What do people think of influencers?

[cavewoman2026]

I feel like my feelings have changed towards them over the years. Yes I like to check out what women are wearing but everyone now seems to dress the same or have extremely curated expensive pieces that were given to them for free. So then it’s not organic and nothing exceptional is being created. It feels like everyone is just showing the most expensive pieces they own to tag the brands to gain popularity (yes I know this is how social media works). For micro influencers I always wonder how they can afford it all? Daily outfits of super expensive clothes, bags and shoes? Is it all on credit cards and loans?

Depressingly I have one or two friends around me that have expressed wanting to be influencers as people are interested in the lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to go to beauty events, get free clothes and makeup?

I’ve started to explore style from socialites from the past, actresses, rummaging in vintage shops (even on Vinted), fashion magazines. It’s truly what I get my inspiration from these days.

So, do you all still follow influencers or are we moving past them now?

I never did follow influencers and don’t plan to start.
The one thing I do do is read the beauty editor lists / tips in magazines like the Sunday Times Magazine and Good Housekeeping.

I’ve never followed any influencers; they’re all just being paid to say things are great.

I used to buy TONS of skincare from The Ordinary, but I'm done with them after getting sick of the hundreds of influencer I-got-this-free rubbish skewing the product reviews. I gave up trying to find honest reviews, and had no idea if new products were amazing or rubbish.

After nearly 10 years, I switched to Dr Hauschka. TO customer service was rubbish as well, but it was mainly the influencer crap.

I'm not a fan, basically 😬

This

So many reviews these days on boots etc are ‘incentivised’. V frustrating. I just dismiss them as being of no value.

I’ve never met anyone who says ‘hi I’m an influencer’ 🤣

Thats not how people speak. They’ll say ‘Hi I’m Steve, I run a tennis account’ or whatever it is they post about.

That’s good to know. Imagine introducing yourself as an ‘influencer’ with a straight face!

I don't really understand it either, but isn't it kind of like souped up advertising in that the person has made themselves into not only an advert but also a multiplicity of adverts. While still presenting as a person you would find on your old Facebook friends list back in the day when Facebook was about looking at your friends. So I guess that's jarring, for some.

I know someone who isbt an influencer but posts every day so we all know what she’s wearing and tags whatever brand it is

wannabe 🙄

Tbh those lists are the same thing really, but in print form. Magazines rarely print honest and unbiased product reviews. They depend too much on the advertising space paid for by these brands.

A lot of people don’t like adverts though.

I don’t actually mind good adverts but most are shit. I always watch on demand or BBC so I can skip ads.

It’s all so disingenuous. At least with an advert, it is what it is. It’s not pretending to be anything other than a paid plug for a product.

It will be jarring for some, but the research shows that some find those people more relatable, like ‘I can picture myself in those trousers’ rather than ‘I like those trousers but they’re on a six foot tall model and might look weird on me’.

There were some very interesting influencers with great content but as soon as they gained popularity and started collaborating with brands and flogging stuff they got for free, I unfollowed each and every one of them.

I understand they need to make a living etc., I’ve just got zero interest in being involved.

Tell you what I did used to follow and enjoy: bloggers. It seems so long ago now, I can't even remember any of their names but some of them were really interesting. They'd write about fashion, films, food, travel...whatever, not for money, at least not initially, but because they had something they wanted to say. And then gradually it all got monetised and turned to shit.

That’s true. I don’t watch ads either. But all you have to do is not follow people you don’t like, or click not interested on an ad you get served that doesn’t interest you. It’s the same thing.

I really miss the blogging days!

I work in sport now and it turns out blogs are still a thing in some sports; it feels so quaint!

Attention seeking desperados, cringeworthy lot 😂

Ha @Crushed23 beat me to it
I did the same - unfollowed them one by one.

Not a fan, especially the food ones, they are being paid to tell you something is great so I take it all with a pinch of salt. I don’t mind the ones who are informative like living with disabilities and so on.

@ilovepixiei think it depends.

You’ll get people who will promote anything, and you’ll get people who are more discerning. They’re really not all the same. I think the difference is pretty obvious between the two polar opposites.

Did you start off blogging? Hope that doesn't sound like I'm chasing your personal history, I'm just curious!

I don't follow any influencers, and am not interested in them, but good luck to them if they're making lots of money from what they do.

Ditto content creators. I know a couple of people personally who are content creators and they make a yearly income in the low to mid 6 figures from what they do. Not to be sniffed at.

Some people are very snobby when it comes to people like this though. Especially on Mumsnet - where many posters claim to have 6 foot tall, athletic sporty children who have a degree from a red brick university, have a RP accent, and earn £250K a year in some niche career, or as a software engineer, or top consultantancy job, or something in finance or law. 🙄

I think they’re losing appeal. They have to evolve to keep things fresh and some of the popular ones seem like they’re getting a bit bored of it. There’s only so many hones they can do up or whatever.
I enjoy the travel and art instagram accounts but am really losing interest with the Insta celebs that do the same content over and over. And I’m worried about the exposure of their children.

Kind of, in my first marketing job. Those days were fun.

Now it’s much more short form and visual really.