Go on, add influencer to your Twitter / Instagram bio.

You’ve earned it.

Or, like that South African account we profiled recently, you bought it (HERE).

The whole influencer concept has come under much scrutiny in the wake of the #FyreFest Fiasco, the likes of Kendall and Emily and Bella all signing on to endorse the event before it went down in a great big ball of flames (HERE).

It can be argued that influencers “are perceived as having a personal — not merely professional — relationship with the thing they are selling. Which in turn means they bear some responsibility for it”, and it’s tough to disagree with that.

The New York Times seem to think we are at a crucial point in the influencer game:

…we are on the verge of a new (hopefully more considered) age in the evolution of Influencer culture.

“The influencer bubble will totally collapse in the next 12 months if people aren’t very careful about the money being thrown around as brands try to buy influencer placement,” said Caroline Issa, the fashion director and chief executive of Tank magazine and a street-style star-turned-occasional Influencer…

Since being what used to be called a “tastemaker” became a job, and word-of-mouth tips became known as “influencer marketing,” attention has been focused largely on the risks to brands in linking up with individuals…

But while it’s easy to be distracted by the siren call of Influencer culture…what the cases of Kendall et al. make clear is that there are also risks to individuals.

As ‘youth culture’ (their words) can easily see when something is inauthentic, and are not afraid to have a go when they feel slighted, celebs and influencers are having to consider each and every brand they take on board.

Not everyone is heeding these warnings, though, and it’s usually those a little longer in the tooth who are slow to react:

It is increasingly clear that a disconnect exists between the imperative to make as much money as possible out of your influence as fast as possible, and the need to be highly selective about how you wield your influence in order to preserve its equity.

The generation that grew up on social media…understands this viscerally. The older generation, the ones who Ms. Rojas said “were born not on social platforms but as traditional celebrities, and have migrated to social afterward,” seems to be learning the hard way. And that may, in the end, change the equation. Or at least … well, influence it.

Brands are never going to stop using the social media presence of peeps to get the message out there, and there will always be money to be made, but it’s clear that the backlash from an ill-thought out alliance (cough, Pepsi) can turn very nasty very quickly.

Be careful out there, influencers.

#blessed.

[source:newyorktimes]