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Confessions of an Instagram Influencer
Article

Confessions of an Instagram Influencer

I used to post cat photos. Then a marketing agency made me a star.


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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Overview
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Major brands, including L’Oréal and Condé Nast, regularly sign deals with online “influencers” – individuals with large followings on platforms like Instagram who showcase branded products for a fee. While some argue that taking and posting photos online is mere hack-work, influencers themselves say their work requires hard work and skill. Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Max Chafkin finds out exactly what it takes to work as a professional Instagram influencer by attempting (temporarily) to become one himself. getAbstract recommends this article to everyone interested in social media marketing.

Summary

Depending on who you ask, employing a professional Instagram “influencer” to promote your brand is either “throwing away money” on skill-less hucksters or leveraging the expertise of hard-working social media marketers. So the question is: What, exactly, does it take to become a professional influencer? According to Daniel Saynt from the Socialyte talent agency, just about anyone can transform him or herself into a professional influencer, but that doesn’t mean the path to success is easy.

Influencers earn money based on the number of people...

About the Author

Max Chafkin is a technology and business reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg Technology.