Do "Deinfluencers" Actually Want Us to Watch Less TikTok? Who Are They?
People are advising you to cease using excessive amounts of things in the #deinfluencing trend on Tiktok. So is this just another tactic used by influencers to gain greater popularity and cash?
"An iced coffee is not necessary for productivity. When you go out in public, you don't need to style your hair or wear only gold or silver jewelry. Most importantly, though, you shouldn't feel awful if you did it.
In a recent TikTok video, Chloe, posting as @chloe.chapdelaine, offers some words of wisdom. With almost 360,000 followers, the influencer posts videos about her Canadian life, her travels, and of course the things she utilizes for her various life endeavors.
Now, though, Chloe seems to have had a change of heart: In her video, she states, "We currently live in a culture where practically everything is created and sold to convince you to buy it," while also writing, "I know that I am a victim of overconsumption."
The ‘de influencing’ trend
Less shopping seems like sensible advice. Deinfluencers like Chloe are currently pushing it on TikTok.
They want to be the antithesis of influencers, who are viewed as having the authority to persuade potential customers to purchase specific products by posting recommendations about them on social media in terms of marketing.
Deinfluencers employ a range of strategies. Some people entirely reject consumerism, while others assess things and provide more affordable or superior alternatives. Other de influencers offer suggestions on how to make financial savings or discover true happiness.
Currently, #Deinfluencing has received over 263 million views on TikTok.
Beauty items continue to be a target for many deinfluencers, as evidenced by the numerous hashtags associated with the trend, including #deinfluencingproducts, #deinfluencingmakeup, #deinfluencinghair, and #deinfluencingbotox.
Other well-liked hashtags are #deinfluencingbooks and #deinfluencinginfluencing, which make former influencers regret their careers as brand marketers and search for real jobs.
greater "authenticity" to engage fans
Authenticity is a key component of connecting with fans on TikTok, according to Marina Mansour, vice president and founding member of Kyra, a worldwide content development and marketing firm.
As she explains to DW, #Deinfluencing is "a backlash from fans surrounding creators advocating things where there wasn't the genuine advocacy and transparency that the network is so lauded for. This idea gained momentum and became the #deinfluencing trend.
In a recent LinkedIn article regarding the de-influencer trend, Matt Perry, co-founder and CEO of the marketing company The Future Collective, makes a similar claim: "The age of the de-influencer is collecting significant momentum right now as TikTok viewers are finally starting to value authenticity before materialism."
In fact, a lot of creators, like Chloe, are now looking for a sincere connection with their audience after confessing they were duped by commercial goods that promised them a brand-new existence. Let's be thankful for what we have going forward, she says.
For instance, Michelle @Michelleskidelsky is very open with her followers and lets them know she's been spending a lot. "If you're anything like me, each time you check your bank account, you experience fear. And it is f***ed up," she argues in her "Deinfluencing things you DO NOT NEED" TikTok series. She continues by listing some items that one should avoid purchasing, such as an expensive hairdryer that costs $700 (or roughly 660 euros), probiotic pills, and dietary supplements.
Trying to stop the trend or going with it?
Since that many social media influencers make money from their TikTok channels, they cannot, however, fully abandon product marketing.
TikTok content artists have a variety of alternatives, says Marina Mansour, vice president of Marketing. Many of them work with brands to make money, but they also use tools like TikTok Shop, which enables businesses to advertise and sell their goods directly on the video-sharing network. Revenue-share programs and TikTok's creator fund, which supports the platform's artists, are two more sources of money. According to Mansour, TikTok creators can make hundreds of thousands of dollars every month, depending on the number, engagement, and caliber of their audience.
As a result, the majority of de influencers advise consumers to steer clear of certain items while simultaneously providing them with a list of suitable alternatives. For instance, Maja, who goes by the account @self.skin, claims to work in medicine. She advises her followers on which skin care products are worth the price and which ones they may use in their place. Besides testing cosmetics and providing viewers with options, Valeria @valeriafride.
How sincere is a de influencer, though? The fact that joining a trend like #deinfluencing can increase views, follower counts, and the amount of money an influencer makes raises some questions regarding the true motivations of influencers that join the hashtag.
There is unquestionably a component to connecting with current issues, according to Mansour, where producers are motivated to add to a topic because it is well-liked and newsworthy.
Mansour emphasizes the need for content creators to stay current by addressing hot topics. "Whether that is because they genuinely believe that we are in an era of overconsumption or they're using the #deinfluencing momentum to talk about products that don't suit them personally, is a case by case," she adds.
Market analysts like Matt Perry of the Future Collective think that #deinfluencing has the potential to completely transform the game.
According to his perspective, the influencer industry as a whole is doomed: "The same thing occurred on Instagram and YouTube. Influencer marketing is dead, he declares on LinkedIn, adding that moving forward, firms must put more of an emphasis on developing sincere connections with customers and exploiting those to boost sales.
