Have We Reached “Peak Influencer”?
Brendan Robinson, who first found fame as an actor in the US teen drama Pretty Little Liars, discovered several years ago that posting photos of himself on Instagram with former co-stars would prompt countless clicks and comments from nostalgic fans.
Deciding to profit from his online popularity, the 29-year-old has since become a fully-fledged Instagram influencer, with more than 830,000 followers. Over the past 18 months, brands from insurance groups to ice cream sellers have paid him — typically several thousands of dollars per post — to promote their products.
But despite his success, he is now deeply worried over the future viability of his chosen career.
After explosive growth, the $8bn influencer marketing business may for the first time be showing signs of strain. Brands are beginning to question the returns that influencers actually generate, especially as the get-rich-quick appeal of digital celebrity is now attracting fraudsters who pay for fake followings.
Instagram’s recent decision to test hiding “likes” — a key metric that signals popularity — caused particular concern, prompting questions from influencers over how they will demonstrate their worth to advertisers if the measure is permanently enforced.
Some argue these are normal growing pains as the market matures. But pessimists fear the era of unbridled “influencing” is drawing to an end. According to a report by InfluencerDB, engagement rates — the number of likes on posts as a percentage of the influencer’s follower count — have dipped over the past year.
“I’ve had that worry laying at night thinking ‘Oh shoot’ — is this going to go away in two years?” Mr Robinson said, adding that he was mulling making different types of content — such as podcasts or blogs — elsewhere.
“I’m bracing myself for the influencer marketing industry to change, and maybe it’s something you can’t make a living from any more.”
Vocabulary:
found fame – (expression) became well-known, popular, or celebrated by the public, “She found fame after starring in a popular holiday movie.”
teen drama – (noun) a television show, movie, or book that focuses on the serious life struggles, relationships, and problems of teenagers, “Many teenagers love watching high school teen dramas on Netflix.”
former – (adjective) having existed or having a particular role in the past, but not anymore, “The former president of the company still visits the office once a year.”
co-stars – (noun) actors or performers who share a main role in a movie, play, or television show, “The lead actor thanked his co-stars for their wonderful support during filming.”
prompt – (verb) to cause, encourage, or make something happen, “The loud noise outside did prompt him to look out the window.”
countless – (adjective) too many to be counted; a very large number, “There are countless stars in the night sky on a clear evening.”
nostalgic – (adjective) feeling a happy and slightly sad affection for things, people, or events from the past, “Listening to her childhood songs made her feel very nostalgic.”
profit from – (phrasal verb) to make money or gain an advantage from a specific situation or opportunity, “Smart investors always try to profit from changes in the stock market.”
fully-fledged – (adjective) completely developed, trained, or established in a specific role or career, “After years of studying, she is finally a fully-fledged doctor.”
influencer – (noun) a person who uses social media to promote products, lifestyles, or ideas to a large audience of followers, “The fashion influencer shared her daily clothing choices with her fans.”
future viability – (expression) the ability of something to survive, succeed, or remain useful and practical in the future, “The high cost of electricity made him question the future viability of his factory.”
chosen career – (expression) the specific professional job or field of work that someone has decided to pursue, “Teaching was his chosen career, and he loved working with children.”
explosive growth – (expression) a very rapid, sudden, and massive increase in size, amount, or popularity, “The tech company experienced explosive growth after launching its new app.”
showing signs of strain – (idiom) beginning to show weakness, struggle, or damage under pressure or stress, “The old wooden bridge is showing signs of strain under the heavy truck traffic.”
returns – (noun/plural) the profit, money, or benefit received back from an investment, “They expected high financial returns from opening a new branch.”
generate – (verb) to produce, create, or cause something to exist, “The local wind turbines generate clean electricity for the entire town.”
get-rich-quick – (adjective) promising a way to make a large amount of money very fast with little effort, “He lost his savings after falling for a foolish get-rich-quick scheme.”
digital celebrity – (expression) a person who is famous specifically on the internet or social media, “The young gamer quickly became a digital celebrity with millions of subscribers.”
fraudsters – (noun) criminals who use tricks and dishonesty to steal money or lie about achievements, “Fraudsters sent out fake emails to steal people’s credit card details.”
fake followings – (expression) a large number of social media followers that are actually computer-controlled bots or purchased inactive accounts, “The sponsor discovered the model had built fake followings to look more popular.”
key metric – (expression) an extremely important measurement used to judge the success or performance of something, “Customer satisfaction is a key metric for any service business.”
particular concern – (expression) a specific worry, problem, or area of anxiety that receives extra attention, “The heavy snowfall was a particular concern for the local airport.”
demonstrate their worth – (expression) to prove your value, ability, or importance to other people through actions or data, “The new employee worked extra hours to demonstrate their worth to the team.”
permanently – (adverb) in a way that lasts forever or is intended to stay without changing, “The beach was permanently closed to the public to protect the sea turtles.”
enforced – (verb/adjective) made sure that a rule, law, or decision is strictly followed and obeyed, “The speed limit is strictly enforced by the local highway police.”
growing pains – (idiom) temporary problems, difficulties, or challenges that happen when a new project, business, or industry starts to develop, “The software company faced some growing pains as they hired fifty new programmers.”
matures – (verb) becomes fully grown, developed, or established over time, “As a market matures, competition usually becomes much stronger.”
pessimists – (noun) people who tend to expect the worst possible outcome or focus on the negative side of situations, “Pessimists believe that the economy will continue to get worse next year.”
unbridled – (adjective) uncontrolled, wild, or completely free from any limits, “The children showed unbridled joy when they arrived at the amusement park.”
drawing to an end – (idiom) coming close to a finish, completion, or conclusion, “As the summer vacation is drawing to an end, students are preparing to go back to school.”
engagement rates – (expression) the percentage of an audience that actively interacts (likes, comments, shares) with social media content, “The marketing team analyzed their engagement rates to see if people liked the ads.”
dipped – (verb) dropped or decreased slightly for a short period, “The temperature dipped below freezing last night, causing ice on the roads.”
laying at night – (expression) resting awake in bed during the nighttime hours, usually while worrying or thinking deeply, “She spent hours laying at night wondering if she would pass her driver’s test.”
mulling – (verb) thinking deeply, carefully, or seriously about a decision or plan over a period of time, “He is mulling over the job offer before giving his final answer.”
bracing myself – (phrasal verb/idiom) preparing your mind, body, or emotions for something difficult, shocking, or unpleasant that is about to happen, “I am bracing myself for the cold winter weather that is coming tomorrow.”
make a living – (idiom) to earn enough money from a job to pay for your basic needs like food, housing, and clothing, “He works as a professional painter to make a living in the city.”