Whether we like it or not, there’s a pretty high volume of influencer content on our social media feeds. Think of morning selfies, evening dinners, live videos, countless stories — we’re bombarded with their experiences and ideas they often disguise as ads. So let’s just put it out there, this whole influencer culture has gotten a bit out of control.
You see, some internet celebrities go out of their way to get more likes, followers, and attention, only to unintentionally reveal their entitled personalities. Luckily, there are plenty of people online ready to expose their ridiculous behaviors. Enter the Choosing Beggars subreddit, a community dedicated to "posting screenshots, pictures, or stories of people who are being way too picky when begging for things."
Bored Panda has selected some of the best posts of influencers asking to get stuff for free and rightfully getting shamed for it online. Continue scrolling and upvote your favorites as you go! And if you’re in the mood for some more Choosing Beggars goodness, check out our previous posts right here, here, and here.
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My Mum Is An Artificial Florist And Had An ‘Influencer’ With 70k Followers Ask For Free Wedding Flowers For Exposure
One Approach #couscousforcomment
My Friend Got Shorted By A Pretty Major Influencer
With the joys of social media, there’s also been a rise of new types of celebrities. You suddenly start to see emerging new names — from mega, macro to micro and now nano-influencers, they truly seem to be having their moment online, transforming our feeds into a battleground full of ads, promotions, and brand endorsements.
Today, it’s nearly impossible to go through Instagram without coming across at least one sponsored post or a carefully staged product picture. But not every influencer ruffles our feathers. There are plenty of decent people out there who share their experiences and stories because they generally want to connect with their audience. A personal touch goes a long way with consumers, so their followers can certainly feel it.
More often than not, however, people who believe they are famous can become greedy. They push forward and keep at it to be liked and acknowledged, no matter the cost. After all, collecting and maintaining a large audience is one of the biggest goals influencers have, and the size of their follower base is the thing that makes them relevant to the professionals in advertising.
I Took Some Advice That Were Given After Posting The Conversation I Had With A Tiktok “Influencer” Yesterday. This Is What The First Person I Made The Offer To Said
Large “Influencer” Wants Free Clothing From My Small Brand
They’re Back
Needless to say, this industry has rocketed over the past few years. According to Statista, influencer marketing has become one of the most popular and effective forms of online marketing. You see, hundreds of thousands of people browse the net every single day, looking for entertainment, inspiration, and a variety of recommendations. So, of course, marketing professionals use this as an opportunity to promote their businesses and clients.
"The global influencer marketing market value has more than doubled since 2019, standing at around 13.8 billion U.S. dollars as of 2021," Statista reports. Experts predict that the industry will only become bigger and stronger every year, making the collaborations between creators and brands even more fruitful.
Influencers Are The Worst Choosing Beggars
Influencer Asks For Free Meals In Exchange For Reviews And Exposure, Gets Called Out By Restaurant
Local 15 Year Old “Tik Tok Influencer” Wants A Free Pair Of Hand Painted Customized Air Force 1s I’ve Been Waiting For This Moment!!
Instagram Influencers Offer The Best Incentives To Work For Them!
I'm pretty sure somebody with the money to travel for months and professional camera equipment can find much better things to do than follow an influencer with less than a half mill followers around.
Many creators strive to exponentially grow the number of followers on their social media platforms. Yet, people with a thousand followers sometimes already feel entitled to free stuff just because they throw around the word "exposure" every chance they get. Well, as you probably noticed from this post, they tend to overestimate their worth and instead end up looking arrogant and downright annoying in the worst possible ways.
New Zealander Tired Of “Influencers” Bs
Ig Influencer Wants To "Collaborate" W A Surgeon And Get Her Implants Removed After Being Told It Would Cost Her Money. Even Says Her Exposure Will Pay For The Money She Doesn't Pay
Instagram "Influencer" Want People To Work On Their Startup For 3 Months, Full Time (9-5) On Site Job With No Pay And No Leaves. Oh And Also 'I'm Gonna Be Incredibly Hard On You.'
