Cape Town - The perfectly filtered world of social media influencers has mass appeal and the allure of easy money and sponsorships.
But some experts warn that there is more to this glamorous lifestyle than meets the eye.
Influencers are people who possess a significant following or influence on social media and in the marketing industry and the profession is experiencing growth in South Africa.
“The influencer marketing industry is still young in South Africa in comparison with other global markets,” said founder and chief strategist for marketing consultancy firm Nfluential Anne Dolinschek.
“It has boomed over the last couple of years and brands are starting to use it more effectively as they understand the industry better. South Africa is also unique and we are forging our own identity through learning what does and doesn’t work in our market.”
Even school career counsellors are coming across pupils wanting to pursue this line of work.
Michelle Duraan, a Western Cape career counsellor, said last year she had been told by a pupil that they wanted to become an influencer and Youtuber. She suspects it won’t be the last time.
“They see ‘so many others’ doing it on their feeds. But if you look at it objectively, the percentage of people making a sustainable career or living from it is so small. It is also not a guaranteed long-term income.”
Anne Dolinschek agreed with this sentiment. “In markets such as Australia, Europe and the US, it has become a profession for many,” she said.
Matthew Ross is a Cape Town-based model and YouTuber who progressed in the industry immediately after finishing high school in 2012.
“An influencer is somebody who’s leveraging the way we communicate, which in 2020 is social media,” he
said.
“Regardless of your career path, people need to realise that it’s not about becoming an influencer. It’s about leveraging these social media platforms, which are tools to communicate, to propagate one of your messages and positively impact your community.”
Last year saw major changes to the rules of how influencers can monetise their platforms through marketing. The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) enforced its social media code which stipulates conditions brands and influencers have to abide by.
The code highlights specific requirements of a post on social media, such as identifiers that inform the consumer whether the post is organic or sponsored. An example of this is including “#AD”, “#Advertisement”, or “#Sponsored” in the post.
“It is so easy now for young people to compare their own careers with others, or become frustrated with where they are when comparing themselves to 19-year-old millionaires online,” said Duraan.
“I would never tell someone to stop pursuing something if they are truly passionate about it, but my advice is to team up that drive with some solid qualifications or experience. Accounts get hacked, followers may leave, but if you have an actual skillset to fall back on or help build your brand - that’s something that can’t be taken from you.