In Defence Of Influencers *are they really ALL rotten?*

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

As a viewer or an influencer I would really like to hear your thoughts on the points I raised today, is there anything I didn't mention that you think I should have?

[@sams3015]

Bonus point: 17:00 is it just me but do you think this happens less when the person is 1) already wealthy 2) influencer isn’t their main job and on point 2, a disconnect can happen if they leave their job for influencing

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

@@sams3015 All good points you have made 🤔 I honestly don’t know I see examples of people who I don’t believe to be relatable to me but the audience they have love them for being relatable to them It’s very very fascinating indeed

[@mspro9032]

@@CaitlinPawlowski I feel like they manipulate their viewers making them think they are the same...but they aren't and maybe in real life aren't as nice

[@LotusesGalaxyOcean]

I would be curious to hear your opinion on how ai will impact this issue. I heard that there are already ai of models on social media and of sites. If that is true then… logically won’t it spread?

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

@@LotusesGalaxyOceanliterally just filmed a video about this today that will be out next week ☺️❤️

[@akong331]

I don’t have problems with influencers who are honest. It’s the liars and shady practices that get me.

[@Mumbasa10]

of COURSE influencers change when they get big and I understand why many people start to hate them because they lose all authenticity, but its really a case of dont hate the player, hate the game-If you get so big that you are getting paid brand trips from Gucci and LV and paid product then are you really gonna say something bad about the brand? Its career suicide to be honest at that point. There have been several instances of influences being gifted REALLY ugly product (the LV puffy shoes-I'm looking at YOU) and of course if the influencer wants to keeo working with the brand so they will always talk about how great the product is. I think thats why its good to watch smaller influencers (for honesty) and bigger ones you just have to take them for what they are, basically lifestyle asprational porn and look at them like basically they are an ad (because thats what they are at a certain point

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

I think you’re right To me there is a dream audience size any bigger and you alienate viewers Too small and you’re stressed about trying to make a living 🤔

[@lolipena8051]

i stop watching once they get really big. i dont feel the connection anymore. they dont interact as much. each time they are trying to sell you something. i dont feel they are genuinie anymore

[@kaylheecarroll3186]

I appreciate influencers who are honest and transparent ❤😊

[@pinkpopmash325]

I think highlowweluxe is the perfect example of an influencer who’s content has changed as her income evolved. She’s done a good job of bringing her audience along for the ride. It’s only annoying when big influencers do a Walmart haul or target haul bc there’s no way you’re shopping there.

[@user-bg9ws7ys4k]

It's rather disingenuous on their part....

[@extrememinimalism]

but you can do both. some people will buy high quality food and wear second hand clothes. others will do vice versa.

[@equarshie14ify]

This comment 100%. Most of the content show high end pieces and then they randomly do a Walmart or Zara haul. I love highlowweluxe and i once purchased a top she recommended from revolve. She talked about how amazing the quality was but when I received it, it was awful. I still follow her and love her content but never buying anything she recommends

[@nikkismith2858]

Yeh I think Tiffany d was / is a target ambassador but her life & channel is all about luxury bags & clothes. There’s no way she would normally shop there- I actually unsubscribed because she started with makeup tutorials and taught me a lot. I check her out a year or two later and she’s moved away from makeup (fair enough she’s one of the OG and maybe fed up with makeup and tutorials don’t do well anymore ) but now she just rambles on about bags but very superficially & not as helpful as Caitlin

[@lanaori5097]

Beaing an influencer may seen tempting for us usual viewers, and especially for younger generations, but in fact influencers do a lot of work, often more than usual office worker, and people don't understand it, they think those are easy money, and I see this a lot from speaking with young, they all want to be influencers, but in fact they do nothing to become one=) Every success require effort (at least minimal) or a talent, or combination of both.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

You are so right!

[@stephaniem895]

Agreed. Being a content creator is a full time job. I built a life coaching and speaking business for 7 years with content marketing. In addition I had to develop courses, network, deliver services ckients paid for. I loved it and then burned out. I closed business and now work for a fortune 200 company. I don’t have the love and passion I had when I did my business but I’m also not working even half the amount of time I worked running and building a business.

[@njos4500]

I have noticed that almost every influencer now has one or several Hermes bags. I find those influencers to be unrelatable. I know that they feel they have to keep up with each other. But in my experience that’s a real turn off to most people who will never have that kind of disposable income. I’ve stopped watching a few for that reason.

