Influencer

No I never bought anything and no they don't see through the hype. To them it is all very normal and they probably think we do it all the time too!

I suppose it is like our generation looking at a magazine with the celebs doing fashion shoots or catalogue when we used to get the big huge one sent to us or our mother's and is circling the things we liked but that's as far as it got most of the time.

Never looked at an influencer site. I wouldn't know how to find one.

More generally, the only reason I would want to know what was all the rage would be so that I could go against the trend. I am constitutionally contrary. If I think I am on a show wagon doing what everyone else is doing, I jump off.

I have never understood what an influencer is meant to be .... no plans to try and find out .....

I don’t do Instagram or TikTok, , and I only use FB for a craft group, and the odd post from relatives.

TBH I waste more than enough time on GN and MN anyway, but being something of a cussed type, I’d probably be put off by any ‘influencer’ trying to get me to buy anything anyway.

I’m not on FB, Instagram or TikTok so I don’t see these people. I believe a lot of them are young women and they get money for advertising things? No, I would not be influenced but then I’m 73. If I were 23 perhaps I would be interested, but I like to think I have a mind of my own and know what does and doesn’t suit me. I guess when we were much younger we were more likely to be influenced, if we had the money. As 62Granny says, when we were young we were (or weren’t, as the case may be) by what we saw in magazines and catalogues.

About 8 or 9 years ago when my gs was about 3 he used to watch a small boy on tv called Ryan who had piles of your round him which he played with , his parents were in the background encouraging him to play joining in with describing the toys.
In this Saturdays Times young Ryan now 12 is described as an influencer and is many million dollars richer than he was at 3.
I thought it was horrendous but hey the family are loaded now, and all Ryan did was play with toys. Presumably to encourage the children watching to demand those toys.

If I see something I like, I’ll research and potentially buy it, but I wouldn’t buy something just because some random person (who, let’s face it, is probably at least 20 years younger than me and a lot
slimmer) is showing it off. Useful at times, but who wants or can afford to take their tastes as gospel?

Typo , Ryan had piles of toys round him.

No I never watch TikTok or instagram and although I am on FB every day I ve never seen ANY on there
Not influenced by anyone really not even adverts

I always think the term influencer is a bit sinister. I don’t feel the need to influence anyone and I’m sure the people I know can make their own decisions about their lives, so why do other people want to exert such power? Money, I guess, but then it would be more honest if they simply called themselves sales people.

I am not on Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok, but ten years ago I did by a beautiful cashmere sweater that I saw Holly Willoughby wearing on This Morning.

Anyone with a YouTube/TikTok/PinInterest account is potentially an influencer. Many have a healthy income from it, some get very little. They come in all shapes and sizes and ages.

I was influenced by a YouTuber to think I could learn to crochet. She was partly right - I have learnt to crochet simple things. They are part of my research when I am going to buy something as they often have videos on how things work and the pros and cons of different models. I've never been influenced to buy anything by any particular person though, or bought anything I wasn't already researching.

"Influencers" are just the modern way of advertising. They are effectively replacing TV commercials. Very few young people watch TV these days, they watch TikTok and You Tube so companies had to find another way to reach this lucrative and receptive market. Cue influencers. They are paid by companies to advertise products, anything from toothpaste to fashion, on a freelance basis.

They are just like TV adverts but geared more for the under 30's market and shown through a medium that demographic is more likely to use.

I watched a young woman and her family regularly.

She didnt advertise or test anything, just showed their every day life, her husband, and their two children.

Sadly, she died from cancer recently, and I saw her described as an influencer.

So I'm not sure what one is, really.

As most people do not watch TV adds and spend so much time on social media it makes sense for celbs that would have been in adverts to now do it online.

Agree, flapper girl. It seems needy to us, to not know what we like unless we see someone online wearing / sitting on / cooking with it. But then, back in the day how many mums gave their kids Milky Ways because of the ad that said children can eat them between meals without ruining their appetite?

Well, I certainly didn't and I doubt many 'mums' did. I rarely bought DC sweets - that is what their pocket money was for, unless something else caught their eye - and it often did.

Before smart TVs we all probably sat through commercial breaks absorbing all the marketing, even if we didn’t consciously buy into it.
There are still endless threads on here discussing ads we currently like or hate.
Catalogues had famous stars of the time as models to entice us to buy their fashion lines , Lulu and George Best for instance.
I was definitely ‘influenced’ to buy a dress as I was similar in size, shape and colouring to Lulu.
We have always been surrounded by influences, it’s just through a different medium now.

we have always been surrounded by influences, it’s just a different medium now
That’s exactly what it is.

I will admit to having a few gadgets in my kitchen that I've seen people try out on YouTube. Most of the time the things they claim are indispensable are not relevant for me, though, so I hope I am discerning enough not to be influenced indiscriminately. What is annoying is when these posters are American and they have found something (usually on American Amazon) which is not available on this side of the pond. I search for it but can only find an inferior version which is available to me.

Just as often I will find something by looking for it myself, though, such as cosmetics and soaps which are not in plastic packaging, or sewing accessories.

So these people don't influence me into buying a particular product but will give me an idea or make me aware of something I hadn't known about which I then research, make a choice and invest in and can put to good use.

My main Influencer is DD. over the years she has talked me into buying a number of items, some I have been delighted with, like my air-fryer. But I was contemplating one of the mistakes this morning. An expensive coat, I was always doubtful about, but she convinced me would have many uses and go with everything. It doesn't..

In two years I have hardly worn it and any day soon it is going on ebay.

My DiL is starting a new business with an app and relying on influencers to put it out there.

AreWeThereYet

Anyone with a YouTube/TikTok/PinInterest account is potentially an influencer. Many have a healthy income from it, some get very little. They come in all shapes and sizes and ages.

I was influenced by a YouTuber to think I could learn to crochet. She was partly right - I have learnt to crochet simple things. They are part of my research when I am going to buy something as they often have videos on how things work and the pros and cons of different models. I've never been influenced to buy anything by any particular person though, or bought anything I wasn't already researching.

I never thought of them as influencers and learned to crochet from YouTube after years of failure.

I thought of them as online teachers (crochet for dummies 😁)