recall the name). Then within 24 hrs there are stories from several others (DMBL40, LuluDumas, others I don’t remember specific names) saying how they need a plant here & there . To be fair to Kat, she has been saying she wanted a plant for the hall since before Christmas but the others were just too blatant. I’m laughing but actually starting to find this kind of thing really vulgar & cringe-inducing.

Bet you London to a brick they will all get their plans now.

#couldntmakeitup

Chardonnay - no-one's going to take your money, it's a racing certainty. Vulgar is a good word - my old mother would have said grasping.

Thing that makes me laugh is that EDs post was liked by DMBL40 so, in theory if she had actually read it she shouldn't need a recommendation. Proves the numbers are all bot driven.

A Life to Style has a good attitude - yesterday's and today's Insta story was quite refreshing.

MyNewHobby ha ha ha - that is bang on! They do actually think we are stupid!