It turns out people are getting quite tired (and often very confused) about this whole influencer culture. While some artists and businesses choose to give in or simply ignore their requests, others are making a stand and publicly shaming their entitled and toxic personalities online. Well, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching someone so full of themselves be put in their place.
Joei Chan, global head of content at Linkfluence, explained that more and more people are seeing a lack of authenticity in these internet celebrities’ posts. "People are sick of all the generic cookie-cutter posts showing celebrities posing with teeth-whitening kits, boutique clothing, or even appetite-suppressing lollipops. Instead, social media users are looking for real, unstaged content to engage with," she wrote.
Yeah I Need Exposure, But Not This Way, Also I Think The Amount Of Emojis He Used Is Scary
Yelper Gives A Pizzeria 1 Star Because They Wouldn't Give Her A Discount Even Though She's An Influencer
"Influencers" If Words Had Punchable Faces, That One Would Be The Most Punchable!
Plus, let's not forget the rise of fake influence. "Influencers face huge incentives to boost their numbers when it comes to followers, likes, and comments, and this has given rise to issues with bots, paid follows, and other shortcuts," Chan mentioned.
"In fact, studies have found cases where the influencers engaged by major brands have follower bases that are estimated to be up to 70% fake. This isn’t just a massive headache for brands: it’s also another huge reason behind the disillusionment with influencers in general."
Influencers Have Been Around At Least Since 1937, When Agatha Christie Wrote About Just Such A One In Death On The Nile.
Stupid people have been the same for so long it isn't even funny.
I Think You Need An Actual Influence Before You Can Have Free Stuff
My Friend Who Is About To Start A Business Got This Today From Influencer Who Wants Her To Send Clothing For Free To Post On Ig To Promote. She Will Be Selling The Sarees-It’s A Traditional Indian Outfit. Prices Are $250-$400 Per Saree For Context
Self-Proclaimed Reality "Star" And Influencer Is Now Taking Applications For Another All-Expense Paid Trip Abroad For Her And Her Girlfriends. Must Include Makeup Artist.
Well, that seems to be the case here. Many of the so-called influencers people exposed in this list simply want to get a moment in the spotlight. They believe that just by promising to mention others in their stories for their followers (with a big chance that most of them are fake), it somehow justifies the fact they want to get everything for free.
The sense of entitlement for some of them is through the roof, and business owners, service providers, and artists are beginning to see that. Thankfully, we have plenty of people online who continue to do everyone a public service and shame their desperate cries for attention.
A Beauty Influencer Posted Screenshots Of Her Demanding Pr For A $17 Eyeshadow Palette In An Attempt To Shame An Indie Brand, Instead She Just Came Across As Catty And Childish
Actual Quote From An Influencer Who Wanted Me To Address 250 Wedding Invites And Save The Date Cards. If It's "Just Writing" Surely You Can Do It Yourself 🤗
Can We Discount Her From Being A Credible Influencer?
Influencer In Banggood
''influencer'' Keeps Playing The Victim & Begging For Money, Refuses To Get A Job
If the TikToker would just pull their head away from the screen once in a while and go outside, they would see all the job vacancies. Hell, I can see them, and I live all the way across the world
Influencer Wants Free Food Because Her Staff Is On Leave.
"Influencer" Wanted Free Tickets To A Charity Event
“Influencer” With 2k Followers Wants Me To Send Her My Product For Free!
An 'Influencer' I Know
“Popular Influencer” Asks If Someone Is Willing To Build The 2nd Floor Of His For Free, In Exchange For Exposure
“Exposure Doesn’t Pay The Bills, My Guy”
I Thought This Would Stop After Covid-19 But Influencers Are Still Trying To Scab Free Things From Bars & Restaurants.
Insta 'Influencers' Asking For Free Custom Made Cakes (Article Below)
I’ve heard of this one...she’s really bada$$ about shutting down influencers. She’s a treasure.