[@punamganguly2530]

I love your videos. So articulate and to the point. I also love your makeup, your styling. Lots of good wishes from Bangladesh 😊

[@caryn1158]

Great video and really so much to unpack.. influencers in a sense are the modern day door to door salesman.. and there is a product or service for any and everything.. honestly I use to follow highlowluxe in original days... but had to stop because I couldn't relate anymore it was less relatable fashion and more high fashion and I think she is going through that transition period where those who find the clothes wearable will follow and those who can't will fall off 😅.. its all apart of change and growth.. my problem is the sustainability and feasibility... I really don't know who at a mass scale can afford to spend on high ticket items that a lot of these influencers who are in this transition phase are now marketing to? It like luxury housing... most people will never be able to afford it but can get inspired from it😅 but its not sustainable its... definitely not a lifetime career IMO you'll burn out I think we see this nownin OG content creators..but its teaching the newer generations that its fast money (whether true or not is debatable) and breeds anomosity and fosters a class-ism* mentality its hard not 2 when everyday your being shown those who have vs those who have not.. I am more worried of the long term effects this will have on generating wealth for the next generation especially in times where the disparity is so obvious .. Its hard to discern between an illusion that influencers are capable of creating through a false sense of relatability and I fear we will end up with a poorer generation that have wasted their time on consuming material items focused on stuff vs cultivating their own person and an empathetic mindset especially towards one another.. I know I was falling down the hole in the beginning of social media days and if I am struggling at 35 I am terrified those younger than me growing up in a world where everyone is selling or marketing to you at everyturn what are those effects mentally... and as creatures who are easily wayed on emotion over logic ... I don't see a positive future 😢 but that is life ... as always great video and its good to have topics that challenge the herd mentality and get people thinking about the reality of the world we live in definitely keeps me grounded.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Thankyou for sharing your honest thoughts on this ☺️

[@lkofie6670]

Honestly, in the end, if I were an influencer, I would be storing a lot of the income away in savings and retirement because it just looks tiring and fickle. If you were to take a break, you would want to be able to sustain your livelihood. But sure... I would have fun with my earnings too, of course. But all in all, entrepreneurship is not so smooth sailing and glamorous as people think... it's working around the clock and humoring as many opportunities as the day is long to continue generating income.

[@MsKatze]

I actually don't have a problem with influencers, the ones I don't care for I just don't watch. I really don't like some of the comments I see on videos. If you don't like the content or person, don't watch it. It really bothers me to see how entitled people are, like they're entitled to abuse content creators because they put themselves out there. Or they get upset about brand deals as if the content creator should be entertaining them for free. Also, content creators should behave in whatever way these people think they should. People will criticize everything, from what they wear, to their makeup and what they say or do. People are really so entitled they believe content creators should be a receptacle for all of their negative feelings and should do it for free to boot. It's crazy to me.

[@njos4500]

Regarding clickbait, I often read the comments to find out what the video is about before I decide to watch.

[@haiji1996]

Do people become jealous of influencers once they become successful and rich?

[@Luccol-ii4en]

Hi Caitlin, great video. I think - speaking specifically of luxury/fashion influencers - as they grow and their income grows, their lifestyle and access to things differ from where they started and may no longer relate to the original audience. But at the same time, they’ll gain new followers as well. The problem is some viewers feel the need to express their jealousy in a negative manner instead of simply unfollow or not watch someone they can’t relate to. We all had relationships in our lives that we use to cherish but overtime they evolve into something we no longer want to be a part of. I think that’s okay and you should respectfully move on to something that works better for you. 😊

[@lanaori5097]

All luxury bloggers I watch, cause I enjoy their personality (what I see) and for joy, cause I can not afford anything they show (except makeup or some skincare).

