Question for anyone interested in Instagrammar influencers

[ooglyboo]

Hi all. A little while ago in one of the threads abut instagrammars, I commented on a thing that I had noticed that ED in particular does.

So has a little gap and then she comes on to stories and talks about how she's not sure about instagram as a medium, she doesn't know where it's going, and she has been having a little think about it all, etc etc.

Then loads of her followers reassure that she's totally fab and she must stay.

And then .... a few days later, she lauches some kind of campaign or posts some kind of ad.

Now, I have no problem with this as such and I'm not after ED - I like her and enjoy her content. I will admit to finding the regular insta-angst a little tedious but mainly I am just totally fascinated by this pattern. Is it a concidence? is there no pattern at all and I have imagined it? Or is there a plan? And if there is a plan, what is it? Is it to generate engagement or something?

If anyone knows or has ideas, please tell me!

I know what you mean, and I really like ED too so would be surprised if it’s calculated.

But it is a bit of a pattern and not just ED. It’s a weird thing as in a way, Insta content has replaced magazines and I can’t imagine being a magazine subscriber and reading the Editor’s letter and then saying ‘I just don’t know if I can do this anymore’

Having said that, ED has the best content for me, of all the influencers so it’s a shame if she does stop.

I know what you mean, OP and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I think these little dances are all carefully choreographed.

Yes exactly. Having said it's not a problem, I should probably clarify this to say that if this angst - reassurance - sell, is a pattern, it is really offputting. And that's is a shame as her content is great!

I noticed this as well. It appears too formulaic.

Ugh, I’ve seen Instagrammers (even relatively lowly ones) navel gaze about their account and what is it all FOR and do people still LIKE them? It’s so contrived.

I’ve noticed this with ed also. I’ve actually stopped following her. Partly because of this and partly because of the seemingly empty words sustainability. That’s not just with ed though, they’re all the same, giving a nod to sustainability then encouraging us to buy buy buy

Yes, I've noticed the general navel gazing and that can be quite irritating. With the pattern I observe above though, is there something about sort of softening followers up before hitting them with an ad? (By the way I have no problem with the ads, I entirely understand that's how instagrammars who provide content make money). I may be reading something into this that isn't really there. DMBL40 doesn't do much navel gazing at all for example. And some do the navel gazing thing but there is no particular pattern to it (that I can see). It's just interesting I think.

Who is ED?

Ad or no ad, I find it annoying. It’s just validation seeking and all the echo chamber fan girls come on saying how great that person is etc. It’s like when your friend puts something cryptic on Facebook to encourage the “you ok hun?” “Never doubt yourself hun” comments.
Sorry, that sounds mean but I’m getting properly over Instagram now and it’s stuff like this that’s done it for me

I also need to know who ED is

Erica someone?

Erica Davies.

Ahhh thanks!

Yes, Erica Davies - sorry. Just to reiterate this is NOT intended as an ED bashing thread, honestly - I recognise that might sound disingenous. Genuinely though I am just very interested in whether her approach is a deliberate strategy or not. Maybe she can come on and answer herself (I know she has brilliantly responded to these kinds of threads before although I also understand why she might prefer not to)!

Well if she did come on and discuss, she wouldn’t say it was a deliberate strategy would she. I don’t think anyone would admit that

They all seem to have managing/PR teams now so I have absolutely no doubt that it's contrived and based around enagagement stats and algorithms. I can't stand all that shite so don't follow 'influencers' anymore, I'd rather directly follow brands I like, at least they are honest about the fact they are trying to sell you stuff!

This will definitely be a strategy.

I do follow her and I like her but she does come from that industry and is now making money from her posts

so it is a business plan

I know @rooftree - that's why I could understand why she might not wish to discuss this! If it is a strategy then it does feel fairly cynical. I suppose I shouldn't see it that way because in doing so I am falling into the trap of ever thinking that influencers were the follower's friend in the first place. There's a sort of circularity to it - if I know I am being sold to and think that's basically fine then why would I worry about the particular strategies that are used. And being introspective for a moment I wonder if I am more critical about this kind of tactic when used by a woman than I would be for a man. But this sort of woe is me approach does seem sort of dishonest I guess.

I got sucked into it all but the term influencer drives me crazy for one thing. It’s honest I suppose, but I don’t actually want someone influencing me to do something and telling me they’re doing it. It’s such a sinister word but I wonder if I’m on my own there, ive not really seen anyone complain about it

They all seem to have managing/PR teams now so I have absolutely no doubt that it's contrived and based around enagagement stats and algorithms.

Interesting - I don't know much about the algorithms - but presumably the theory is they post a naval-gazing post - get lots of engagement and therefore when they later post an AD it gets pushed up because of the recent high engagement?

Navel-gazing even - I don't think she's obsessed with the boats

I hope Erica Davies is not doing this, it would be horribly cynical, and she seems like a genuinely nice person. She is the only 'insta mum' I still follow and I've hovered over the unfollow button several times but didn't because she seems so nice.

It does seem like a pattern though OP, and I think ED is (rightly) worried that 'influencers' are on the decline and that seems to be her main income stream. Maybe some management type twisted her arm into trying this strategy?

Well I imagine your management team (is she with Gleam?) would make "relatability" and "authenticity" cornerstones of your business model going forward.

Frankly, followers or subscribers want to see the whole "they're just like me!" thing. So if you have anxiety? Admit to it.

I notice Susie Verrill has gone down the route of posting a lovely photo that's very Insta-friendly, but the captioning it something like "Just out of shot my child was shitting himself, #keepingitreal". I'm not sure why she does this tbh. I don't know if it's genuinely she's afraid of looking like a knob if she doesn't post a "relatable" caption or if it's just good strategy that she knows goes down well.

These days Instagram is such a business model that honestly I'm a bit sceptical of all that "let's be real" stuff. But maybe some people are just trying to navigate this new world and strike a balance between the pretty staged photos and the glaring contrast to their own actual lived experiences. It's very hard to know what's spontaneous and what's strategy.

I used to really like Lynsey_Queen of clean. I did find her quite genuine with good tips and most of her content was cleaning based. In the last few months she's been nothing but #ad #affiliate #gift
I've gone right off of her now. She just seems so fake. I've actually unfollowed her.

I don't think there are any genuine 'influencers' on Instagram anymore. They're all just promoting crap they they're paid for.