New TikTok’s ‘Deinfluencing’ trend explained
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‘Deinfluencing’ has become the hottest social media trend in the midst of the call for authenticity.
‘Deinfluencing’, or the act of telling followers what not to buy, has recently taken over TikTok by both influencers and followers alike. In fact, the hashtag #deininfluencing has currently almost 210 million views on TikTok, proving that this is not a trend that seems to be going away anytime soon.
One of the main reasons why ‘deinfluencing’ is taking hold now is the current cost of living crisis. Many people find it unseemly for influencers to recommend certain products, which they are not only given, but also paid to promote, when people are struggling to make ends meet or are just trying to save money, especially in the face of rising energy prices and general economic volatility.
But another major factor why ‘deinfluencing’ is in vogue is that we are hungry for authenticity, given the growing lack of trust between influencers and influenced.
‘Deinfluencing’ seems to have its roots in Mikayla Nogueira, a TikTok beauty influencer who was recently criticised for allegedly wearing false eyelashes in a video promoting a mascara for which she was paid. It was this case that seemed to mark the beginning of #deinfluencing videos.
However, this is not the first time we have seen trends like this on social media. "Empties Haul", for example, is a YouTube trend that started in the mid-2000s in which content creators showcased the products they had used in the last month and reviewed the pros and cons of each. This trend gave way to "Products I wouldn't repurchase", which the name itself is already self-explanatory.
We have also seen this in recent years on TikTok and Instagram with trends such as "Is it worth the hype?", following a similar format to YouTube, but much shorter in which content creators review one brand or product per video.
The proportion of positive reviews on social media usually tends to outweigh the negative ones. In fact, many influencers are often reluctant to talk about products they don't like for fear of alienating the brand or any other potential partners. The difference today, however, is that consumers are more aware of this dynamic and can question a creator's motives.
So, is this the beginning of the end for influencer marketing?
Not at all. In many ways, this is a necessary process that the industry needs to go through to have more honest and trustworthy influencers who put their audiences first. If anything, the emergence of ‘deinfluencing’ is a reminder that honesty and transparency are essential for longevity in the influencer marketing industry.
Furthermore, we should not overlook the fact that "at its core, ‘deinfluencing’ is still influencing; both are about building trust with your audience,” concludes Vanessa Flaherty, president at influencer management company Digital Brand Architects, on an article for The Business of Fashion.