Wannabe Influencers Abuse Generosity Of International Volunteer Program’s Free Food & Housing #blessed
If You Give Me Your Products For Free, I Will Write Good Reviews Because I'm A Social Media Influencer (This Person Wrote That Instead Of An Actual Review. They Thought The Review Section Is Where You Can Solicit Business)
Kenyan Influencer On Why She Deserves Free Things
I know her...Michelle Ntalami . She wanted a bunch of stuff ( clothes, shoes, hair and makeup, shoot, Jewelry ) for free for her birthday. In return she'd post the pictures on her Instagram and tag you. She's quite rich too. Awful person that one.
These Influencers Don’t Realize That Restaurants Are Struggling. Real Solid Response From @demitrisfeast #repost #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
Influencer With Massive Global Following Trying To Get A Free Private Jet Flight
This Happened To My Friend; A Dm From An "Instagram Influencer" Asking For Free Cookies To Review (White Box Is Translation)
“Influencer” Wants A Brand New Leather Jacket But 10% Off Isn’t Good Enough
"Influencers" Need Not Apply To This Art Hotel In Kyoto
Hahah John You Are Awesome !!! More Begging For Free Shit #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
It's not even about the money sometimes, it's about making themselves feel important
D Grade Reality Cook Tries To Offer Exposure To Award Winning Restaurant
Influencers During A Pandemic
Vultures, literally trying to pick at the slowly dying carcasses and have no empathy.
Bachelorette Contestant Wants Free Rent To Be "Live-In Influencer"
Instagram "Influencer" Mad At How "Cheap" A Prize Is
Model Tries To Get Free Drawing From Me For Exposure. Have I Become A Real Artist Now That Someone Wants Free Art From Me?
I commissioned a piece of work from a mega-talented artist. I paid her normal rate. I still promoted it and told everyone about it, because she's so talented. I recently commissioned her for a second portrait, which I am paying full rate for. Because she's a talented artist and it's her work. I will still promote her after the fact. That's how it works.
Last Message Sent Translation: It's Too Expensive, I'm An Influencer I Can Shout You Out. That Drawing Is Easy
“I’m An Influencer, Give Me Free Stuff”
Alongside the nonsense they've typed and how ridiculous the last post is, I'm also amused that they don't understand that 'media' is already the plural of 'medium'
Okay This One’s A Bit Different. A Small Business Reached Out And Offered Them Free Food And They Rebuted It And Wanted To Charge A Large Fee Because U Have That Many Followers Lol And The Best Part Is This Kid Has A “Manager” That Books Him Restaurant Rd Lmaooo #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
Influencer Asking For A Free Mega Yatch To Shoot Their Video
Social Media “Influencer” I Somewhat Know Sent Out A Bunch Of $5 Venmo Requests Saying “Plz Help” And Plays If Off As A Joke. I Think This Is So Trashy... Am I The Asshole Here? Would This Be Considered A Funny Joke To You?
Had A Message From @secreteatsmelbourne Offering This Unbeatable Opportunity? We Know Several Who Have. Tell Em They’re Dreaming’ #couscousforcomment
"Influencer" Upset Our Tiny Business Didn't Send A Freebie In A Timely Manner.
Yeah, you go and find out what the police have to say about this . . .
Influencer Wants To Collaborate For Her Wedding And Gets Called Out By The Designer.
One glorious day, people will still caring so much about weddings. We’re slowly getting there.
Choosing Influencer™ Wants A Free Meal
Influencer Wants Personal Song Written Plus One Hour Set At Wedding For Free
Kenyan Influencer Gives Back
The Influencers Have Shifted To Ebay Because Nobody Else Is Falling For Their Shit.
Fan Criticizes Influencer's Personal (Not Sponsored) Giveaway
Suggested Ad Influencing The Exposure Lifestyle
So, I Make Clothes And This Dude Really Wanted Them For Free So This Is What Happened (Mind You This Guy Was By No Means An Influencer And Had No More Than 100 Followers, Which Unfortunately Matters In This Case.