[@ritaagafonova5270]

I think it’s normal that when influencers get bigger they get hate and frustration from the audience. When the income becomes disproportionate to the value they bring (and in 99.9% of high grossing influencers that’s just the case), it’s bound to bring frustrations, especially when the viewers without whom those incomes wouldn’t exist are often struggling and their own ways (and everyone just cannot be an influencer). So the higher the influencer goes the higher the moral bar - and that’s not wrong. At that point it’s either maintain the bar and integrity (hard, and will still get some hate, people will be understandably jealous), bow out and move on to some other occupation, or just keep milking it and ride the hate waves if that’s someone’s cup of tea. As for the clickbait and watered down content for the sake of content (I’m inclined to group them cause clickbait=misleading which is similar to useless content.. well, everyone does their thing, so obviously I understand what drives someone who posts videos, but if one is to acknowledge that, you also gotta acknowledge that it’s mighty annoying to the audience. I don’t think this cycle could be broken by either creators or audiences each driven by their interests, perhaps the platform could be in charge of that (regulating quality and baiting via algorithm). But while they have the tech to do that, that might affect their bottom line, so I don’t have much expectation there either.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Why do you think they gain more and more successful if the value they bring is so low? Thanks for watching!

[@ritaagafonova5270]

@@CaitlinPawlowski thanks for asking! First, the key point I was making is low *proportionate to income*. (The bigger the money, and the bigger incentive the money is the more this applies) There’s a number of arguments why that can be true, I’ll try to bullet point so it’s not an essay: - content often gets watered down when it becomes main income (gotta keep with schedule the algos the revenue, the driver of why influencer shares changes) - influencers trade in peoples attention, they don’t always get it because of value, there’s other common contributors: emotional triggers of the audience (people get jealous, fomo, get frustrated, influencers can and do leverage that), social media addictions (people watch junk all the time just because of it) - no one likes being sold to or being sold (I’m referring to the audience’s attention), so as soon as it happens (I do acknowledge the reasons why it happens), a number of questions rise and possibilities open (influencer is constantly enticed to manipulate the audience and the audience is constantly questioning if they’re being manipulated or not), this will at least lead to diminished perceived value

[@barbwinkler2291]

Interesting…..I agreed with you on most of your points! It is amazing that an individual can essentially start with nothing and end up with a media voice. Social media is another way for creative people can “make it”,

[@lydiaornot]

start with nothing? Not entirely- these days it is way harder to gain some traction if you don't have a great camera or even several thereof, ring lights, professional video editing software, a good microphone, a light-sensitive yet versatile (thus, expensive) camera lens, a music subscription, a laptop that can handle proper editing, back-up systems like cloud subscriptions and SD cards, tripods and maybe even gimbals, and a visually pleasing background. KZbin is not that grassroots space anymore where you can just film with your webcam or phone camera. It has become very classist at its core.

[@Rebecc4choi]

I watched the extreme pr video and loved your content so much, so i am gonna watch more of you! You are very captivating!

[@giedrebey5444]

Hi Caitlin, its great that social media, allows ppl to change lives and ability to support families, the problem is when they are not honest. Dont tell its sponsored, and saying that they love this stuff, but apart the video, they never wear…. Also its kind of first generation social media influencers. They are getting the platform, that it was not av before, so having big following, it has to give , some kind of responsibility. If they have such a big platform, stop just pushed the materialistic, not healthy habits agenda, you have to have some accountability of your actions. So do something more just bunch of unboxings, unhealthy eating habits, or changing appearance, photo shopping, etc… Have a blessed day🙏❤️

[@thinkpink6796]

Cailin, I actually really loved when you made a dating advice video. I would love to see more from you in the future in addition to these types of videos. Especially because you give a completely different take than what’s popular in the dating/relationship advice area. I found your advice to be more realistic and level headed

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Aw Thankyou I’ll have a think about what other dating videos I can make 🥰

[@mspro9032]

The thing is mentally I know these people are influences trying to sell me something so I intentionally do not click links. They have a sense of entitlement. I think people who do other jobs such as doctors, lawyers, etc do harder work without getting free luxury products or sponsored trips.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Influencers do offer a service just like lawyers or doctors though Thanks for watching!

[@StaciLeaBeauty]

I hope some day to grow my channel to become a full time creator.

[@Mumbasa10]

Also one point about the giveaways, ok fine it doesn't grow authentic subscribers but still if you are so lucky to have achieved so much success in this sphere why wouldn't you do giveaways SOLELY to just be kind to your audience that literally are the reason that you are here? For example a big influencer who gets multiple designer bags for free throughout the year could easily gift a bag and not even put it in the title of their video, just hide the giveaway 10 minutes in as a thank you to your subscribers. Some of these girls are literally drowning in free designer stuff, its just greedy at that point

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

I understand what you’re saying I used to do giveaways in that way for the sole reason of just wanting my audience to get them but the videos would have so much engagement they would be pushed out to other people and would end up attracting new viewers who only cared about the giveaway not my other videos As I also mentioned in the video KZbin are very strict about their giveaways now and a lot of them breach user guidelines 😔

[@sams3015]

This is such an interesting video. I use to work for a content marketing firm & even in that corporate 2B2 setting, sponsorships would take the piss because we were a smaller company so I can only imagine how it is for individuals

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Really?? That’s super interesting I guess across the board some try to take the piss 🤔 Thanks for watching!

