(Dis)honesty and the creator economy. (This is why no one trusts influencers)
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- What the heck has been going on with influencers? This video hopes to explore why content creators are so often accused of dishonesty--for lying and selling out.
📚 || CHAPTERS ||
0:00 - Dishonesty in the Creator Economy
2:15 - The Importance of Honesty
6:24 - What Drives Dishonesty
3:51 - The Effect of "Negative Reviews"
8:15 - Where Brands Come Into Play
21:20 - Advice for Influencers
📣 || MENTIONS ||
@mkbhd 's videos:
Fisker Review (on @AutoFocus ): • This is the Worst Car ...
Humane AI Pin • The Worst Product I've...
Do Bad Reviews Kill Companies? • Do Bad Reviews Kill Co...
@ColinandSamir : • We asked MKBHD about h...
Vanilla Swirl's TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@vanilla_swirl...
Jackie Aina's Response: www.tiktok.com/@jackieaina/vi...
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*Explaining, not excusing*
A friend told me, I should make a tshirt with that on it. And it is definitely the theme of this video.😅This video took longer than I anticipated to make because I wanted to shove as MUCH nuance into it as possible--but still there's so much to say on the topic. This video is meant to prompt well-rounded discussion on the topic by really thinking about what drives dishonesty and/or the perception of it in the creator space--and hopefully the comments don't get too nasty.
Of course there's all sorts of sides to this too--for example no one is forcing anyone to be an influencer or create content on the internet--so just don't take brand deals (what most people blame for the overhyping of products). But if you're watching this, the reality is you are a consumer of content, and content creation does take time and effort and deserves compensation. And for most of us, adsense doesn't come anywhere near paying our bills, and the other platforms don't pay. AGAIN, does not make it okay for anyone to lie--just exploring the nuances.
The first 60 seconds of this video was executed really well (images, examples, introduction the subject etc) kept engagement for the rest of the video!
I will forever respect an influencer who is honest. Honesty isn't about trashing a company for overhyping them, but a perspective that gives two sides of the coin with pros and cons. But I believe some influencers don't want to ruffle feathers, so they keep it safe to not get blackballed.
yesss to this-- it's about balance. I think people mistakenly think that someone trashing a company is more honest that someone who overhypes, not realizing that a LOT of people have ulterior motives for extreme negativity too. 👀
YOU TOLD NO LIES 😵 I haven’t done any brand deals because I REFUSE to sell a lie to my trusted audience. And the ones I would want to work with don’t want to pay for my time and I’m like NO THANKS! this video is so on point!!!
pheww the not being paid for it is a whole other topic for sure. It takes time to find those brands that are truly aligned on both fronts.
This is a fantastic breakdown of the issues that plague the influencer space. I find it really interesting that there are influencers who are being criticized for being truthful with their reviews. It makes sense that the company wouldn’t like an honest review but the audience not liking honest reviews is a surprise to me!
Yeah it's really odd--also just makes me think people just love drama. If someone's being positive, they will rake them over the coals for it--if they're being negative then they are wrong to the core. 😂 Someone else did make a good point tooo... a few people have been outted for taking money to make BAD reviews of brand's competitors.. super sketchy stuff out there.
personally .. i simply don’t talk about things I don’t like .. i am not a reviewer .. i am an educator .. i explain why and how to use products .. the benefits of ingredients etc ..
and as a person in the beauty industry for over 30 years I can HONESTLY tell you how much products have evolved.. I have done countless faces of women ..
different ages .. races & skin types over the years .. I have been doing women’s makeup since a child and the products made these days are mind blowing .. and as a licensed Aesthetician the way skincare has evolved is amazing ..
companies are putting a lot of time and research into sourcing beautiful ingredients .. worldwide!
there are ingredients we have never even heard of as americans .. and these companies invest in finding the best of the best
a lot of the products i recommend i use and see the benefits and would / DO purchase them myself .. and if i would not buy it i can find SOMETHING i like about it ..
just because a product is not my style doesn’t mean it would not work amazingly for someone else
Thank you for sharing this!! This is exactly what I mean--and it's cool to hear how excited you are about the skincare space! It would be unfortunate to see someone see that excitement as 'overhyping' or dismiss it as only focusing on the positive. I love what you say too about being an educator not a reviewer, because it's it's a good point--while a lot of us started out reviewing, that doesn't mean that's what every creator does or has to do.
