Social Media 'Influencers' - What ?

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

You make this sound like it's a new phenomenom when in fact the only 'new' part is the medium being used.

Social influencers have been around ever since marketing began; whether it was sales of men’s undershirts tanking sharply after actor Clark Gable appeared bare-chested in a film to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, promoting cigarettes. Sports stars have been 'socially influencing' people for decades when they wear a new pair of Nike trainors or wear a certain watch. I bet we all have been 'socially influenced' at some stage in our life.

Perhaps the social influencers of Tik Tok and Instagram don't now need to be quite so famous as influencers of the past but the concept is the same; find someone you like and admire, follow them and buy the stuff they promote. The serious money making from this is still reserved for a very few elite who have diligently built up millions of followers (there's many, many more who barely eke out a living) and it isn't as easy as it sounds to get to the numbers needed to earn serious money, as it's VERY cut-throat and believe it or not, people aren't as dumb as you think and can smell insincerity or deception very quickly so many of these influncers guard their 'brand' feircely. There's nothing 'dumb' about anything they do.  

My "influencers" are people like Edmund Hillary that built schools in the mountains of Nepal, or Mother Teresa that helped people in the slums of India. I think it's rather sad that nowadays people actually think actors are important or self proclaimed celebrities are worth listening to.

[Poet]

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I can only assume that there are millions of people out there that don't know what books are.

The reason why people go to university, rather than just buy a big pile of books, is because we need exposure to many different ideas and opinions to help us work out which books, of the 150m that exist, are worth reading.

At some point, we have to leave university. In the past, if you were lucky, you might belong to a group of friends or, perhaps, intellectual societies that helped you to remain engaged with the everchanging flows of our culture, but it was difficult to maintain that in the face of the demands of career and family.

Today, thanks to the Internet, we all have instant access to opinions, discussions, reviews, summaries, explanations, lectures, and other cultural touchpoints. The emergence of new platforms, such as TikTok, only further expand the options. Whatever our interest, whatever our level, there has never been a better time in the history of humanity to learn, connect, and grow as a person.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Poet said:

Today, thanks to the Internet, we all have instant access to opinions, discussions, reviews, summaries, explanations, lectures, and other cultural touchpoints. The emergence of new platforms, such as TikTok, only further expand the options. Whatever our interest, whatever our level, there has never been a better time in the history of humanity to learn, connect, and grow as a person.

True, and yet................................

Apparently the most used websites on the internet are those with pornography, people enter the workplace with an inability to work, or do simple mental arithmetic, and children kill themselves because other people say nasty things about them on line.

 

If we were really better "educated" I doubt that would be true.

 

However, I like the internet as it allows me to make the day go faster without any intellectual exertion from myself, and it's good having the ability to find out what happened in the movie one just watched, as it was so badly written it made zero sense.

[phetphet]

MONEY. it's not just Youtube wannabees.

 

Why do you think the likes of Connor McGregor, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, most professional footballers and sportsmen are involved in social media?

The higher their profile, the bigger the number of  followers, the more the advertising agencies will pay them to promote their products.

 

Look at the Beckhams and Lewis Hamilton. Probably made more from endorsements than they have from their jobs.

[Saltire]

Social influencer = professional freeloader

 

 

[Moonlover]

51 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I wondered about that until I watched a series on the BBC about Amir Khan, the British 2 times world champion boxer. His wife, Faryal Makhdoom is an extremely beautiful and highly intelligent Pakistani/American. She is an influencer par excellence, mainly into cosmetics.

 

She also manages a lot of her husbands business enterprises. In her own words "I'm the boss''. And those two are swimming in money.

 

51 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's a sad day for humanity, IMO, when "swimming in money" is seen as a good thing.

Perhaps you should read up a bit on their philanthropic and charity work.

 

Money is completely neutral, it's how one uses it that counts.

[OneMoreFarang]

I am not a fan of so called influencers. But it seems they do the same like many "celebrities" since forever.

If i.e. the fictional character James Bond drinks a certain beer or drives a certain car or has watch brand X, why do millions of people think they should do the same?

Or how about football player who drink a certain soft drink? Do people really think they advertise that because they love to drink exactly that drink?

