When did we start listening to Influencers instead of experts and professionals?

In a world of interconnectedness, can you recall a time you didn’t have your phone, a device, or an information portal for mass consumption of information readily available? Everyone with a desire, an idea, or are overly confident, is merely steps away from starting what they believe could be a multi-million-dollar company.  But what happened to us doing the time, learning the art, and dedicating ourselves to a skillset that could help us succeed?

We now prioritize followers over friendship, money over kindness, and the American Dream, which so many western cultures aspire to. It seems to me, to be a corrupt establishment paving the way for the hustler to build a dream with nothing more than hard work and a drive for money, money, money at any cost? Don’t get me wrong, I love a little hustle, it’s great, it’s driven, it’s motivating. But the fact remains, you still need the skills to pay the bills!

As a dedicated marketer of over 22+ years in senior roles, I am clearly pro-professional and getting advice from the source rather than a one-minute video you watch and think you can do the same things. I see the difference in my agency from staff that comes with 10+ years of experience with a degree vs without a degree. I see it in their skills, drive, and knowledge. My CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) friends and I often debate the role of the influencer and social media as part of our marketing mix. We all agree, that it adds no value to the ethical, sustainable, and environmental goals of the business and for some industries (outside of beauty & fashion) has become the ‘we do it because everyone else is doing it’ motto. It’s simply a channel to market and while these tech giants hold your control and attention with notifications and bings and the consumers stay there, marketers are forced to stay there also.

Years ago, in my early career, I recall one year when we didn’t want to take a stand at a tradeshow as we knew the ROI was horrendous. It wasn’t something that would give us many new customers, moreover, it was something we did just to be seen, to show the brand strength, and play mind games with the competitors.  This led my thinking early to driving company owners to assess every marketing channel as part of their marketing mix and not what digital agencies were telling everyone – get on social media. Looking deeply into their business models and asking, ‘will this convert for me vs what’s the cost to play.’

We ask for or share recommendations on social media, but let’s think about this.  It’s the small businesses that are really focused on driving and engaging on socials. The one-man band is in a small business networking group where it’s their job to share your information and help drive your leads.  Or, do you think you would get a better outcome from a Google search to find the better companies out there?

I do think many other industries around us need to be more environmentally, sustainable and ethically focused and need a bit of a shakeup, but I see the creation of the content/entertainment influencer (eg Instagram influencers and TikTokers who just dance for you, show you their bodies, drive aspirational lifestyle content and provide no real value to your life at all, other than them selling you into a brand’s products). Which leads me to ask, “Why do we follow, listen to, and copy ‘aspirational’ influencers? And why is becoming a celebrity more important than becoming known for your skillset and expertise?”

How many scientists, futurists, economists, and medical researchers have their work hidden and not seen or spoken about on social media, tv morning shows, or the news? It simply isn’t topical, interesting, or newsworthy – apparently. But you can see them promoting or writing about models, celebrities, TV personalities, tech startups that made millions (that regularly go broke), and I could go on.

But what happens when the hustler is just winging it, hoping to pull in the right people and with friendships now based on who you have following you, rather than who would you call when you need help, we are thrust into a new reality that has been created where we listen to people with a following, rather than people who have been dedicated to a profession for decades. Which keeps me asking…. “Why are we listening to influencers?”

In mid-2021, while still in my position as QLD Chair of the Australian Marketing Institute, I hosted an event that brought together some ‘best in class’ professionals on the panel. Afterward, I asked each of them if their business or themselves personally, gave insights on social or had any desire to become an influencer. One panelist responded, “absolutely not, why would we do that?”

We then discussed the reasons why it should be considered. And if you look around, the big players in town are all doing the same thing, but at a smaller business level, there are so many less-skilled individuals with a dream and a phone overloading the world with entry-level content that helps them build a business.

I hear it constantly – ‘Marketing doesn’t work.’ It does! It’s just that we need to ask ourselves “am I listening to influencers rather than professionals?” And let’s start a path to success where we save up and consult with ‘best in class’ professionals that are dedicated to their profession, as they only do it so they can help you succeed.