Why Do People Hate the Term 'Influencer'?

When people ask Sara Wilson about her former position at Facebook (now Meta), which began in 2013, she includes a caveat: “I worked with influencers, but now ‘influencer’ is a dirty word, so we call them ‘creators.’ "The early social media version of an influencer is largely negative," continued Wilson, who is now the founder of digital strategy consultancy SW Projects. "In two-dimensional terms, it described somebody who was using their looks to create a brand." #creator vs #influencer poll results 😏 95% prefer the term creator! pic.twitter.com/4oFwFS8hQG— Christen Nino De Guzman (@christenstweets) December 30, 2022 The growing library of terminology, and whether the various references to this talent carry a notable difference, is a contested topic across each side of the industry—with some rallying harder than others to explain why the conversation matters. In a 2021 survey from influencer marketing platform Mavrck, 57% of respondents said they used the title “creator” or “content creator,” while 23% chose “influencer,” and the remainder opted for "ambassador," "blogger" or a more specific identifier like "photographer" or "streamer." As talent cringes over the debate of which term to use, management questions it and brands cling to the word “influencer,” this friction opens a greater cultural conversation. While some argue these title options create helpful career indicators that allow brands and talent to find their footing in partnerships, others consider the distinction between terms to be nothing more than a ranking of skill sets. “Marketers are really hanging onto the phrase 'influencer' because they ultimately want the outcome of their influence to drive more sales, but we all know the stigma that comes with the word,” said Mavrck co-founder and CEO Lyle Stevens. In the early days of internet culture, University of Pennsylvania associate professor of communication Jessa Lingel remembers it was “somewhat of a relief” when the word "influencer" was finally established, as it legitimized a career that was previously left undefined. “Everyone was on the same page about it for a hot sec,” she said. “We’re always going to arrive on a new term that does a better job at capturing how people want to think of themselves in this moment.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mya (@immarollwithit) Rejecting monetization A marketer might seek out self-proclaimed influencers because their work feels more product-heavy, whereas social media users who are more focused on content than product discovery may prefer to follow those who call themselves creators. According to Stevens, the dissonance in terms comes from differing expectations between brands and talent—a marketer will of course be more concerned with pushing product, and partnering with an influencer feels more economically justified. He added that while the terms can be differentiated by goals, there is still a gray area that causes confusion across the space. Glow Recipe, a brand that began weaving partnerships into its marketing strategy when it was founded in 2014, does not shy away from the word "influencer," as co-CEO Sarah Lee said it can be used interchangeably with "content creator" and "entrepreneur" to describe someone who has turned notoriety into a career opportunity. https://www.tiktok.com/@katiefanggg/video/7229882996764003590 “The term ‘influencer’ has such a negative connotation now,” said Leslie Haas Dowling, who specializes in fashion content, in a Mavrck survey. “It’s associated with someone who thinks they have large enough of an online following to ask for free goods and services. That’s not what I do. I create beautiful, custom content for brands that are looking to reach my specific audience, so I call myself a 'content realtor.'” Lingel added that it is impossible to talk about the history of the internet without discussing the subjective and unscientific concept of “authenticity,” which is often used to separate some creators from others. Anastasia Ostrom-Weitz, who specializes in makeup content, said the term "influencer" feels pretentious and not indicative of her value of creating content that pleases her just as much as her audience. "I see the comments all the time that say, ‘We don’t want another paid post from an influencer,’” said Mya Pol, who is focused on disability awareness and advocacy, as well as beauty content. Pol is just starting to consider why she has an aversion to the title. “When I started accepting sponsorships, I feared I would lose the legitimacy and value behind what I was saying." Meta and Adweek Combine the Forces of Creators and Brand Leaders Considering cultural implications Creator Sydney Hella took to TikTok earlier this year to offer an anecdote that she said links an aversion to influencers with misogyny. During a trip to her gym, which is set up to help people film their workouts, she noticed a sticker on the mirror that read: “At least I’m not an influencer.” She argues that anyone who is trying to market online—whether their product is a brand partnership or their own personality—is essentially an influencer, no matter how much they may want to reject that term. Her main point: “Women got good at something and used their ability to emote and relate to other women … and they made an entire marketing industry out of it.” Female influencers continue to dominate influencer marketing, with 77% of all transaction volume in 2022, but men make 1.2 times more per paid post, according to a 2023 report by marketing technology company Izea. https://www.tiktok.com/@sydneythekydneyy/video/7248811884428807426?_r=1&_t=8fWf7VU While lifestyle partnerships, which encompass categories like fashion, home and beauty, both established and have dominated influencer marketing, Wilson recalls that she was recruited by Facebook in 2013 as a team of one. As evidenced by the larger size of teams managing sports and entertainment partnerships, she stressed that the most visible and profitable categories also seemed the least respected. “Most of these categories, if not all, were driven by women, and I think that was part of the reason they were underestimated,” said Wilson, pointing to her work with Kim Kardashian, who began shedding her status as a quintessential influencer as she added more ventures to her résumé. “I don’t think there was a real understanding of why these people matter.” Some Mavrck survey respondents said the label "influencer" represents someone with the main goal of soliciting free products and services who fails to encompass the complications or work that go into the career, while others said it is the most honest and accurate term. “Despite the negative connotation the word ‘influencer’ has received, it's the most accurate description of what we essentially do, which is bring awareness to our audience about products and services in our respective niches in exchange for currency,” said respondent Daisi Pollard, a model and entrepreneur who has built a following on social media. While the internet always has a way of “rejecting what it used to be and making fun of it,” said Wilson, the progression of these titles reveals more than just meaningless preferences. “Let’s pull the threads on the debate and say, ‘What are we really getting at?’ and, ‘What do these questions reveal about us as a culture and what we value?’” she said. This story is part of the Advancing DEI special feature.

Influencers & Creators

Why Do People Hate the Term 'Influencer'?

The debate on verbiage stems from a rejection of new income streams and the early days of internet culture

Emmy Liederman

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Emmy Liederman