So This Is A Thing Now ? I’m Sorry, I Don’t Care. I Also Don’t Care To Pay. Even If You Have 100k Followers .this Was A Dm From An Account That Shares Design Posts Of Others ( That’s It, Easy Money ) And Just Recently I Was Encouraged To Submit A Photo To Another Feed, A Renowned Food Photography Awards Site. But Here’s The Monetary Catch For This One Too. This One Particularly Amusing. In My Book.you Have To Pay To Be Featured ( And Then There Is The Opportunity To Be Granted One Of Their So Called Prestigious Awards. Oh Please. What’s More.. You Would Think That A Site Like This Would Have A Reputable Photographer Or Creative Team Would Be Behind It. Yes ? I Mean They Should Understand What They Are Looking At Right ? But No. In Fact No One Knows Who They Are. I’ve Even Asked Nicely. Emails Fall On Deaf Ears. In Addition, Pathetic, As I’m A Stylist And Not A Photographer( Well, Not Yet ) ...😂mmm) What People Do To Get Noticed? And Guarantee 200- 300 New Followers. It Is Amazing They Didn’t Add ‘Authentic ‘ In There As Well. Instagram Has Removed Likes, This Is Good. So We Can Just Concentrate On Sharing, Not Validation.maybe They Can Remove These Accounts Too. Smells Like Predator To Me. Featuring The Beautiful Work Of Others Whilst Cashing In. Not #couscousforcomment But Just As Bad. What Do You Think ? #nohawkersplease
Fed Up Of "Influencers". "I'm Happy To Pay For Shipping And Do As Many Posts As You Want".....quickly Changes To "It's Takes Time And Effort To Make Posts". Yeah Well It Takes Time And Effort To Make Our Product Too
Choosing Beggar Is A “Micro Influencer” Who Will Pay You When She Gets Endorsed
Tiktok Influencer Can’t Afford Shampoo From A Startup
I could kind of see this if both are start ups. Not an entire bottle but a weeks worth sample.
Equivalent To Instagram Influencer Asking Free Food For Review. Devs Worked For Months Even Years For The Game.
Redneck Influencer Wants Free Concrete Work
Watch out if you're doing this. "Sovereign citizens" in my area have gotten homeowners in sticky situations by stealing construction goods, showing up and doing an hours worth of work then asking you for payment so they can buy something they need. They precede to leave with your money and you have a bunch of stolen items in your yard. It's almost always $250 or $500 they charge for things that are worth thousands. *Edit* I'm in NE US)
Another "Influencer" Who Fits Right In
I Sell Spaghetti Themed Merchandise On Pinterest And Some Cb Wanted Me To Pay For Social Influence.
This Insta “Influencer” Has A Series Of Sold Out Talks And Wants Free Photography And Videography Services.
Tiktok Compilation Channel Openly Trying To Get Free Work From Me Because Theyre "A Huge Social Media Influencer"
Game Dev Sends A Review Code To A Cb Influencer.
Asks Influencer For Free Dog On Facebook. Then Tells Me To Mind My Business After Her Public Plea.
It is my understanding there is a shortage of trained service dogs at this time. If you need one and don't have one life can be much harder. There is a process to get a service dog though and you don't get to skip your place in the queue.
A Lovely Response To A Request By @brisbaneweekender For #couscousforcomment Whoever @brisbaneweekender Might Be. Begging Bowl Of Entitlement. Rise Up, Restaurateurs Of Australia, And Shut This Shit Down.
#instascammers @pink.lem #couscousforcomment #redacted 😂
Tiktok Influencer Who Live In An NYC Luxury Apartment Wants Free Labor
Brand New Ebay Account Claiming To Be "Youtube Influencer" And Trying To Get A Free/Discounted Drone From Me
Influencer Asking For Windows And Doors In Return For Exposure
Social Media Influencer Will Give Us Credit At Least.
