Harvard Business School: How Paid Promos Take the Shine Off YouTube Stars (and Tips for Better Influencer Marketing). “Influencers aspire to turn ‘likes’ into dollars through brand sponsorships, but these deals can erode their reputations, says research by Shunyuan Zhang. Marketers should seek out authentic voices on YouTube, not necessarily those with the most followers.”
The Conversation: From curry nights to ‘coal kills’ dresses: how social media drives politicians to behave like influencers. “Why do politicians often post content that seems awkward, outrageous or strange? The answer could be an appeal to authenticity – something that has become a valuable currency in the world of politicians, influencers and social media.”
CNET: Move over, Instagram influencers: The magic of TikTok is authenticity. “With people spending more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic, there’s been a noticeable shift in the kinds of content posted online. These days, you won’t see many photos of sunny Hawaiian vacations or over-the-top parties. Instead, platforms like TikTok have flooded social media feeds with pajama-clad, makeup-free creators trying to stay entertained by posting everything from simple skits to rants to candid moments.”
Phys. org: Too real, or too fake? Female Instagram influencers in ‘authenticity bind’. “Female Instagram influencers—whose livelihoods depend on their numbers of followers, views and likes—endure criticism and harassment both for being too real and for seeming too fake, according to a new study from Cornell University.”
McGill Tribune: Finsta culture creates space for more personable social media. “Despite the variations and differing styles of the accounts, finsta users tend to agree that secret accounts are beneficial for dealing with social media pressure, and they value having a private space online. Finstas typically create a setting where users allow their personality to take centre stage without worrying about what others might think. Delina Efrem, U0 Science, shares her experience with finstas, detailing the unspoken pressure that surrounds a lot of social media.”
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