Influencer marketing has become extremely popular on the internet since it was first introduced not too long ago. After that, influencers are now subject to rules and regulations.
Influencers are currently having a rough time as some are under investigation for their involvement in fraud and others are under investigation for numerous offences. Not only that. Many of the videos we see on TikTok urge viewers to exercise caution while making purchases of certain influencer-recommended goods. It appears that we are living in the de-influencer era.
The TikTok community, especially Generation Z, has been criticising influencers since the beginning of the year, giving rise to the hashtag “de-influencing.” What does that mean? Let’s have look at it below:
What Does De-influencing Mean Exactly?
De-influencing is exactly what it sounds like: Content producers urge viewers away from making a purchase or using a product.
This trend has many facets, according to brand partnership coach and content producer Kahlea Nicole Wade. Some people expose the lack of credibility of creators by warning others not to buy something just because it’s trendy.
This is significant because, traditionally, influencers have persuaded a lot of people to spend their hard-earned money on things like beauty, hair products, home décor, and more. Yet, it differs from generation to generation: according to Marketing Dive, 44% of Gen Z makes purchases based on recommendations from influencers, whereas only 26% of the general public has purchased something an influencer has recommended.
Wade claims that in turn, the de-influencer movement is assisting people, particularly Gen Zers, in reclaiming their power.
It makes people wonder who they can really rely on, Wade says TODAY.com. In order to increase their internet credibility, I believe that many artists are saying things like, “Oh sure the products that everyone thinks are so fantastic but they’re actually not, you should acquire this instead.”
Social media users are responding to the trend in both favourable and unfavourable ways. If you have affiliate links on… cough. TikTok. cough, it’s not “de-influencing,” a Twitter user commented.
Even products are speaking up. Urban Decay wrote, “so #deinfluencing… y’all still like me tho huh.”
What Sort of Things Do People De-influence?
In other words, anything and everything. Some TikTok users even use this as a chance to say what they really think about products they bought because an influencer told them to.
@basicofcourse says on TikTok that she doesn’t think you need anything you hadn’t heard of 30 seconds ago. She says, “A T-shirt won’t change your life.”
Then there’s @valeriafride, who says that she doesn’t mind returning things she doesn’t like if she sees them going viral.
“I’ve tried so many different things. So, here are the things that I think are worth the hype and don’t deserve the hype at all, “in a TikTok video, she says.
Influencers Are Now Telling People to Be Accountable for What They Buy
In response to these kinds of criticisms, some influential people are telling everyone to be responsible for what they do and buy. One of them is Coline, who lives in France and has almost 400,000 people following her on Instagram.
“When did we [influencers] start telling people on social networks to “do this” and “don’t do that”?” In one of her recent videos, she argues that her followers are the only ones responsible for what they buy and that influencers are just “strangers” who recommend products, so people must make their own decisions and think about their own needs and tastes when buying something.
In fact, this is all about the question of free will. Many of these “de-influencers” are telling other users what to do because they criticise influencers for telling their followers to consume too much. This is also a way to get what you want. Some people who don’t like this new TikTok trend point out that not all messages are necessarily meant to make people use less.
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