Updated: October 19 (see footnote)
The world is being taken over by “influencers”. It’s especially true in the world of travel, where it seems every second person is desperate to be one.
It seems we’ve all got “influenza”, but exactly how influential are these people, and are some of them taking us — and the travel industry — for a ride?
First up as a disclaimer: as a journalist, I am drawn to the work of people in who know what they’re doing, and have risen through the ranks in the media, staying true to their ethics and keeping faith with their audience.
Which is why the travel writers I respect are generally those who’ve done the hard yards as writers and reporters, have a critical eye and are not afraid to call out the bad as well as praise the good.
They avoid the kind of gushing prose that gets me rushing to the sick bag but, you won’t believe it, seems to be all the rage today.
I also respect those people who may not come from a media background but have worked diligently to create entertaining and informative content for their blogs, social-media posts, podcasts and videos and have built up highly engaged audiences in the process.
But I find it difficult to take seriously a person who gets by simply on the basis of being photogenic, yet is not able to write a coherent sentence or provide any insights or usable information beyond what we can find in a travel brochure.
So many “influencers” write like they are a kid in a candy store, because that’s exactly what they are. Opinions are often vapid, and discernment is non-existent. The mantra seems to be: They gave this to me, so I will sing its praises without question.
I find it difficult to take
seriously a person
who gets by simply on
the basis of being photogenic
Of course, a person who has never had to pay for an airfare out of their own pocket, or been far beyond their own backyard, is going to love absolutely everything about the business-class flight and five-star resort some mug in the travel industry has just given them.
And that’s why they are so highly prized by that industry.
In the freewheeling word of social-media influencers, some people rise to the top based on their merit — and more power to them — but more than a few get there because of their good looks, and what they are willing to do to get exposure.
Their interest is more in getting the perks than in providing a service to an audience.
This manifests itself in being absolutely shameless about taking freebies and plugging their sponsors. And many — not all — of them do it with no due diligence on what it is they are pushing. They don’t know and they don’t care.
Their interest is more in
getting the perks than
in providing a service
to an audience
I’ve partaken of so-called junkets in my life and, as a working journalist, have accepted hospitality from a variety of organisations. But it has always been on the simple understanding that I will write it as I see it.
This is how the travel writers that I trust operate, and how I expect anybody who has taken on the mantle of “influencer” ought to do it. As Spider-Man discovered, with great power comes great responsibility.
That starts with accepting that the experience you have is not the same as the one the paying customers will get. You are having your hand held, and getting the best possible experience, and you need to be aware of that.
The influencer who is promoting an airline on the basis of their experience in business or first class has to be aware that most of their followers will not travel that way, if at all. At best, they can look forward to many hours of discomfort in the economy-class cabin.
On arrival, there’ll be no limo or guide, or chilled champagne, just the daunting prospect of finding your own way to a second-rate hotel in a third-rate part of town.
The experience [the influencer
has] is not the same as the one
the paying customers will get
Which brings me to my final point: exactly how influential are these influencers?
What percentage of their following actually has the interest and the wherewithal to buy what is being promoted? How many of those followers are just lurking online to take a wistful look at the pretty people, places and products?
If all they are offering is, say, a photograph of a young person in swimwear on a pristine beach, then how does that really benefit the airline, hotel or tour operator who is paying the influencer? After all, they can organise those kinds of pictures under more controlled circumstances as part of their own social media campaigns and general advertising and promotion.
Why pay an amateur to do what can be done professionally?
Having said all that, I’m willing to believe that some influencers have something to offer and that that something may well baffle the likes of me.
But unless they take what they do seriously and have something meaningful to say to a demographic that is genuinely interested in, and able to afford, the travel experience on offer, then they are just having a laugh at the expense of both their sponsors and their audience.
Footnote: For an example of how an “influencer” campaign can backfire, click here to read about how Australian beer brands were fined for campaigns that were found to have targetted and featured people aged under 25. At least somebody was paying attention — but it was the Cancer Council, which made the complaints, rather than potential customers.
