The Influencer Economy
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Kendall Jenner makes 608,000 dollars just for posting on Instagram. In an advertisement for Ray-Ban, she simply poses in her sunglasses, posts the photo with a simple caption, and suddenly, her bills are paid this month. Her sister, Kylie, who we’ve all double tapped at some point, makes almost a million dollars for a single post. This does not mean they are bringing in cash for every single post they make, but most are sponsored or advertisements. The brands that reach out to not just the Kar-Jenner clan, but influencers all over the social media world, are offering many commas for the promotion of their products. So, what makes someone so special that they get the joy of being an influencer? Is it really all that it seems? What is the influencer economy really like? I’ll tell you.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
It begins with the YouTube craze that struck my generation. Vlogging, beauty, comedy, gaming, and other content became the new Disney Channel. Kids and young adults across the globe were pushing the thumbs up and subscribe buttons of random people who posted videos on the internet for fun. Next was the Kardashian revolution, which took the world by storm. The family put their good looks and style to use on what were, in 2012, brand new social media apps. The whirlwind of lavish living – or what looks like lavish living- sent the world into a panic of perception. The individuals who use these apps want to make their lives look desirable, they want to be perceived as special. This is what we all think the goal is, and, while we see these seemingly perfect bodies and clothes, the real reason only a fraction of users end up rich and famous is how they appear, authentically themselves. What our world wants is to see someone who truly has it all. But the reality is that it is all a façade. What we don’t see is the hours of work and strategy behind the content, and the detrimental effects this has on people behind the screens. So why has what was once a side hustle turned into a genuine profession? The business that results from celebrity influence has created a huge influx for companies. Many businesses have used a large portion of their budget in influencer endorsement. There are even businesses that have been created just to help these influencers achieve brand deals and grow their platforms. The result of this is making big influencers millionaires, even billionaires. Some TikTok and Instagram stars make more than CEOs of major companies. Love her or hate her, Charli D’Amelio made $17.5 million in 2021. The big payout seems like a good thing, but sometimes influencers are a piece in a bigger scheme. While most major influencers have their marketing strategies down, and usually a team to assess brand deals, the fear of being taken advantage of is real.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
There is a corrupt side to this part of influencing though. Big companies can view their influencers as commodities rather than real people. This is a moral issue. It is easy to get wrapped up in the dollar signs, but some of these stars are fresh to the scene and very young. They are not allowed to gradually grow their influence—one day they wake up and are being shoved into the spotlight as an advertisement. Companies will con influencers out of money, or force them to follow a script, which is never a good sign because they do not get to give their own testimony on a product. This raises the question of the product's quality. Brands can also entice influencers with a lot of money to promote something awful for the consumer, like the meal-replacement teas and diets that have triggered unhealthy habits worldwide. Many influencers have hopped on that train in recent years. Kendall Jenner’s controversial Pepsi ad, which suggested that Pepsi would end violent oppression towards African-Americans, created an uproar—as it should have. You have to be very smart to do well in this business, it is not all the glitz and glam that we see on the surface. Of course, influencing is beneficial and inspiring to viewers but when emptiness and manipulation are involved, social media can be a dangerous place.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Strike Out,
Writer: Ella Selph
Editor: Roxy Rico
Graphic Designer:
Tallahassee