Times are unprecedented and if you would have asked me what I predicted for 2020, it definitely would not be a pandemic. Quite frankly, I was on board with all of the people spreading pictures and articles about how 2020 was supposed to be the year of “2020 vision.” Last year, 2019, was actually a pretty sad year for me. My horse, who was truly my best friend passed away suddenly and it was devastating. At the end of that year, I got engaged and was optimistic about the start of a new year.
As you know, 2020 hasn’t really been much of anything except a lot of fear, anger, frustration, sadness, confusion and loss. I don’t personally know anyone that was affected by the virus, but I know that many people have lost loved ones, jobs and so much more. This period of time is unlike anything I have ever experienced and I am hopeful that we will get through it and become stronger than ever.
At the start of the pandemic, I was anxious to see what would happen to the digital influencer world. I saw the way retail stores, farmers, small businesses and many others were being affected, but what would it do to influencers? The “influencer” world is relatively new and in my opinion, it is growing and becoming very popular. Influencer marketing has proved to be very successful for many companies and it is becoming more widely used. So what kind of affect would a pandemic have on digital influencers?
Digital Influence During a Pandemic
At the start, I noticed that a lot of influencers went quiet. I did the same. It just didn’t feel right to get on my Instagram and talk about my new favorite top or the 75% off sale from my favorite brand. I was at a loss for words. People around me were losing their jobs, so why would I want to encourage them to shop for a new shirt? I felt very conflicted. As I was in quarantine, I thought it was the perfect time to really go full throttle with my online business, but it just didn’t feel right.
The benefit of being an influencer though, is that your platform essentially influences a large group of people and you get to choose how to do that. Many companies have found ways to give back through donating a portion of sales to COVID-19 relief efforts. I have been a part of helping to spread the word on these efforts and have found that this kind of content has been received very well by my readers.
As an influencer, I think it’s really important to choose words very carefully, especially because people are very sensitive during this time. For brands, I think it really helps to use marketing platforms and partner with influencers to reach consumers on a more relatable and personal level.
This unprecedented time has been one to remember. While everyone is at home, screen time has increased tremendously and people are being influenced digitally now more than ever.
Excellence points we have be very careful and choose our words wisely. We have to be sensitive to people that lost family members and we have to be sensitive to the people that have anxiety or stress because they are on lockdown and are not used to these type of routine,this type of new normal. And I love the way you talk about Brands brands have to think about people in this situations to
I was thinking about that as well the other day, a lot of digital influencers went quiet but I had no idea why! I get it, these are such unprecedented times and as such, we all have to be very sensitive to what is going on around us.
Yes, I am always careful on what I put out there. I also make sure to remind people to stay home. I’ve seen some influencers out and about without mask and I’m like ??
You’re right about being careful. In a lot of ways things have changed, but I also love being able to have some things feel the same! I don’t necessarily need an influencer to just talk about the pandemic, there is already so much of that in the media. It is meaningful to have people share how their daily lives are impacted – that’s something genuine we can all relate to. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Influences are all around us. Though it’s our responsibility to strain the influences that we follow, it is also a huge responsibility on the part of those people who knows that they have a lot of followers who look up to them. Kudos to you for being one of the responsible ones!
I’ve really been struggling as an influencer – I find many brands have kinda shut down production and budgets are tight, so harder to get campaigns. Also, all 3 of my kids are suddenly home from school needing my help with remote learning and there went my wonderful 6 hours of productive kid-free work time. sighhhhhh
This is the truth about digital influencing and the power we have. I think it’s so important to choose words wisely. You never know who is reading and what they are thinking.
You’ve brought up some great points! I consider myself just a blogger not so much an influencer but I have definitely cut back on the affiliate link promoting.
This pandemic situation is influencing each aspect of life, every thing is going to digital, most important is that now some marriages has been planned online…
These are times that none of us lived before so we don’t know what is best to do. A lot of people have lost their jobs, a lot of people don’t have an income anymore and it would indeed be inappropriate to continue as an influencer like nothing happened.
While I don’t take on the label of influencer, I feel you have raised some important points. I am struggling with a similar quandry– whether or not I have something valuable to add to this toxic environment.
Digital is the new thing and even more substantial during this pandemic time. Everyone just needs to be educated on who and what to follow.
I’ll be honest – I have completely backed off on my Outdoor Travel blog and it’s corresponding social media accounts. However, the account connected to this comment, my pet blog, has taken off during this time. People are home with their pets and looking for advice on how to tackle aspects of pet parent life that they haven’t had time to focus on before (or didn’t have the need for before) like training tips, home grooming, etc. It has been fun connecting with so many great pet owners.
Even with that focus, though, I have to be aware of what I’m saying. People are struggling financially in many cases and I would hate for someone to think that they are being judged as a pet parent if they can’t afford to purchase certain luxury things.
This is the truth about digital influencing and the amount of power we have. I think it’s so important to choose your words wisely.
We certainly are in strange and trying times. We should always be conscious of what we say and how we present ourselves.
I believe so! And I bet influencer marketing will have its turbo boost during this pandemic.