The situation with Marques is like a “damn if you do, damn if you don’t” moment, cuz if he wasn’t honest, they would accuse him of giving a good review for the bag
They ABSOLUTELY would be 😂
I’m obsessed with this video 😅💚👏🏽🥰. Haha but really, you hit so many good points. I love seeing pros and cons for reviews but sometimes feel scared to share cons on my platform. If I don’t like a product, I usually just don’t share it because I feel bad about how it may impact that company’s business. But you’re right, their consumers will find out one way or another if the product isn’t good and it provides valuable feedback to brands on who their customer may be.
This is so real--thank you for sharing!! I think this is a much bigger reality driving creators to be 'positive' than we think--where as the greater public just assumes it's all lies. 😅
When I review food on IG, I don’t post the bad ones. I feel bad because they are usually a small business. Bigger food companies are not exempt from getting bashed tho lol
haha I hear you on thisss. Also thank you for sharing--I think it help builds out the case for why we so much positive content out there. I truly don't think it's that creators are as dishonest as the public thinks we are.
Thank you for adding to this conversation. As you said, there are more ways to showcase a product other than providing a review or pro/con of it. For my own content style I like to look at it as showcasing things im into or curious about. Influencing as it is today is changing but I think for the better because consumers are wise-ing up to marketing tactics.
I think you're right--I think as more people are familiar with and see through the overhyped ads, they are more prone to just keep scrolling--meaning people will really have to reassess how marketing is done. 👀
I've learned that if I'm offered a brand deal or sponsorship, I will go and search for reviews and videos on that particular product before I agree to go into a contract with them. Also, if the reviews are already pretty bad or it's something I'm unlikely to use or my viewers probably won't use, then I won't move forward with the deal. I want to make sure that it's a product that is right for audience and has a ton of positive reviews already.
Thissss--I have a video script in the drafts of a UGC deal I turned down. They wouldn't tell me which of their product line I'd promote before me signing, and I definitely wasn't aligned with all their products, and when I dug deeper into the brand, the more sketched out I was so I just said no despite it being for I think $2400 ish.
Yes, good view. Honesty rules. In times of AI even more.
Much love 💕
Matthias 👋
Phew definitely agree!
@@CreatingwithKaya Thanks for your feedback. Much love from Europe 💕👋
We love a truthful and honest influencer, this is why, as nice as it would be to deal with so many brands I stick to talking over and over again about the many products being launched under certain brands. I’m a huge Summer Fridays girl, but there have been 2 products I didn’t like, but because I’ve used them for so long, people trust my comments about products that they launch a long the way.
I also think it’s so interesting that people have issues with negative reviews when most of the time people are negative in comment sections regardless. Anytime someone shares their POV it’s like you said “you didn’t do it right” or “well I love it” and it’s like all of that is fine but this is from my perspective, my POV.
People swear influencers aren’t honest but when people are, then it’s like “oh my gosh too honest”. As far as the extreme titles that can lead to clickbait, as long as it’s not clickbait I feel like we need extremes. I feel like this applies for the blogger space as well. Clickbait titles used incorrectly are harmful, but if I’m telling you why this car sucks, I won’t feel bad for using “why XYZ car sucks” or any emotionally driven title.
Kaya another awesome video and a good discussion of a subject that needed to be discussed. Unfortunately we live in a world where people are dishonest (especially when it comes to promotion of products & services). I wouldn't view and subscribe to any CZcamsr that is dishonest because I can't trust them. Love 🥰 the video and love 💕Kaya.
Thank you so much for the kind words, and for watching! I do think you have a point there too--hopefully a lot of the people who are genuinely being dishonest will fizzle out as people can sense it and choose to move their attention elsewhere.
You’re so on point. I also feel that overall the online space has become quite negative. What I mean to say is the exaggerated and hooky videos are getting views and engagement, but sometimes more negative than positive, and people tend to watch things to just hate on too, unfortunately. So authentic creators have just become boring and eventually, to catch eyeballs, they too end up doing hooky things- because we’re all fighting for people’s attention here.
yess totally--it's so unfortunate because the algorithms really do encourage everyone to do just some variation of the same. And when something stands out and goes viral for it's uniqueness, everyone just jumps on that next for the views...
Thank you so much for making this video, as someone who is literally just starting out in the beauty space it was really interesting for me! I have seen many people talking about influencer dishonesty as well, not just for product reviews but about everything they post such as lifestyle etc and personally I don't really understand it. Influencers these days are required to inform their audience when they are posting about a product as part of a brand deal so a level of hyping it is to be expected. Even products that I don't personally like doesn't mean they will not be life-changing for someone else and it is really easy (at least for me) to spot when an influencer is dishonest about liking a product.
