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Influencer marketing has begun shifting in recent months and this change is opening up a whole new opportunity for marketers.
Your typical influencer on social media is a twenty-something person who seems to have the ideal lifestyle. They are super-model pretty or handsome, have all the best stuff, clothes and whatnot. They go to exotic locations and do fun activities and their entire lives are…
…a lie.
More and more of these influencers are coming clean and letting the world see what’s really happening behind the scenes. They take hours to apply layers of makeup, they use special lighting, filters, major editing and numerous effects to make them look just right. Then there’s the staged rooms and fake scenes that are more like movie sets than anything from real life, and the list goes on.
They’re living their best fake life and people are getting tired of watching it.
I saw a post on Reddit the other day from a young woman lamenting how the bully at her high school is now on social media pretending to be a nice person. Yup, this influencer was outed, along with hundreds of others.
The fake influencers are being exposed one by one.
Other influencers are sick and tired of being fake and they’re going public with what’s really happening, which is good news for you.
Because the more people realize all of this nonsense is fake, the less credibility influencers will have on them.
And the more opportunity there will be for REAL people like us to gain a following.
Being an honest and real influencer isn’t about looking perfect; it’s about being helpful. People are growing tired of getting advice from the Barbie dolls and Ken dolls of the world and now they want tips from someone like their neighbor, who struggled with buying a house or their friend who learned the hard way in business. Real advice from regular folks like you is what’s in.
Check this out: Even small YouTube channels from super ordinary people are blowing up. People want content from someone they can relate to, not someone flashing their fancy lifestyle. No more showing off expensive stuff; now, it’s about sharing useful knowledge. Educational content from regular people is where it’s at again.
And it’s not just about looking good; it’s about feeling good. Body-positive campaigns are rocking it, challenging fake bodies and photoshopped perfection. Platforms like TikTok are emphasizing real people doing normal stuff, not influencers in their fantasy world. Being real is what gets attention.
So here’s the deal: As the era of influencers is fading, guess who’s stepping into the spotlight? People just like you. This is your chance to start creating content, sharing your everyday life, and making a real impact. People want authenticity, so be yourself, offer some valuable insights, and watch your audience grow. Now’s the time to shine in this million-dollar industry that’s changing for the better.
Embrace honesty and authenticity, and you could be the next big thing on social media.
Examples of Fake Influencers
Are you curious about fake influencers who have been exposed? If you do a search on Google or YouTube, you will find endless examples.
Many are pretending to be people they aren’t or live lives that are completely untrue. Others are demanding businesses give them free lodging, meals and products in exchange for exposure, often getting themselves banned by the businesses and angering their fan base. Some have pretended to have cancer, diseases, accidents, pregnancies and other challenges in a bid to get donations from their followers, and many times they succeeded at this for months or years before being exposed. The list goes on and on.
Here are just a handful of fake influencers, but keep in mind this is only the beginning:
- A Chinese vlogger was exposed for using facial filters to make herself look less than half her age. Hailed as a ‘cute goddess’, “Her Royal Highness Qiao Biluo” got exposed when a technical glitch occurred while she was live streaming. She was actually a 58-year-old woman who was claiming to be about 20 years old.
- You Tuber Logan Paul made a video where he claimed his color blindness was cured by a pair of sunglasses. He later confessed he never had color blindness.
- Kayla Massa promoted a money-making scheme with images of money stacks and bank balance screenshots. She convinced followers to let her associate to briefly use their bank accounts, promising earnings up to $5,000. Targets sent their debit cards and PINs, allowing her to transfer large sums. Authorities later apprehended Massa and her accomplices in the fraud.
- Instagram influencer Tiffany Mitchell was exposed for documenting her supposed motorcycle crash and was accused of sponsoring the posts and glamorizing the apparently staged accident. Photos of her lying on the ground showed dirt rubbed on her skin (no blood) and a bottle of her sponsor’s SmartWater next to her.
- Belle Gibson falsely attributed her cancer recovery to a holistic diet and claimed her cookbook sales would benefit charity. However, it was revealed she hadn’t donated the $300,000 raised. Facing scrutiny, she admitted fabricating a cancer diagnosis and was fined $410,000 by a federal court for the fake charitable claims.
- Danielle Cohn lied about her age as well as lying about being pregnant. Ultimately, she was exposed by her own dad on Facebook where he shared a lengthy post with birth certificate showing that his daughter was just 13 years old.
- Chinese influencer Lisa Li was called out by her landlord for pretending to live a glamorous lifestyle. She often boasted about her luxurious lifestyle but, in reality she lived in an apartment with moldy food, unwashed dishes, dog excrement, and a filthy cage. Gross.
- Instagram influencer and self-proclaimed vegan Yovana Mendoza, who advocated for a vegan lifestyle and sold a $99 detox program, was exposed eating fish in a video posted by a follower. She later apologized, citing health issues from the vegan diet she was promoting.