[@sams3015]

@@CaitlinPawlowskioh yeah, when I was there, they were rebranding a bit because they wanted to look more serious / established because they got burned so many times or just not taken seriously. But it happens all over, it’s a story as old as time unfortunately

[@Swizzyinsg]

I WISH I HAD FOUND YOUR CHANNEL A LOT SOONER!!

[@user-nn9bk4ur3x]

Interesting video. You are correct… a lot of people in abusive relationships stay because they do not have the income to live outside relationship. Being an influencer may have even saved lives. I personally do not watch videos for give aways I watch because of content. .. but when influencers are given luxury items and products for free and they always “like” everything they receive it makes me not watch them anymore How can someone like everything? If influencers want people to watch for content as it should be… then they should give their honest opinion about all products including the free ones. Agree… we evolve but our core doesn’t usually change. When i was in school and college i couldn’t afford what I can today. But I am still the same person. Love your content !

[@nitajoesplaytherapy4639]

Giveaways.... you're so right! Give it to someone you actually know doesn't have much, with no strings attached

[@mansoor3159]

Yayyy!! Finally Finally Caitlin you came with this video because I was eagerly eagerly waiting for this video you are my inspiration and I wish you have a best week ahead🙂💫💖

[@sarahwales6276]

Loving these videos, you have a great vibe, thank you ❤

[@Restless318]

you are so beauiful in this viedo we never know people story

[@judeemclaughlin7394]

KZbin fed me one of your videos while I was just letting it run in the background. To be honest, not really a subject I was interested in. I watched anyway because I like your style. I watched a couple of videos that were closer to my interests (including this one) and decided to stick around.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Thanks for being here ☺️

[@yo-31]

As you said you have good and bad. The majority of influencers promote products so much so you are not sure if it is honest. In regards of click bait, if you think a little bit, you will take it with pinch of salt... Overall, you need to select the influencers you're watching based on your values and even so to keep in mind that you only see small part of their life.... The thing is that when the influencers get "big" (I am happy for them), sometimes you cannot relate to them any longer as they are in a some sort of "cloud".

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Thankyou for sharing your thoughts! ☺️

[@ethicalbunny]

I love making content for myself and have never made money from anything but it is still shocking the amount of people that have been so rude to me! No one would begrudge a small business owner or a celebrity but people trying to monatize their passions beware 😂 social media is savage … you are literally learning and developing so many skills while being publicly criticised 😅

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

It’s a cruel world

[@teodorailieva9700]

Hey Caitlin, great video as always! Could you please talk more about why you privated your ear piercing video, I just got curious, I think that was one of the very first videos I saw by you ❤

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Thanks for watching! Similar to the giveaways situation I talked about I was gaining subscribers who were more interested in piercing videos instead of my other content so it ended up being more harmful to my channel over all xx

[@user-bg9ws7ys4k]

Caitlin, thank you for shedding a bit of light onto the influencers and the pressures, abuse and plain advantage-taking on/of them by many who are flogging their wares - luxury or otherwise, through them. I have been watching several influencers growing in their success as influencers, including you. I'm interested on the human level and, of course I'm a present perfume and past bags addict....so, no judgment from me. But it makes me terribly sad how the success(es) has/have changed the personalities of some of the influencers. I was absolutely cheering when you decided to stop your luxury channel and switched to something more valuable for yourself and also for your viewers....If course you know why you did it and i don't. The point I'm trying to make here is - go slow, see if it is something that makes sense to you business-wise and is in line with you emotionally/mentally and beware of becoming greedy...stay honest with yourself. And yes, I agree that there is a lot of envy and jealousy floating around in comments, unfortunately.

[@CaitlinPawlowski]

Thankyou for your advice and support ☺️

[@user-bg9ws7ys4k]

@@CaitlinPawlowski thank you for responding....but it actually was not an advice since you don't need it really 🙂just thinking out loud.

[@stephanieklingberg9785]

💓