Unfortunately I have seen people criticising influencers for things that do not make sense.- for example someone posting a get ready with me video that they did not film in real time while actually getting ready in the morning and saying the influencers are lying about that which I find a bit extreme. Creating content takes a long time and most influencers are batch filming their content - in most cases it is not possible to do it in real time. I think there is a level of people loving to hate influencers and as you very well pointed out when they are honest, people again are not happy with the content either.
Ooh someone had just mentioned to me seeing a youtube video doing what you said--picking apart what they perceive to be lying--someone sharing their routine or whatever on camera. And I agree, that is NOT lying. That is finding a way to bring people into your day---OF COURSE it's going to be curated--but it's a form of storytelling.
Now of course, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people flexing and trying to portray their life like something it isn't--but I think like you said, there's definitely people who just love to hate on influencers out of principle...
OMG! You are about to hit 10k🎉🎉
I have unpolluted all of those who are always recommending a "life changing" products. I feel like those people lack of personality. There are ways to address something negative without needing to be rude. When I see only good reviews, I spend more time researching (usually on reddit) looking for real opinions. And that will make me stay away from that particular brand becasue I find it misleading. I miss the beauty influencer from 2016!
Many people nowadays share opinions and reviews based on what others say as well, nothing is authentic and many don't even have enough knowledge to actually dive deeper and give a structured personal perspective/review.
Love your sweater, by the way!
I'M SO CLOSE--SO SURREAL!!
And yess I think that's the thing too--research is such a real thing that needs to be done. BOTH in sharing products AND in making our own purchasing decisions.
And thank you! Don't even remember where it's from I've had it for ages 😅
Here from Threads. Can’t wait to delve into this content.
Ahh welcome--and thank you!! Hope you enjoy!
Really great points. I have certain creators who I trust when it comes to reviews because they leave both good and bad reviews. A perfect example is Keith Lee.
He's always honest but also acknowledges that it's HIS experience. It can get really tricky when it comes to leaving reviews because like you said, people love to claim that you are harming the business or act as if you the creator are wrong for being honest.
I guess they want the fake reviews lol
Ooh yes! And I think Keith Lee is an example too of showing that people do really love to see that honesty (I haven't seen much of his stuff, so can't speak from watching though).
Yess the emphasis on whatever we share being our OWN unique experiences is so real, because no matter how much you say it, people will still come for you. 😅
Reminds me of the beauty guru drama when Nikki Tutorials was exposed for being payed to do bad reviews.
What if he got paid to do so? It’s not a theory. The owner of MakeUp Geek made a whole video about how influencers do that.. YEARS ago.
This whole creator game is getting messy and I truly dislike how the 4th wall was broken. It’s gonna be very hard to repair public trust when it comes to the creator community.
ooh, yes! I definitely meant to add in the 'paid bad reviews' into this discussion but it looks like another follow up is needed!
I mean a lot of people have definitely accused MKBHD of being paid to 'sabotage' Fisker, and the reality is we would never ever know unless someone outed it--but I think all we can is look at a creators' track record and circumstances and kinda have our own discernment about it all.
There are A LOT of people out there, where I wouldn't be surprised if they were outted for doing paid bad reviews. But for MKBHD, I mean with someone who's been in the game 16 years, has staff, and the trust and respect of some of the biggest brands in the world it would be MASSIVE self-sabotage to even risk such a thing. One leak and a decade and a half of credibility gone. And it's not like his review was bad and every else's on the internet was good--the majority of other reviews shared the same takes... but again, we would never know until...we know 😂
This is good!!! I hope creators and consumers will be more honest about the products we buy after this.
here's hoping!! 🤞🏽🙏🏽
Unfortunately, Assimilation over True Self is so prevalent these days 🤦🏽♀️🧘🏽♀️
Honesty is key in life!
Absolutely!!
Oh man. I love this. ❤you are putting words to feelings I’m having all the time lately. It’s the existential crisis if being a creator.
Yesss this. I'm so glad I'm not alone in it.
I love MLKhd (Marcus Brownie) ❤ His videos are amazing 🥰
This was a thoughtful video that was helpful (and encouraging) for me as a beginning creator. It makes me think my ever-so-slowly growing channel is fine without the noise for now. Not sure if I would ever do reviews on my channel (not sure it fits) but your advice is useful. Thanks!
