Hey there, Obviously family!

Today, I want to talk to you about something that’s very near and dear to our hearts: why influencers rock. This seems unbelievably obvious, right? Well… apparently not. The truth is, for all the hard work you put in, all the love you get from your followers, and all the million ways you’re shaking up the industry every day, there are still some people who just don’t get it. There are still some people who think the old ways of marketing- namely paying someone inordinate amounts of money to design a glossy ad campaign that no one buys - are the best ways.

I’m sure many of you heard the story last week of the lovely Elle Darby who was publicly shamed by a Dublin hotel (cough White Moose Cafe cough) for her offer to collaborate with them on her blog. Ms. Darby sent them a very polite letter offering her services as an influencer. As it happens, they weren’t interested. (Which is fine.) What wasn’t fine was the cruel way they exposed her to public ridicule, accusing her of being selfish, entitled, arrogant, and who knows what else for having the audacity to offer them a free service. While this is only one example, it does expose a greater reality of something many influencers experience on a day-to-day basis. Namely, people misunderstand what it is we’re all about. Sometimes, the backlash can be so tough that we’re even inclined to disparage our own work, minimizing the value of what we do and putting ourselves down. Don’t fall into that trap! Instead, hold your head up with pride and admit you love what you do. In other words, own your awesome.

Here are some tips on how to respond to common criticisms of influencers and turn the haters into appreciators.

Who do you think you are? You’re no better than anyone else.

Of course not! The entire point of influencer marketing is regular people sharing what they love. That’s what makes it so effective-- it’s accessible and relatable.

So you just take selfies and expect free stuff?

Absolutely not. This is seriously hard work. Content produced by influencers is as high-quality, if not more so, than content created by professional advertisers. We care about what we do and take it very seriously.

You’re so vain!

Not vain, but definitely confident.

You’re a sell-out. You’ll promote anything.

Influencing only works if your audience trusts you and trusts your recommendations. It doesn’t benefit me at all to be dishonest, so I really don’t do it. I only promote products I love.

This can’t work. No one really cares what regular people do.

Word-of-mouth recommendations have always been the most effective and trusted form of advertising. Social media has simply taken what we’ve always known to work and brought it to the next level. Social media marketing is the fastest growing branch of advertising. Maybe it’s time to get on board!

Feel free to comment with any of the silly shade you’ve been thrown and how you responded.