A few months back, I was contacted by a marketing company to collaborate with a popular brand on a sponsored blog post. In exchange for gifted product, I wrote an honest article based on my experience and said marketing firm later shared my post on social media to drive traffic to my site. An unexpected side effect of this collab was the hateful comments and negativity toward my review and to the brand I worked with. So this begs the question – why do influencers get such a bad rep?

First off – for those living under a rock – what is an influencer?

An influencer is a person or thing that influences another. And influencer marketing is a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.

Source: Oxford Dictionary

Let’s delve into the nitty gritty of exactly what it is an influencer does.

Generally, influencers hold a specific level of knowledge and experience into a particular niche. Usually being a social media content creator (or celebrity), their following and credibility garners the attention of brands worldwide.

The way it works is pretty simple.

• A brand (a cosmetic company or athleisure clothing brand) wants to advertise and market their latest and greatest product.
• Beyond television and print ads, the goal of the marketing division of any company *big or small* is to get their goods or service into the hands of the consumer.
• If a beauty blogger has a strong presence on Instagram or TikTok, a makeup or skincare brand may propose a partnership.
• The two parties then work together to discuss a social sharing strategy and budget (we’ll touch on this more later) for the project.
• Down the road, while you’re browsing your Instagram feed, you’ll see a sponsored post depicting this influencer marketing collaboration.

Related Post: Ways to keep your blog present.

Can one really make a living doing this?

The short answer – you bet your ass you can! A well established blogger or content creator can make six figures – or more – by working with brands and marketing firms. But, let’s be totally honest here, getting to that status takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

Influencers, in most cases, start out as bloggers or content creators who share on social media for the purpose of education and/or entertainment. At some point, along the way, a business may get in touch with said creator to promote or review their product or service.

At the onset, most partnerships are “paid” in the form of complimentary goods or free trails in exchange for social media marketing. Once a creator has established themselves and built their credibility in the industry, they are often able to negotiate a monetary payment in exchange for their services.

Now, why is there so much hate and negativity toward influencers?

Certain people have a strong dislike for social media in general. So any kind of marketing or push for anything deemed frivolous is considered dishonest. Society has the opinion that influencers are free-loaders who get a bunch of free shit for writing fluff pieces.

Others don’t consider influencer marketing to be a real job. It’s just beautiful people taking photos and videos of themselves and sharing it for the world to see with no real brain power is being used. I’m the first one to say – that is utter bullshit! The amount of work, time, and (yes!!!) money that goes into fulfilling a brand collaboration is staggering!

There is a common misconception that influencers are rich kids who live on mommy and daddy’s dime. This is another reason so much hate is directed toward influencers – folks draw their own conclusions and they’re often completely off base.

And most commonly, people balk what they don’t understand. Folks often speak negatively to what they cannot do themselves. In short – they’re jealous! Simple as that.

How I’m aligning influencer opportunities with my own brand and mission.

Total disclosure here, I’ve turned down quite a few potential brand sponsorships over the last year. Partnering with a false eyelash company or promoting men’s hats do not fit with my personal brand and I’m not about to accept a contract with a product or service that does not align with my message.

Also, I’m not biting off more than I can chew! As mentioned above, a marketing campaign takes a lot of work. As a blogger and content creator – who still works a 9-5 job – time is precious and I’m not about to compromise a partnership because I could’t deliver!

In conclusion – why do influencers get such a bad rep?

Honestly, one bad apple spoils the bunch! Transparency is key. Does this mean that people should continue to belittle their work and shame them online? No! Get a life! If you can’t say anything nice than don’t say anything at all!