I'm so glad this was encouraging! My goal is really to just lay it all out there, but not to dissuade people from creating content! Something I say often is slow and steady really does work as a creator. I've grown really slowly but surely, and because of it have maintained a pretty cool community. Anytime negativity has come to my page, it's when things have blown up by my standards and reached people a bit outside my community. 😅
10k subs on the way!!!!! Another amazing video!!!!!!
So close! 🤞🏽 and thank you!!!
I think it’s just because companies are mostly asking for advertisement of their product, their goal is mostly to get reach and awareness, it’s not really about reviews and sharing whether they like or dislike the product. Were companies asking for honest review videos and content back then? If so this whole thing has shifted significantly. Thank you for this video!
I think what we saw back then was that people were *first* making reviews, educational content, etc. and *then* brands saw the reach and even the sales from it and wanted in. But they were really focused on getting products into creator's hands--but weren't necessarily trying to change the way the creator made their content and often would be happy with a review (also at the start of influencer marketing, there was less money coming in directly from brands than there is now).
That being said if they had a more formal brand deal, I think if a creator wanted to show it in a positive light you might see them use the product for an overarching tutorial on how to do a makeup look or something vs an honest pros and cons review...
But now it seems creators start out by making content with the goal of creating *to get brand deals*, skipping the review making-etc, and therefore I think brands have ended up with a lot more control...
But my dream is for someone like Jackie Aina to see this video and read this comment and give an answer haha someone who's BEEN IN IT and experienced the evolution and SUCCESS first hand in a way few can compare. 😂
Thanks for sharing, this is a great reminder of what to prioritize as I try to build my own channel. It really is easy to get sucked into creating content with future brand opportunities in mind, but that’s definitely not why I started (and I’m sure the same is true for most other creators too!) Really enjoy your channel - and the caliber of other creators/influencers commenting on this video are definitely a testament to the quality of your content!
This means so so much thank you! And I'm really glad this resonated--it really is a balancing act because brands aren't the bad guy, and if you want to make a business out of this, it's important to know how to get on their radars, but too many people sacrifice good content to make that happen. 🫣
Another great video that was well thought out. I love your perspective and input on these topics. PLEASE DO A COURSE ONE! 😂😂
heheh I just might because I think there is SO MUCH to cover and SO MUCH NUANCE to unpack.
In the meantime, my friend @itsdanielleryan has TONS of great content on the 'coaches coaching coaches' epidemic. 😅
(And thank you so much for your kind words!)
Awesome! BRB going to see what she has to say! 😂😂 I definitely think this is not talked about enough!
haha yess she's really great--there definitely needs to be more discourse around it!
This video was beautifully done. I really love your honest take, on a ever growing problem. ❤🥰😇
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Yet another banger video! The more I read and listen, the more relaxed I feel about growing my following slowly, being okay to be me (and my "balanced reviews") and remembering that I started CZcams to build a library of free education for others, and only if they resonate with me, they can explore what I help others with, off social media then. Is it weird, though, that I would feel "off" taking a brand deal now, though? 😳
Kind of
Thank you!! And I'm glad to hear these videos are comforting--I'm genuinely not trying to shine a negative light on this space, just acknowledge the different aspects of it.
I don't think it's weird--I think we all need to be more selective of what we accept. Really thinking if it's something our audience needs/if it aligns, etc. But I do still think brand deals are a valid income source.
This is a very insightful video. I can tell you deeply think about the creators space.
I'm so glad, thank you!! And I do--it's a blessing and a curse. 😅
It is SO true that people don't want to see negative reviews! The RV life community LOVES their icemakers 😅 I had one and hated it, made a video with the thought in mind that I was helping my audience by saying hey look...save your money because they're all junk. The video didn't do well 🤣🤦♀️ . I feel like you can communicate your opinion well and people will still take it personal just like you said...
Ah man 🤣😭 I’m sorry but this comment took me out, why are people fighting you over an ice maker?! People on the internet are really bizarre, like many don’t understand that everyone doesn’t have the same opinion?!
Yes! 😅 And so many don't understand that, that's okay...it makes the world more interesting 😊
We have recently discovered this channel and love hearing your perspective on the creator economy. New subscriber here. 🥰
@Cypress_Room
Fancy seeing you here 😂 love your podcast ladies!
Ah thank you so much!! Just saw your podcast is about influencing with integrity--I think we're quite aligned! Excited to check out your content. 😂🙏🏽
Thanks for sharing this video. It is packed with so many things to think about. One thing that hit home is that I’m reconsidering how I approach product reviews.
