So today, I want to come to you with something different. Usually, on Fridays, I bring you content designed to help you grow some aspect of your blog or social media presence. Instead of specific tips today, I wanted to cover the growing assumption that social media influencers are entitled brats. I felt drawn to covering this topic, and hopefully, this can clear up some misconceptions for new influencers as well as the general public. So, are social media influencers entitled?
Are Influencers Entitled?
A few weeks ago, there was the “bloggergate” scandal. Many of you may have heard about the influencer who contacted the White Moose Cafe and created an internet riot. The cafe owner publicly embarrassed the girl, and people came rushing to his support. Many individuals who do not work in this industry do not believe that social media influencers have “real jobs.” Numerous times over the past few weeks, I have seen people saying influencers are entitled, they are brats… and the list goes on. While this seems to be a popular opinion of many, the truth of the matter may be quite different than how it is perceived.
Why Are Influencers Perceived As Entitled?
Let’s start by explaining why there is this perception that social media influencers are entitled to. First, with the rise of certain YouTubers and influencers, the general public is now starting to view all of us as the same. Yes, certain individuals are downright rude and obnoxious, but does that mean we are all like that? With the recent growth in influencer scandals, it is easy to see why some people think we are all the same. But wouldn’t that be the same as saying all attorneys are slimy sharks simply because some of them are? The comparison is unfair because one group of bad apples does not define the majority.
Not all vloggers are the Pauls. This may be hard to grasp for many simply because they have such a large platform, but I promise that most vloggers, bloggers, and influencers are, in fact, NOT entitled brats.
Another reason many influencers are seen as entitled is that most people only see one side of the story. A regular person scrolling Instagram will only see these beautifully staged photos put out by influencers as part of a marketing campaign. They see the beauty, the free product, the money, and the lifestyle. With what they see, they perceive that influencers just get free stuff, free hotel stays, etc, and don’t have to work.
They hear about influencers reaching out to companies and think this makes them entitled. They see that many influencers do not go to a 9-5 job and think they are lazy freeloaders because of it. Scandals, like the White Moose incident, really thrust influencers into the limelight, and people create their opinions based on a small handful of incidents.
What The Public Does Not See
Now that we know what the general public sees and why many influencers are viewed as entitled, we can discuss why this is, in fact, not true.
For one, what the public sees is only a tiny portion of what goes on in the life of an influencer. In reality, there is much more going on behind the scenes. For one, Influencers do quite a bit of work. It is not just getting free stuff and taking pretty pictures. A lot of effort goes into staging photos and getting good lighting. We are expected to be expert photographers and videographers, so we have to put a lot of time and effort into these skills to get to work. Then there is the editing. Editing photos and videos can take hours to get right. Videos, I have found, take much longer since you have to edit, render, upload, and double-check. It is time-consuming.
Then there is writing. Many of us have blogs as well. Writing a well-crafted post also takes time and effort. It isn’t something that is just slapped together and thrown up. We want to tell a story. Naturally, highlight the product. Show our readers how we feel about the product and why they will also love it. Brands go to influencers, in part, for their storytelling ability, so just throwing up a random half-assed post will not do you any favors.
We are also seen as asking for free stuff. Well, that is and isn’t true. While we contact companies, it is not really for ” free stuff.” We contact these companies to build a business relationship and collaborate for marketing purposes. In this case, we are exchanging goods for the benefit of BOTH parties. So no, it is not just ” send me some free stuff.” It is much, much more in-depth than that.
For example, marketing to Gen Z can be tricky, and influencer marketing is one of the best ways to do it. However, you need to build a relationship first. This takes time and effort, not just asking for things.
The Future of Influencer Marketing
For the people who generally dislike influencers, I am sorry to say that we aren’t going anywhere. This is a growing market that will only continue to expand. Not only is influencer marketing less expensive than traditional marketing, it is also becoming more effective. People trust their favorite YouTubers; they feel like they know them in a way. According to studies, people are more likely to purchase on the recommendation of an influencer or because they saw something on social media than based on traditional marketing. Don’t believe me about the future of influencer marketing. Take a gander here at all of this research!
Hopefully, I have shone some light on the lesser-known side of influencer marketing. I promise that the majority of us are not entitled brats, and we work extremely hard to provide for our families. If you have any feelings or thoughts on this, I would love to discuss it further in the comments below. So what do you think? Are influencers entitled millennial brats, or is this a “real job”?
Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.
I just recently heard about what was happening via Instagram and it broke my heart, Thank you for talking about this topic!
It really is a crazy time and a crazy situation. I really don’t think,it should reflect on all influencers and we really need to,just rock what we do and let the world know we do work hard and do provide a beneficial service
The thing is, many people would be surprised to know that most of us do have what they would call a “real job,” even if that’s being a student/being a mom/etc. Being an influencer comes with its own set of struggles, just one being that it’s a very real possibility that no money comes in!!