This Girl Wants A Free Bday Party In Exchange For Some Social Media Exposure Lol. She Can’t Afford To Pay For Her Own Party #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
@johnlethlean @afropunkoz Need Some Advice Here Guys. Sounds Like A Great Opportunity #couscousforcomment
Entitled Influencer
Wow Huge Influencer With A Huge 195 Views On Youtube
So someone who may not be able to afford the game immediately or wanting to make deals with the game company for it, are ratkids? This low class cb gamer doesn't have a very good opinion of the people surrounding them. They're a sad individual.
Trying To Pay For A 40k Medical Procedure Using Influence With People In The Comments Thinking This Is Justified And Reasonable.
I Just Can’t Resist Sharing #couscousforcomment
Hey @jaymibunn You Barely Have Followers And Want To Get Free Shit. Go Buy The Product And Review It On Your Own. Out Here Begging Companies For Shit. #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
Absolute Gold @fourlegs_ldn Read It All. #couscousforcomment
"if you have a website" - wait, they didn't even put the work in to find out if there was a website??
Yeah, I Know What I Think @itsjohnnymagz #couscousforcomment
Co-Intern Had To Answer A Text. What Next? Doctor Is Gonna Operate For Exposure?
If you find someone because you desperately need their service, I don't think they need 'exposure'
Angry Influencer Responds To White Banana
“Influencer” Who Has Starred On/Made $$$ From At Least 3 High Profile Reality Shows Asking For Major House Renovations In Return For Likes...
Lol Not Only Is This Person Asking For Free Food, They Want The Chefs To Make Something Not Even On The Menu!!! Go Make Your Own Quail And Rabbit Lol #couscousforcomment #commentoftheyear #couscousforcomments
Hahaha This Is The Best Response Ever. She Only Has 5k Followers And Ways To Way For Free 😂😂 #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments #shame
#repost Now People Are Asking For Free Vacation Rentals 😅 #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
Ok This One Isn’t Bad. They Were Both Pretty Nice But Still These Influencers Are Expecting All This Free Shit #couscousforcomment #couscousforcommentfrontfoot #couscousforcomments
Here We Go….. I’m A “Bully”
Oh, this provides the context for currently #86 on this list! That one was confusing.
Here’s An Example Of Tiny Accounts Trying To Get Free Food. #couscousforcomment #couscousforcomments
The easiest way to stop these influencers is to out them. Stop blocking their profile names. Post them in on their glory.
We all know how the minds of influenzas work since the posts of Russian influenzas crying on Instagram because it will be blocked in Russia. They are more concerned about their loss of income than about the fact that their comrads are killing civilians in Putin's dïck measuring contest which he calls a "military mission". The rest of the world calls it a war.
Influencer is a dream "job" come true for narcissists. I'm sad to see so many exist. They can never be cured they only get worse and a lot of good people get sucked in by them.
And the real irony is that people who are actually successful “influencers” (oh god, I hate the mere word but since they exist now no matter what I think about it) work like HELL and don’t expect free shìt for nothing.
Load More Replies...When I had a shop on Etsy, selling vintage clothing, I had a bunch of people try this crap on me. Thankfully there's so many of us on eBay that this doesn't happen there.
Back in 1980, I fell off my bike, rolled on the road, and skinned my knee. I'm telling you now because there was no social media in 1980.
I mean, maybe it's because I'm not young and dumb. But who on planet Earth is "influenced" by rando's on tik tok?
There must be someone teaching this stuff. The same buzz words over and over. Collab? Too painfully cool. At least two murder/missing persons tv dramas on US television have been about choosing beggars in the last few weeks. Shows how much people find them expendable.
God damn, the delusions of grandeur is so jarringly obnoxious, it's like getting hit downwind from an overflowing septic tank under the summer sun.