If i.e. successful a tennis player uses a tennis racket from one brand then I guess he does this (also) because he thinks that brand is good for his game. But if the same person drives car X or Y, who cares? And that's the problem. For whatever reason many people care and want the same car. Why?

 

I don't think there is much difference between someone on social media, TV, newspaper or whatever medium.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

23 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Perhaps you should read up a bit on their philanthropic and charity work.

 

Money is completely neutral, it's how one uses it that counts.

I never even heard of them, and my comment was about "swimming in money", not a philosophical essay on "money and how to use it for good, or evil".

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And that's the problem. For whatever reason many people care and want the same car. Why?

Ah, the million $ question.

 

Personally if some movie producer wants to pollute their movie with product placement, I'm inclined to not buy that product anyway.

[MRToMRT]

I say good luck to them if they can make some money and survive their own <deleted>.

Better than going down the pit or sweeping the roads.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

39 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I say good luck to them if they can make some money and survive their own <deleted>.

Better than going down the pit or sweeping the roads.

 

Which is why Thai women work in bars. Better than being a maid or working in a sweat shop.

[captainjackS]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Soooooo, if I understand correctly, you are claiming that if a pretty girl has a brand name displayed loads of people ( that spend all day on the internet to be able to find said pictures ) will run out and purchase said brand name products, or stay at the hotel in the background?

If that is true, I have no hope at all for the survival of the human race.

Agree with you about no hope for the human race if people follow so bindly. But, if you go to the pictured coffee shop or swimming pool, you might see the same girls in real life.  "good view" with your coffee?

[richard_smith237]

A lot of people commenting on influencers yet have no idea of the extent to which they themselves are influenced in pretty much every single facet of their life. 

 

I would like to believe I make completely independent choices, but thats pretty much impossible. From choosing Nike Trainers, a Samsung TV, an Apple Laptop, a Honda Car, a Yamaha motorcycle, Bose headphones, Levi jeans etc.. to the style of hair cut we have, the food we eat.... 

 

We all like to think we are ‘free thinkers’ but every decision we make is influenced in some form by someone or something else. Marketing plays are far greater role in our choices and behaviour than we would ever like to admit. 

 

Those who don’t think so simply lack the ability to look inwards openly and objectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by richard_smith237

[Excel]

Years ago before social media gave them instant coverage weren't they just called "con men or women". In other words people that were enticing you to buy things you didn't really need or convincing you to invest in something that generally turned out to be a scam.  Now they are called "influencers" .

[1FinickyOne]

Yeah, in your day they called "it" Elvis... 

 

And your parent's also did not understand what you saw in him... 

 

of course the first hip swiveler was Al Jolson... 

Edited May 26, 2021 by 1FinickyOne

[malibukid]

19 hours ago, captainjackS said:

I believe the influencers themselves come in many forms and with varying quality of content.  What I do see that i believe is important is that a business who wants to advertise a product traditionally would pay for a billboard, radio, or TV ad.  Expensive.  Some busineses  pay directly for advertising on Facebook, Google, or whatever.  But now businesses have yet another option to push advertising to customers via influencers.  Often cheaper than buying a "real" advertising spot because they can give the influencer a free meal, night at the hotel,  etc.  Also often easier to get the content through to potential customers who voluntarily follow particular influencers by choice while they use ad-blocking software to remove the explicit advertising from websites.  The influencers that i have seen a lot in Chiang Mai are sexy ladies who post pictures of themselves at coffee shops, hotels, etc with the brand names clearly displayed.  People like to look at pictures of pretty girls in bikinis, so occasionally we see the name of the hotel swimming pool in the background.   Same sexy bikini girls also advertise for online gambling -- unofficial advertisements that would probably not be legal to show on major "official" advertisement channels.  Long story short, I see influencers as yet another advertising channel, but with more pretty girls.

are they available?

[oldies1]

Those so called "influencers" are the usual bunch or narcissistic tattoo-idiots with a lot of social media followers. Most of the female ones talk nasal, over-use the word "like" and speak with the infamous "vocal fry" in their voice.

Edited May 26, 2021 by oldies1

[tifino]

15 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Some of them can retire at age 12.  And all they have to do is open toys and play with them on video.