Thats what makes everyone think bad things are the select few who ruin it all. I myself am a full time mom and work full time and blog on the side, its my chance to unwind and do something for myself.
I am new to the blogger world and I know it is work so I imagine much more so for influencers as you described so well. Let each individual work speak for itself.
I love your ending. We aren’t going anywhere and people need to realize that this is a job and it’s hard.
I think of the Kardashians as really high end social media influencers. Because they aren’t really famous for anything but having people interested in what they do. And I think people think of people like that when they hear the word influencer. The average one is just a hard working entrepreneur.
Exactly! People think them or Logan Paul and those huge people are such a small part of the greater picture
Being a blogger/social media influencer is hard work. You’re right, nobody really sees that goes on behind the scenes. In fact, my husband has been home for 3 months, after he was laid off, and he had no idea what else I did besides take photos (he was usually home for those after work), and write a blog post. He had no idea that i actually spent more time working than he did, at his 9 to 5 job! And that is on top of homeschooling my daughter, and keeping the house somewhat managed. There is so much more than anyone thinks, that has never done it.
It’s sad because Influencers get the bad reputation from all the scandals, but I’m glad there are people out there who understand what we do and appreciate our hard work.
This is such a great post! And it’s so true people have this bad image of influencers when really it’s a job like any other, that comes with different responsibilities and tasks. Thank you so much for talking about it!
I was unaware of this incident, but now I am going to have to check it out. And I completely understand what you are saying here. It’s not just getting “free stuff” Its hours and hours of writing, editing, marketing, networking, and just all around hustling that influencers use to create their social media campaigns. And it’s sad when some people feel like we do nothing to get where we are.
Great topic! I saw the social media on the influencer looking for the free room. It’s true people have such a bad idea of what these people do.
I don’t see why reaching out for your business (which may be a blog) is any different than trying to sell something. I don’t think people need to freak out over it. Plus there is a ton of work behind the scenes.
Honestly, I really haven’t given this much thought beyond this too shall pass. Most non-influencer people I know and meet don’t know what an influencer is. It’s crazy how quickly issues become a thing when maybe they shouldn’t.
So many times friends and family always say things like “oh you got that for free” and it makes me angry because each and every sponsored post I do takes me time. Every photo that has to be edited and every recipe that needs to be made. I work hard to make my blog a place people want to visit. I think it’s awful when some think we are entitled.
Yes to all this! People don’t understand it can take hours to set up the right scene, take the photos, and days to edit or write a good post. I’m sure some can seem entitled, but it’s a hard job and I love it!
i didnt dig deeper but the industry is changing so much and i hope both influencers, brands, and non-influencers can respect each other and work in harmony…like you mentioned we are not going anywhere.
This is my first time hearing about this scandal, but it sounds like the business didn’t handle it professionally. He could have just ignored the email, yet he decided to take it to a different level. He most likely knew that backlash would happen on both sides, but took the chance anyways of the possibility of receiving free publicity. I have only come across a handful of people like this. The best thing is not the engage them. But yes, I do agree with you. There are so much that goes on behind the scenes! I’ve been blogging for 14 years now and sadly some people, even in my own family, doesn’t fully understand all of the work that goes into it.
This really made me smile reading this, I am interested in those that blog and are influencers.
While not all influencers are “Pauls”, there are many “big names” who are making the rest of look bad. There are a lot of us hardworking influencers out there who don’t act entitled, don’t use clickbait or stunts to get attention. It is a shame when those bad eggs make the rest look bad and it seems to be happening a lot. Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere, it is only growing, which also means we have to do a better job to support each other, treat brands, PR companies, and our followers with respect, while also doing our part to educate people on what we do and call out those who aren’t serving the community as a whole.
Anyone working in marketing, real professional marketing, realizes the true benefit to working with influencers. Or they should! We definitely aren’t going anywhere but it’s a bummer we have to fight for this position.
Looooove this. So many people are quick to judge the influencers who are getting free product, but those same people aren’t upset over the fact that a lot of the time influencers get asked to promote products without any mention of compensation! Lots of work goes into social media marketing that many aren’t aware of. Thanks for the post!
Totally! A lot of people don’t realize how much work goes into it! It isn’t just “free product” we have to work for it by producing content and photos and videos.. It is a job
Is this really “an issue”? Sound rather contrived and adolescent.
[…] you have created your social media platforms you will notice regular customers liking your posts. Research when your customers are […]
[…] the rise of social media, many moms are turning to these platforms to sell goods or services. One industry that is gaining […]
[…] to make your dreams a reality. And while you are at it, make sure to squeeze the best out of every social media platform that works for […]
[…] this may depend on your profession and purpose for traveling, it may not be necessary to use social media or respond to emails quickly while seeing the world. Most often, social media is only nice-to-have […]