Verified and aspiring social media influencers who attend San Jose State say they face an array of experiences in the digital content creation space.
Many influencers said while they appreciate the opportunity to work with certain brands and their community, some larger brands take advantage of their work.
An influencer is someone who creates content on social media and occasionally collaborates with brands, according to an Aug. 17 Influencer Marketing Hub article.
Influencer Marketing Hub is a private media company that provides resources to individuals in the social media and influencer marketing industry, according to its website.
Aspiring YouTube influencer with more than 2,500 subscribers and advertising sophomore, Jacqueline “Jackie” Toscano, said influencers need to prioritize themselves in the social media industry.
“You have to be aware of what you're worth and not let these brands walk all over you,” Toscano said.
Many influencers say well-known companies such as beauty company Garnier and clothing brand Revolve will pay influencers for sponsored posts.
Social media influencers say they’re often required to post photos online with a caption including why they love the product.
Toscano said although the work seems easy, she wishes brands understood how much work goes into producing the content they ask for.
Human relations sophomore and TikTok content creator Megan Takamatsu said instead of monetary payments, companies will sometimes compensate individuals by giving them free products.
Takamatsu has 109,000 followers on Instagram.
“It’s so flattering to have cool brands email you and then pay for you to promote the stuff you already love,” Takamatsu said.
In October 2019, Takamatsu began posting videos on TikTok where she gained 223,400 followers and 7 million total likes.
While Takamatsu said she enjoys growing her platform and working with brands, there’s a lot that’s “toxic” about the industry.
“The entire industry is all about appearance, who you know and how you appear to people,” Takamatsu said.
She said the industry can be difficult for young girls because of the pressure to maintain current beauty standards.
Because of TikTok’s algorithm, sometimes one’s fame on social media can occur overnight and can make anyone go viral, according to a June 23 Later.com article.
Later.com is a marketing tool for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, according to its website.
TikTok’s algorithm tracks a user’s activity on the app and then recommends similar content on its “For You” homepage, according to the same article, according to the same Later.com article.
According to a 2019 CBS News article, 86% of young Americans want to be influencers on social media. The influencing industry has become such a large industry it’s now worth billions of dollars, according to the same CBS news article.
Toscano said brands will send influencers free products but expect too much content in return.
“I have had some emails where [brands are] asking for a lot more than they're giving. They'd send you a free product but they're asking for all these different deliverables like an Instagram post, Instagram story or YouTube video,” Toscano said.
Takamatsu said it can be hard to turn down a free product, service or even compensation for the promotion of a product, especially when it’s from a brand they love.
Clubs such as Campus Trendsetters give college students the opportunity to work with different brands such as Neutrogena, according to its website.
Toscano is a Campus Trendsetter and said being involved with the club has made it easier for her to become an influencer and branch out in social media careers. Some of the brands that have worked with Campus Trendsetters include Neutrogena and RxBar according to its website.
Campus Trendsetters get a variety of free products that they have to promote on social media.
“I honestly just am really happy that they [programs such as Campus Trendsetter] exist and make it really accessible for us,” Takamatsu said.
Kinesiology junior Nikki Vahabi works as a Victoria’s Secret “PINK” campus representative, where she promotes different clothing products on social media.
Vahabi said she got her start in content creation from the skills she gained on the PINK team.
Influencers say although it takes time to gain followers, it can be easy to start building a platform because they’re able to collaborate with brands and organizations early in their social media careers.
“It’s exciting to be able to have so many connections with people, you definitely learn a lot,” Vahabi said. “Without realizing it, you get a lot of mentors, like I have people that I go to for specific things.”
However, Takamatsu said it can be difficult to stop social media collaborations with brands even when the work negatively affects one’s mental health once individuals are in the industry.
“[Social media is] really hard on my mental health and self esteem,” Takamatsu said.
“You get addicted to the highs of social media, it’s how you get a certain amount of likes on IG but on steroids.”
