Social media has vastly changed the world in more ways than one. Social media has affected the way we connect and communicate with our friends and family, as well as provided us with constant feedback and information that wasn’t necessarily available prior to its advent.
Social media apps like Instagram have created fierce debate surrounding the side effects that our curated images can place on our mental health, with more and more people striving to reach unnecessary beauty standards or creating an image of themselves that just isn’t true.
On the back of this, consumers are searching for sincerity and realism that maybe wasn’t around before, with many consumers now turning their backs on celebrity in search for more authentic figures of guidance.
The image of celebrity has diminished
Although the image of celebrity remains in certain cases, the godly image that celebrities possess is certainly starting to diminish in certain areas. Admittedly, social media divides opinion, and there remain celebrities and influencers online who possess that messiah-like status among their followers.
However, inversely, more and more people are becoming aware of the falsehoods and inauthenticity of social media platforms. They are increasingly starting to see celebrities as normal people with faults and issues of their own, leading to a subculture of sincerity and realism among the up-and-coming Generation Z.
People are craving realism and authenticity
As mentioned above, Generation Z is really starting to pave the way for a new way of living. Members of this generation have known no other way of living besides what exists on social media, and are beginning to rebel in search of authentic, ordinary voices.
An influencer marketing agency can tap into this desire for realism and transparency by reaching out to influencers who people can truly connect with and receive beneficial guidance from. The ethical influencer who lives up to normal human standards is someone much more trustworthy and admirable than, say, Kylie Jenner, who promotes unachievable beauty ideals.
Social media subculture strives for transparency over sponsored posts
Recent changes in social media have left influencers now obliged to state when one of their posts has been sponsored. This has forced influencer marketers to find new ways of selling products without the sponsorship tag, creating a façade of quality.
Instagram users are beginning to realise that just because a brand or influencer is using a product, it doesn’t strictly mean that it’s good – and a “sponsored post” tag indicates that a user has been paid to advertise a certain product. As a result, when a product is promoted by an ordinary person in a post that is not obviously sponsored, their words can seem much more reliable and trustworthy.
There are many different reasons why ordinary people are beginning to become the new image of celebrity. A search for sincerity and realism in our influencers and a quantifying ideal of normal has surpassed the unachievable beauty standards, providing influencers with a more authentic and trustworthy voice that people can truly follow and get behind.