Truth about life as an ‘influencer’
After an Instagram model is mocked for staging a photo, Cara Mcgoogan reports on the industry where it pays to be ‘liked’
The Instagram image was obviously staged. It showed Scarlett Dixon, or Scarlett London as she is better known, sitting on a freshly made bed in pink pyjamas with a flashy white smile and a mug in hand. Behind her floated heart-shaped helium balloons.
“The best days start with a smile and positive thoughts,” she trilled in the caption. “And pancakes. And strawberries. And bottomless tea.”
Except, the plate of pancakes were folded tortilla wraps and the mug was empty. Scroll down, and the real motivation for the post became apparent: “This is a paid partnership with Listerine.” In the corner of the room, sitting on the 24-year-old’s dresser, was a bottle of mouthwash.
Critics were quick – and savage. “Instagram is a ridiculous lie factory made to make us all feel inadequate,” read one tweet, which was liked more than 100,000 times; while June Tilbury, women’s officer for the Runnymede and Weybridge Labour Party, opined: “Basically she has bad breath. That’s why she’s alone.” According to Dixon’s next post, she received reams of direct abuse, including “malicious death threats”.
Hayley Irwin, who works in Instagram marketing, has seen far clunkier sponsored posts: “I don’t understand why it’s generated the attention it has – there are a lot of influencers and celebrities who are far more socially irresponsible,” she says, citing Kim Kardashian’s recent post advertising a diet lollipop to her 116million followers.
But the incident has shone a light on the murky world of what is now a near-£1billion market. Launched in 2010 as a peer-to-peer photo-sharing network, Instagram now has 800million monthly active users, over a third of whom have used their mobile to purchase a product online – making it catnip for corporations looking to access the constantly scrolling eyeballs of a huge audience.
For the uninitiated, here’s how it works: when users reach 10,000 followers, they are deemed to become “influencers”, and sought out by brands who give them free products, and perhaps also pay them, to share pictures or videos promoting them. The nascent industry began around three years ago, when brands started to team up with beauty and fashion bloggers, but now, major companies such as John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and LK Bennett dedicate a significant proportion of their advertising spend to the network.
“If a small brand spent, say, £1,000 on [influencer] marketing 18 months ago and saw success, I would expect them to now be spending a minimum of £30,000,” says Anna Hart, founder of influencer marketing firm One Roof Social.
Many influencers, such as Kim K, are already celebrities, but others, like Dixon, started as hobbyists, sharing their lives with friends and family – and simply capitalised as their followings grew. Dixon, who has 46,000 followers, wouldn’t disclose how much Listerine paid her for the post, but an industry expert estimates it would have been between £800 to £1,000 – a figure that can climb to £100,000 for those with more than a million followers.
“People who are famous just for being on Instagram are certainly able to make very successful careers out of it,” says Eleana Overett of Social Circle, which recently launched the UK’S first influencer marketing training academy. More primary schoolchildren now want to be social influencers than they do doctors, scientists or artists, according to a survey backed by University College London and the OECD.
Perhaps no wonder, when you look at the returns. Sara Tasker, known as “Me & Orla” to her 205,000 followers, joined Instagram five years ago while working as an NHS speech therapist, before the term influencer even existed. Back then, she would ask companies for samples of products to feature in her feed. Now, she is paid at least £1,000 per sponsored post.
“Last year I made £250,000,” she says, in part thanks to a training course she runs for fellow would-be influencers and the forthcoming book
Hashtag Authentic. “It’s so lucrative.” And the Advertising Standards Agency is struggling to keep up. Its rules state that any post where money has changed hands must be clearly marked through the use of a hashtag reading #Ad or Paid Partnership. However, it is yet to fine anyone – and there is nothing to stop an influencer showing off something they have been gifted or received for free.
For her part, Dixon isn’t going to let the criticism stop her – pointing out people can choose to unfollow, as well as follow her. “Instagram is a highlight reel of filtered lives,” she says. “I will continue to inspire fun and positivity in those who willingly consume my posts.”