- Sarah McDaniel, an Instagram influencer lied about having heterochromia (two different colored iris’) and her career was basically ruined because of it. She was exposed when people noticed that her eye color kept changing.
- Famous Tik-Toker’s Charli D’Amelio and her sister Dixie lost a huge fan following on TikTok after they were seen being rude to their private chef and complaining they didn’t have 100 million followers yet in a YouTube video. Viewers were livid with their attitude.
- 28-year-old Swedish Instagram influencer Johanna Olsson claimed to be on an all-expense paid trip to Paris but her pictures from the trip were heavily photoshopped, including one photo in which she is seen levitating on a bridge on the River Seine.
- Instagram influencer Nitibha Kaul got called out for using poor people as objects and props for a Sabyasachi X H&M photoshoot. She uploaded several pictures on her Instagram in which she can be seen posing wearing the latest Sabyasachi X H&M collection saree along with poor people in the background.
Just Do It and Figure Out the Details Later
Starting before you feel ready to start is powerful. And scary.
It calls into question everything you’ve been told about having a plan, knowing all the details in advance, discovering all there is know and basically finding 27 different ways to procrastinate on getting started.
Oddly enough, it’s the people who don’t know they’re supposed to spend time ‘getting ready’ who simply start things. Sometimes they fail and sometimes they succeed, but you have to give them credit for taking action at warp speed.
Imagine two kids talking: “Hey, it’s hot out today and everybody’s going to be at the pool in the park. Let’s get some fudgesicles and popsicles and sell them there.”
The second kid replies, “But how do we get to the store for the fudgesicles and popsicles and how do we get to the park? And what if nobody wants to buy them or what if we lose money? And what if my mom gets mad and what if a cop asks what we’re doing and what if and what if and what if and what if…”
We learn at an early age that it’s much easier to not attempt something than to attempt it and fail.
And even if we’re the kid saying, “Hey I got an idea!” There are 5 other kids telling you us why it won’t work.
What happens? We shut up so we can fit in.
But is ‘fitting in’ even a desirable goal?
Fitting in implies surrendering to so-called “leaders” and trading your authentic self for someone else’s expectations.
Conversely, the rejection of conformity becomes a declaration: I want to be me, even if it means not belonging.
If you think about it, no one truly ‘fits in.’ We’re all different and none of us truly belong to anything other than to our true selves.
Rather than trying to conform to other’s expectations, let’s be different on purpose. Let’s embrace the, “Ready Go Set” mindset.
Embrace your differences and make the most of them. You are weird, odd, strange and different, which is wonderful! It’s fantastic! Who the heck wants to be normal anyway?
Stop worrying what others think. Show up where you want to be. You’re told it takes 10 years to climb the ladder of your choice? Bullpucky. Show up on the top step of the ladder, act like you belong there and then persist.
Sure, the bullies might try to knock you down. “Go home and develop a 10 year, 70 point plan for getting to the top of this ladder, newbie.”
Nuts to them. Become your own unstoppable force and clear your own path.
There is power to being where you ‘don’t belong.’ Refuse to be intimidated. Be your authentic self and take the leap, knowing the path will unfold for you as you move towards your dream.
You’ll soon realize this unconventional path leads to the fulfilling and genuine life you’ve been searching for.
Email Marketing Campaign Checklist
By following this comprehensive Email Marketing Campaign Checklist, you can ensure a well-executed and successful email campaign.
Before Launching Your Email Campaign
___ Define Objectives: Clearly outline the goals and purpose of your email campaign.
___ Target Audience: Identify and segment your target audience for personalized messaging.
___ Craft Compelling Content: Create engaging and relevant content that aligns with your campaign goals.
___ Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly for a seamless user experience.
___ Personalization: Incorporate personalization elements to connect with recipients on a more individual level.
___ Subject Line and Preview Text: Craft attention-grabbing subject lines and preview text to boost open rates.
During Email Creation
___ Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Include a prominent and clear CTA guiding recipients on the desired action.
___ Visual Appeal: Use visually appealing graphics and layouts to enhance the overall design.
___ Testing: Conduct A/B testing for different elements, such as subject lines, content, and CTA buttons.
Technical Checks
___ Spam Compliance: Ensure your email complies with anti-spam laws and includes an unsubscribe option.
___ Links and Tracking: Confirm all links are working correctly, and tracking is set up for analytics.
___ Pre-Send Testing: Send test emails to different devices and email clients to check for formatting issues.
Setting Up Automation (if applicable)
___ Automation Sequences: If using automation, ensure the sequences are properly set up and tested.
___ Segmentation Rules: Verify that segmentation rules are accurately defined for targeted automation.
Before Sending
___ Check Sending Time: Schedule your emails to be sent at optimal times for your target audience.
___ Double-Check Content: Review the email content for accuracy, typos, and broken links.
Post-Send
___ Monitor Analytics: Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
___ Engagement Analysis: Analyze recipient engagement and adjust future campaigns based on insights.
___ Follow-Up Sequence (if applicable): Implement follow-up sequences for specific actions or non-engagement.