 

Lots of envy evident here...

 

 sounds like the bottom of the dump Shirley Temple future likely for the non-really educated reGretable Thumpberg

[CLW]

The good ones don't do or just little paid cooperations. That's how I choose some interesting channels on YouTube.

I don't use TikTok and IG only for pictures.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

interesting subject, more complex than it appears !have learned here....

 

my conclusion :  “influencer” applies to the vacuous frivolous end of the online market, individual pretty chancer sales types, pushing nothing of real value, substance or importance,  “followed” by “wannabe” sheeple, unwilling to think for themselves, perfect for online ad revenues. 

 

Quite distinct from the serious qualified professionals and businesses online offering goods or services of real substance & value; educational, health, food, financials, equipments, etc.

 

 

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

celebs have always been automatic “ influencers” ; my prior opinion applies to nobodies remaking themselves as z list “ celebs” as important / marketable = social media influencers = new phenom.

Quite different to using real celebs in ads which is Advertising, an old separate professional discipline, long supporting Marketing & Sales functions.

[Deli]

Useless people too lazy to work in the real world.

[philba]

There's an old saying that pretty much sums this up.

 

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize."

[GreasyFingers]

On 5/25/2021 at 3:59 PM, Pilotman said:

Okay, so what are these people who term themselves 'influencers'.  Are they just self obsessed, untalented morons, 'influencing' equally moronic, socially deficient, intellectually challenged members of the social media world.  I guess that the answer is yes? 

Yes.

[GreasyFingers]

18 hours ago, impulse said:

Lots of envy evident here..

Envy of what? Who cares how much money they make but to use the term "influencer" is just an American abuse of the English language.

[GreasyFingers]

3 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

of course the first hip swiveler was Al Jolson...

Black or white variety. Would he be allowed these days.

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, GreasyFingers said:

Black or white variety. Would he be allowed these days.

no on the blackface... yes on the swivel

[jimn]

On 5/25/2021 at 4:45 PM, Pilotman said:

Not the ones I have seen. Some dumb nonentities from Love Island who can hardly string a sentence together.   Maybe there are grades/rankings of such people. 

They are getting sheds more money than you or I. Why are you so quick at putting people down. They are using their short term fame to its best use and make money. I do agree though its the people who are "influenced" by them are the dumb ones not the influencers themselves. They are rather clever and good luck to them.

Edited May 26, 2021 by jimn

[canthai55]

My view - the only people who influence me are the ones who taught me how to do things, how to survive in this world, how to think for myself and not blindly follow the Status Quo, how not to be an Ash Hole.

Anyone who follows anybody for any other reason is why the term Sheeple was coined.

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by canthai55

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/26/2021 at 6:34 PM, richard_smith237 said:

A lot of people commenting on influencers yet have no idea of the extent to which they themselves are influenced in pretty much every single facet of their life. 

 

I would like to believe I make completely independent choices, but thats pretty much impossible. From choosing Nike Trainers, a Samsung TV, an Apple Laptop, a Honda Car, a Yamaha motorcycle, Bose headphones, Levi jeans etc.. to the style of hair cut we have, the food we eat.... 

 

We all like to think we are ‘free thinkers’ but every decision we make is influenced in some form by someone or something else. Marketing plays are far greater role in our choices and behaviour than we would ever like to admit. 

 

Those who don’t think so simply lack the ability to look inwards openly and objectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing that "sways" me when buying something is a/ quality, b/ price. I consciously don't buy stuff advertised by celebs. Also I would never buy anything produced by apple corporation on principle.

I bought a DVD player a while back because it was cheap, but a reliable brand from past experience, but when I bought another as a back up I bought a different brand because the remote was badly designed. I don't see any "influencer" input there.

In the supermarket it's always the cheapest.

When I bought a fridge, I bought the only one at a reasonable price with a large freezer compartment; nothing to do with advertising or "influencers".

 

It does help not watching local commercial tv as I don't see any advertising at all. The international news channels I do watch on tv don't have local advertising, and I don't watch advertisement laden sport or read magazines or newspapers, so basically an advertisement free life.

 

the style of hair cut we have

5555555555555. I cut my own with electric clippers. No "style" involved.