My absolute pleasure--and I'm so glad to hear it! Like I said, it's really made me reflect on my own content too.
Brilliant review.
Thank you!
I love the way your hair is styled❤
Ah thank you!! It's my lazy go-to to look put together! 😂
Clicked so fast lol... it's the cinematic music interlude for me + the commentary.
Ahh appreciate you!! I love playing with music in my content! 💜
@@CreatingwithKaya The playing paid off because it matched the tone of the conversation at each phase 👌🏽
@@ByMeMonique 🥹 you have no idea how much that means!!
@@CreatingwithKaya ☺
Showing luv ❤
reviews are there for people to make an informed decision so that people can decide if a product is for them. i also agree that reviews need to be honest but they're also subjective. i also think people need to make decisions for themselves
This is so real!! On my blog where I have more space I always tried to say "this is my hair/skin type and why the product probably does or doesn't work for me", because it all is so so so subjective.
The accountability part is real too. It's like how people put ALL the blame on creators for overconsumption, but not looking at the people who are mindlessly listening and purchasing. It takes two to tango...
@@CreatingwithKaya agreed 100%
I just think the online community as a whole (no matter the niche) in terms of the audience not the creators is fake asf and it's really just picking and choosing whats accepted and whats not. the audience (not the algorithm bc it literally mean audience in mr beasts words) hates to admit that certain things goes viral because its in response of what the audience popularly consumes which is why the creators create that content. at any point/given time they can change what "goes viral" or "is healthier to consume" and create a better ethical community creators create in response to what an audience likes and a bit of what they themselves like to consume. I hope this makes sense
Phewww I hear you 👏🏽 I think people like to put SO MUCH ON INFLUENCERS, when literally they wouldn’t exist without the audience’s attention.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I really like how crisp your audio sounds. What mic are you using?
Ooh thank you! It's the Hollyland Lark M2 (affiliate link: amzn.to/4a1buLd )
I also did a video where I break down some of the features and talk about what it took me to finally get it here: czcams.com/video/JO1KL3ID5Sg/video.html
I actually made two skincare videos only cause friends Anna family would hound me for specifics. So I would send out voice notes… which changed to a quick video call, then escalated to me making a video on the fly about all the skincare I was using at the time and why I liked them.
Then one day I got the not so new idea to just do it with a tripod…. Then over a week filmed the products separately. It all came together in the editing. It was magical. I REALLY loved the products.
Then I left it due to shame and not wanting people to see me in “ oh… You one of those” people.
It’s sad because influencers are have become just paid marketing hucksters and nothing is real anymore. I still want to post but… seeing all the mess out there it really is discouraging.
I'm so sorry to hear you've been discouraged--but if I'm being honest, you sound EXACTLY like the type of creator this space needs. Hope you reconsider, while yes I definitely experience a lot of 'you're one of those'.. I also have developed an INCREDIBLE community through content creation.
@@CreatingwithKayayou know what…
Gosh I’m so scared. But “deep breath” whew chile… ok.
This video talks a bit about my journey with content creation (other than just trying to make money) --hope it encourages you
I think as Canadians if we had some of the same opportunity in the US then we wouldn't worry about money ...yes we have different streams of income but imagine if how much more we could get ...like being paid on TikTok
I hear you 😂 but honestly most of my friends in the states are making peanuts on TikTok.. it’s still all about the brand deals to pay bills.
@@CreatingwithKaya oh 😲 wowwww I didn't think it was peanuts well good to know lol
It really really is-the only people I know making decent money is those doing TikTok shop….which unfortunately is just making a bunch of sponsored content for random brands. ☹️
It's all about the $$.
Definitely often--but not always 👀
And the shopping cart reviews
What do you do to have such good voice audio? Microphone? 🙏🏻
Oh I use this mic--> (affiliate link) amzn.to/4a1buLd
And then hit "podcast voice" in Premiere Pro to give it a bit more oomph. I also share my thoughts on the mic in this video, if you're interested: czcams.com/video/JO1KL3ID5Sg/video.html
Money makes one lie.
Money definitely talks-I think another thing too is people don’t realize how much of a privilege it is to be picky and turn things down. (Not even just talking about the influencer space, just humans and money in general).
Could I love you more. 💞
🥹
Not all heroes wear capes 🦸♀You are the kind of content creator the world needs right now!
this means a lot--really appreciate you!