Beware: Social Media Influencers Lie | by Robert Pacilio | Age of Awareness | Sep, 2023

The New Mad Men of Advertising

They are all over Instagram and TikTok. They lie with the best of them. The Mad Men of Marketing’s yesteryear have nothing on them. And the kicker is that you the innocent scroller are often caught in in their web of advertising evil.

They are THE INFLUENCERS!

Let’s check off the list of liars: fitness influencers, lifestyle gurus, foodies fanatics, fake fashionistas…the list is endless. And why are they so motivated to share “their truths” with you — the consumer? Are they only there, on your laptop because they know you so desperately need their wisdom?

Fat chance. Here is their “truth.”

They are paid to do it. That’s right. They are no better than the people seen on TV in old-school commercials. The difference is that they appear to be the average Joey or Joanie. They are speaking directly to you, they claim.

What a crock.

First, let’s get some clarity on the question of what exactly is an influencer. According to CBS News, “You may not follow one on social media, but the chances are high that you know what an ‘influencer’ is. An ‘influencer’ is someone who has the ability to influence potential buyers by promoting their products on their social media channels. Top influencers can earn thousands, even millions of dollars a year.”

The CBS Baltimore station referenced “Professor Greg Hoplamazian from Loyola University, said there’s almost no company or brand too big or too small that isn’t thinking about using an ‘influencer.’ They tend to work. They tend to work better than traditional advertising….The numbers tell the tale: ‘Influencer Marketing Hub’ said the industry is set to grow to $21.1 billion this year.”

So how does it work, you ask? Let’s begin with the foodies. “The food industry pays ‘influencer’ dietitians to shape your eating habits. Registered dietitians are being paid to post videos that promote diet soda, sugar, and supplements on Instagram and TikTok,” according tothe Washington Post. They seem so folksy, so down-to-earth, so much the video BFF, but the reality is they are hired guns. They are dietitians, but I’m quite sure the pay scale for their wisdom cannot match the salary they make…