I think Influencers are just thieves... I wonder how many businesses actually fall for that
They are awful! I wish I had instagram and loads of followers so I could do stuff for free! Then if more people did that, their “influencer” status would be watered down and diminished. However, my cat has an instagram account, I could ask him I guess…. 😻
Getting out of hand? It's been out of hand for years. People think they're entitled to free stuff because they have followers.
Is it me or do they sound like entitled 12 y.o. brats? None of them sound like they have any self awereness or maturity. Who wpuld even want to be associated with that? It's lime they've taken the concept of philanthropy and totally reversed it to make everything all about just themselves. And what is it with the tantrums and insults when people decline? I'm so done with this lot...
Philanthropy is giving to a good cause. These people are not good just because. Lol. They don't understand wants as opposed to needs. Some are barely scraping by and they want a free $100 meal. Disgusting.
Load More Replies...One of the most irritating things about this nonsense is that everyone is complicit in the build up of delusions that these sewage scum have. Stop using the word influencer, it's something made up by insta and Facebook just to encourage this exact behaviour from time wasting irritating annoying entitled shitheads who don't know better. Using that word gives them delusions of grandeur. Call the what they are, sewage scum.
I do get it. There are people who want to become the Kardashians and there are people who just enjoy sharing their content on YouTube. My favorite "influencers" are the ones who are actually engaging and expect nothing for free. They include in their budgets the purchase price of the products they endorse and run their business like a business. They are the ones who are approached by companies who ask them to promote their products because they know the value of free advertising from reputable influencers. These wannabes don't understand that becoming a successful influencer is actually hard work and not a free ride. p.s. While I do not like the Kardashians, the truth is they do work very hard at promoting their brand. Their brand just is, to me, complete narcissism.
Thing is, big, BIG time influencers and celebrities do get a lot of stuff for free but they don't ask for it. Companies contact them if they think they're a good fit for their brand. People with fewer than at least half a million followers aren't influencers, they're delusional.
As someone in the process of preparing to launch a business I have attended (professionally run) marketing work shops, and collaborating with people with a social media presence did come up. Say someone was selling a line of well made, budget hammers, then getting mentioned by someone with successful channel of DIY tutorials and Q&As could be really helpful, for example. What we were taught was about building a relationship with different channels, commenting etc, finding out if they were a good fit for your brand values and target market, and getting to know the person behind for a while before ever breaching the idea of a collaboration. I mean, apart from going good business it's just manners, isn't it?
If anyone is wondering how these narcissistic monsters came to be, you can blame parents, schools, and other organization that give out prizes to everyone for every small event or kiddie contest. The kid gets a prize just for attending! This teaches the poor twerp that they don't actually have to accomplish anything to get something, that they deserve special awards just for sitting and breathing, that they ard ever so special for coming in last in the three legged race, etc. And now, older but no wiser, they troll the world, looking for attention and admiration, for just existing, bc they were made to feel like such super special people that they actually believe it now and want to see it mirrored. And when it's not, they fly into a childish temper tantrumy rage.
There oughta be a standard response for businesses to give to influencers, if the exposure doesn't result in their followers buying more stuff, influencer gets a security deposit forfeited. 'Real influencers will definitely be able to get their followers to buy'
Well, there were a group of ones from Australia, same with the couscous for comment thing.
The easiest way to stop these influencers is to out them. Stop blocking their profile names. Post them in on their glory.
We all know how the minds of influenzas work since the posts of Russian influenzas crying on Instagram because it will be blocked in Russia. They are more concerned about their loss of income than about the fact that their comrads are killing civilians in Putin's dïck measuring contest which he calls a "military mission". The rest of the world calls it a war.
Influencer is a dream "job" come true for narcissists. I'm sad to see so many exist. They can never be cured they only get worse and a lot of good people get sucked in by them.
And the real irony is that people who are actually successful “influencers” (oh god, I hate the mere word but since they exist now no matter what I think about it) work like HELL and don’t expect free shìt for nothing.
Load More Replies...When I had a shop on Etsy, selling vintage clothing, I had a bunch of people try this crap on me. Thankfully there's so many of us on eBay that this doesn't happen there.
