Your Favorite Influencer is Lying to You

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gs they bought make their back end look incredible. They leave out unfavorable information, such as if the product isn’t safe for the eyes or if breaks down after a day of wear. They’re encouraged to wear filters or to do things that make products look better within the short video. They photoshop pictures to make the product look more appealing.</p><p id="3b08">TikTokers rarely disclose that their reviews or sponsored or that the items were given to them, and if they do, they often claim that their thoughts are their own. They omit important information, such as what skin type the product is meant for. They’ll wear scrubs or a name badge to make you believe they’re a doctor.</p><p id="0cff">Even the smaller influencers are trying to be positive while reviewing products or talking about sales. They are trying to get noticed by brands while also growing their audience. They feel the pressure to get their review of this viral product out there so that they can get views while the product is relevant.</p><p id="f4be">One product that benefited from this type of advertising is the KVD Good Apple foundation. It seemed like everyone on TikTok was trying it out, but no one ever disclosed vital information such as which skin type it was for (dry). There are also the TikTok leggings that don’t look good on anyone, the Target bras that sold out, and the NYX glosses and pencils that seem to fly off shelves.</p><p id="c785">The customers who fall for the TikTok hype often feel that the retail salespeople who are trying to help them are untrustworthy. I’ve even been told that I must work for a brand after trying to help a guest find a similar product since the TikTok one was sold out. The customer eventually left, empty-handed, because she believed I couldn’t possibly suggest something to her that was better than the product she saw on TikTok.</p><p id="6067">It’s not only makeup products that are flying off the shelves. People looking to grow their audience will go out in search of sale items to gain views. They proudly show that Wal-Mart has blankets on sale for .30 cents or towels for a dollar. This creates an issue where TikTokers

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face pressure to buy every single sales product for views, leaving behind nothing for those who may be in need. This also creates a negative situation for people who work in these stores, some of which hope they’d have time to purchase at least one of the sale items before they sold out.</p><p id="f1dd">To make a long story short, while not everyone on TikTok is lying about the products they try, it’s likely that your favorite influencer is just a salesperson with a bigger platform. You should stop buying things they promote to you unless they suit your needs.</p><p id="3f44"><b>More By This Author:</b></p><div id="f628" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-great-buy-me-a-coffee-debate-c08667ccd734"> <div> <div> <h2>The Great ‘Buy Me A Coffee Debate’</h2> <div><h3>Do you consider writers who ask for tips bums?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*VgvzORhouvWZnOzkuGRHLg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="2214" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/jeans-and-pizza-wont-pay-my-bills-9787bd672341"> <div> <div> <h2>Jeans and Pizza Won’t Pay My Bills</h2> <div><h3>Thank me financially, not with the ability to wear jeans at work</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*dtQIN04q0Xkqmswo9NG-Hw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="af5f"><a href="https://geezenstack444.medium.com/membership"><i>If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider joining medium to read more by this author!</i></a></p><p id="7ffc">If you’d like to learn more about this author please visit her on <a href="https://linktr.ee/jmcculloch120">linktree.</a></p></article></body>

An influencer is just another word for a salesperson

“Have you seen the doctor on TikTok? The one who wears scrubs in all his videos. He recommended this product, so I can’t wait to try it!”

I work in retail with a strong focus on sales, and every day I have people coming in to buy things they’ve seen on TikTok. There isn’t a day that’s gone by that I haven’t had someone ask me to show them something they’ve seen on TikTok, and I hate it. Most guests believe and hold on to every word their favorite influencer says, as if that person couldn’t possibly mislead them. They treat an influencer’s recommendations with the same care they would that of their best friend while ignoring that of the salesperson helping them.

While working in retail, I’ve been given a script telling me how to sell certain products to customers. I’m also encouraged to do things such as wearing mascara on one eye and not the other to show the customers how much of a difference the mascara makes. I’m offered gratis and free food for selling a certain product and told to walk around carrying bags of the item I’m supposed to be selling. I also must wear pins or lanyards showing off the product.

Influencers are likely given a script like the one I’ve been asked to memorize. They’re given free products to test on camera that may or may not be the same quality as the product in the store. They use ring lights to make the product look flawless on their skin, or they’ll wear a padded butt and say the leggings they bought make their back end look incredible. They leave out unfavorable information, such as if the product isn’t safe for the eyes or if breaks down after a day of wear. They’re encouraged to wear filters or to do things that make products look better within the short video. They photoshop pictures to make the product look more appealing.

TikTokers rarely disclose that their reviews or sponsored or that the items were given to them, and if they do, they often claim that their thoughts are their own. They omit important information, such as what skin type the product is meant for. They’ll wear scrubs or a name badge to make you believe they’re a doctor.

Even the smaller influencers are trying to be positive while reviewing products or talking about sales. They are trying to get noticed by brands while also growing their audience. They feel the pressure to get their review of this viral product out there so that they can get views while the product is relevant.

One product that benefited from this type of advertising is the KVD Good Apple foundation. It seemed like everyone on TikTok was trying it out, but no one ever disclosed vital information such as which skin type it was for (dry). There are also the TikTok leggings that don’t look good on anyone, the Target bras that sold out, and the NYX glosses and pencils that seem to fly off shelves.

The customers who fall for the TikTok hype often feel that the retail salespeople who are trying to help them are untrustworthy. I’ve even been told that I must work for a brand after trying to help a guest find a similar product since the TikTok one was sold out. The customer eventually left, empty-handed, because she believed I couldn’t possibly suggest something to her that was better than the product she saw on TikTok.

It’s not only makeup products that are flying off the shelves. People looking to grow their audience will go out in search of sale items to gain views. They proudly show that Wal-Mart has blankets on sale for .30 cents or towels for a dollar. This creates an issue where TikTokers face pressure to buy every single sales product for views, leaving behind nothing for those who may be in need. This also creates a negative situation for people who work in these stores, some of which hope they’d have time to purchase at least one of the sale items before they sold out.

To make a long story short, while not everyone on TikTok is lying about the products they try, it’s likely that your favorite influencer is just a salesperson with a bigger platform. You should stop buying things they promote to you unless they suit your needs.

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