The Legitimacy of Influencer Culture
When I first started using Instagram in 2015, the coolest thing someone could post was a picture of an açai bowl or a sunset. The current standards of Instagram have become almost unrecognizable for my seventh grade self. As a current consumer of social media, I am constantly reflecting on what it meant to me in middle school compared to now. I spent my entire childhood with no form of social media. Sometimes I wonder how current children are impacted by social media, especially as it relates to perception of beauty and consumption of products. In my experience, the rise of influencer culture has completely changed the function of social media. I see more ads than I do posts of accounts I follow, and several promo videos for brands that range from makeup, to skincare, to health products. It almost feels like one day a switch was flipped. Everything became monetized. No matter how many times I snooze ads, the same ones show up on my feeds with the same faces of influencers who were deemed “good” enough to represent those brands. What are the guidelines for influencers, and what makes some better than others? What makes someone an influencer, and how much work does it really take to have that career?
Most influencers become influencers on accident. Anyone who “creates content” or makes social media posts on a public platform should, by the rules of the algorithm, be able to build a following. Though this may be true, many people who follow recommended steps to gain attention on social media might fail, whereas people who post for fun accidentally blow up. TikTok is the most obvious example of this phenomenon. Numerous TikTok influencers, who might not have a particular talent, are followed by hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. Perhaps people do not necessarily need a talent to be “famous,” but the qualifications for being an influencer are sometimes unclear. Celebrities have always been around, so it would be dishonest to say I never looked up to celebrities, or copied their style or even bought products they persuade people to buy. The abnormal thing about influencers is that they are not quite famous, but are also not nobody. So, why do people feel so inclined to be influenced by someone who has nothing to do with the brand they are promoting?
Something that remains constant in the world of social media is that white influencers get brand deals and publicity far more than other influencers of color. It is no surprise that systemic racism bleeds into something like social media, but the difference with this specific industry is that “fanbases'' and brands completely determine the trajectory of these influencers’ careers. As I scrolled through TikTok one day, I came across a dark skin beauty influencer, Golloria, who has over one million followers. She uses a consistent backdrop in all of her videos, with professional lighting, honest makeup reviews, and talented makeup looks. She was sent a package by Essence Makeup, which was founded in 2001, and has been a staple drugstore and product that has made its way into the well-known beauty outlet called Ulta Beauty. When Golloria tried out the concealer she was sent, which was in the darkest shade on their website, the color was so light that it probably is better suited for a tan white person. The video went viral, and the comment section revealed disappointment and shock that such a well-known makeup brand could have such an exclusive selection of products. Essence likely discouraged people who saw Golloria’s video from supporting their brand after this failed marketing opportunity, which impacts both the brand and the creator. Influencer culture is not sustainable for those who, despite exceeding expectations just like their white counterparts, are not given the chance to participate in brand deals and product reviews when the companies do not make products fit for them.
The rise of technology over the years birthed influencer culture in the first place. Aspects of how society has adjusted to technological advancements feeds into the proliferation of influence culture. Online shopping is my preferred mode of consumption, and people like me contribute to the profit that influencers make off audiences who consume their favorite products. Amazon is one of the most popular websites for fast and reliable shopping. Many influencers who post makeup tutorials, fitness videos, or daily vlogs will not only mention the exact name of each product, but they have a link in their social media bio with an Amazon storefront, or list of links to the products to save users the trouble of looking up the product online. This storefront also acts as a form of profit for the influencer because with each purchase made through the storefront, the influencer makes money. Convenience is key to upholding the circulation of online shopping and exchange of products, which is a main reason why so many influencers are successful, well-known, and have a steady income.
The success of influencers can change overnight. An influencer’s career relies entirely on the interest shown by followers and consumers. When an influencer is “canceled,” it means their followers have decided they are not worthy of holding a platform, often because they said something offensive or distasteful. When this happens, the influencer is now pushing out less content than expected for brand deals and marketing opportunities and they consequently lose followers and engagement. This scenario ultimately leads to the “irrelevance” of this influencer, and potentially leaves them searching for another career. Colbey Pfund did an in-depth analysis for Forbes on the pros and cons of using influencers for marketing. Pfund found that companies should use influencer marketing if they want quick and fast growth. Social media platforms are the quickest way to check what trends are “in,” so having a relatable and often young adult to represent products is the best way to draw in young audiences who are more likely to succumb to consumer culture (2019). Pfund also found that 86% of markets used influencer marketing of some form in 2019 (2019). Since then, the global market size for influencing has grown from $6.5 billion to $16.4 billion (Santora 2023). Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, TikTok was not as popular as it is today. The way society functioned during the lockdown undoubtedly sparked new ways for people to make use of the internet and connect with people virtually when quarantine prevented in-person socializing.
Despite the benefit influencers provide to companies who are able to utilize them, I am still concerned about the sustainability of influencers as a marketing tool in the long-run. People lose interest in products and styles so quickly, so when influencers decide they do not want to have an internet presence anymore or, contrarily, turn all of their content into brand deals and ads, and lose the original personality that made them “famous” in the first place, they lose followers. Losing engagement means losing brand partnerships, which impacts the content creators more than the companies, depending on how big a following the influencer has. I always wonder what example influencers set for younger generations, especially young women of color who lack representation in viral influencer content. Influencer marketing separates itself from celebrities because of how relatable and normal they are, yet they still have a leg-up and superiority to the average person scrolling through feeds. 70% of teenagers trust influencers more than they trust celebrities because of the accessibility to influencers (Digital Marketing Institute 2021). This is what keeps influencers so heavily trusted among younger consumers, who are reaching the very end of childhood, and entering the stage of self-discovery and more social experiences.
Influencers are able to sway public opinion on products whether they actually use the products after filming the ad or not. The brand deals are merely an exchange of benefits; free products and a check for the influencer in exchange for more exposure to companies and brands who may not even have anything in common with the influencer they chose to use as a marketing tool. I find that the rise of influencers has encouraged a less personal and unique mindset when people decide who to trust and what products they really need, versus what they want. The result of the influencer phenomenon is not surprising. In the United States, capitalistic ideals and constant demand for more sources of momentary satisfaction that comes with impulsive purchases are highly sought after. The competition between makeup, fashion and fitness brands calls for fast and tactical marketing strategies, and young influencers seem to pose an easier and more accessible mode to accomplish higher revenue and publicity.
Although influencer marketing is a useful strategy, I fear for the future inability for consumers, specifically young ones, to develop their own opinions separate from those of popular influencers. How much longer can we pretend to believe that influencers actually like each product they are paid to try on camera? Human opinion is something that will never disappear. Without honesty in influencer marketing, the actual quality of products is concealed by the facade influencers create to uphold the cycle of mass consumption.
References
Pfund, Colbey. 2019. “The Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing For Your Brand.” Forbes.
Santora, Jacinda. 2023. “Key Influencer Marketing Statistics for Your Strategy in 2023.” Influencer Marketing Hub.
Digital Marketing Institute. 2021. “20 Surprising Influencer Marketing Statistics.” Digital Marketing Institute.