Back in 1980, I fell off my bike, rolled on the road, and skinned my knee. I'm telling you now because there was no social media in 1980.
I mean, maybe it's because I'm not young and dumb. But who on planet Earth is "influenced" by rando's on tik tok?
There must be someone teaching this stuff. The same buzz words over and over. Collab? Too painfully cool. At least two murder/missing persons tv dramas on US television have been about choosing beggars in the last few weeks. Shows how much people find them expendable.
God damn, the delusions of grandeur is so jarringly obnoxious, it's like getting hit downwind from an overflowing septic tank under the summer sun.
I think Influencers are just thieves... I wonder how many businesses actually fall for that
They are awful! I wish I had instagram and loads of followers so I could do stuff for free! Then if more people did that, their “influencer” status would be watered down and diminished. However, my cat has an instagram account, I could ask him I guess…. 😻
Getting out of hand? It's been out of hand for years. People think they're entitled to free stuff because they have followers.
Is it me or do they sound like entitled 12 y.o. brats? None of them sound like they have any self awereness or maturity. Who wpuld even want to be associated with that? It's lime they've taken the concept of philanthropy and totally reversed it to make everything all about just themselves. And what is it with the tantrums and insults when people decline? I'm so done with this lot...
Philanthropy is giving to a good cause. These people are not good just because. Lol. They don't understand wants as opposed to needs. Some are barely scraping by and they want a free $100 meal. Disgusting.
Load More Replies...One of the most irritating things about this nonsense is that everyone is complicit in the build up of delusions that these sewage scum have. Stop using the word influencer, it's something made up by insta and Facebook just to encourage this exact behaviour from time wasting irritating annoying entitled shitheads who don't know better. Using that word gives them delusions of grandeur. Call the what they are, sewage scum.
I do get it. There are people who want to become the Kardashians and there are people who just enjoy sharing their content on YouTube. My favorite "influencers" are the ones who are actually engaging and expect nothing for free. They include in their budgets the purchase price of the products they endorse and run their business like a business. They are the ones who are approached by companies who ask them to promote their products because they know the value of free advertising from reputable influencers. These wannabes don't understand that becoming a successful influencer is actually hard work and not a free ride. p.s. While I do not like the Kardashians, the truth is they do work very hard at promoting their brand. Their brand just is, to me, complete narcissism.
Thing is, big, BIG time influencers and celebrities do get a lot of stuff for free but they don't ask for it. Companies contact them if they think they're a good fit for their brand. People with fewer than at least half a million followers aren't influencers, they're delusional.
As someone in the process of preparing to launch a business I have attended (professionally run) marketing work shops, and collaborating with people with a social media presence did come up. Say someone was selling a line of well made, budget hammers, then getting mentioned by someone with successful channel of DIY tutorials and Q&As could be really helpful, for example. What we were taught was about building a relationship with different channels, commenting etc, finding out if they were a good fit for your brand values and target market, and getting to know the person behind for a while before ever breaching the idea of a collaboration. I mean, apart from going good business it's just manners, isn't it?
If anyone is wondering how these narcissistic monsters came to be, you can blame parents, schools, and other organization that give out prizes to everyone for every small event or kiddie contest. The kid gets a prize just for attending! This teaches the poor twerp that they don't actually have to accomplish anything to get something, that they deserve special awards just for sitting and breathing, that they ard ever so special for coming in last in the three legged race, etc. And now, older but no wiser, they troll the world, looking for attention and admiration, for just existing, bc they were made to feel like such super special people that they actually believe it now and want to see it mirrored. And when it's not, they fly into a childish temper tantrumy rage.
There oughta be a standard response for businesses to give to influencers, if the exposure doesn't result in their followers buying more stuff, influencer gets a security deposit forfeited. 'Real influencers will definitely be able to get their followers to buy'
Well, there were a group of ones from Australia, same with the couscous for comment thing.