Social media influencing has become a popular career, with brands and influencers benefiting the most from it because when an influencer tells people about a product and how it works best, many consumers buy it.
That way, the brand wins with sales while the influencer gets paid for promoting those products.
However, there has been a public outcry lately where consumers accuse influencers of promoting products they don’t use but expect others to use them.
Now, before accusing influencers are misleading you, consider the following three things:
Influencing is new-age marketing
Influencers are part of marketing, their job is to make the product inciting so that you will want to buy it.
Let's take a skincare product, for example. When you see an advert on TV that promotes a product that clears skin, chances are that the muse is wearing make-up to make their skin as clear as possible.
It may be misleading but that's how it works in most cases.
Influencers are in the business of making money
The influencers job is to post about a product and get paid for it. While it may look like they are traitors for promoting a brand they don't use, they don't care about that, they want to reach those who like the product enough to buy so they can get paid.
For example, a few years ago, there was uproar when influencers who don't drink alcohol were used on a beer campaign.
The public made noise about it but it ended there. The brand continued with the campaign and the influencers got paid. So it's up to you as a consumer if you want to continue supporting such brands or switch.
Doing your research will save you lots of money
Before buying from online boutiques and then coming to complain about it, check first if you cannot get that product elsewhere.
For example, there was an influencer on TikTok who used to sell silk bonnets claiming he made them from scratch only to find that he would stock them at Small Street.
Another influencer was accused of selling a jumpsuit to someone for R1 000 and, after buying it, the customer saw it at Small Street for way cheaper than the price they had paid.
Had those customers researched, they wouldn't have spent so much money. Sometimes you need to stop being gullible and do your research or you'll pay the price for a hasty purchase.