Beauty Gurus or Money Gurus?

Jade Garcia
jg489111@ohio.edu

As personal blogs become more widely read and advertisers continue to search for new mediums to project their messages across, the amount of sponsored content continues to grow. Online bloggers and vloggers are cashing in when it comes to advertising and they are doing this through sponsored content.

 When people started blogging and making YouTube videos it was simply a hobby for many and a way to express thoughts and opinions while entertaining and informing others. Today it has turned into a full time job for many, a way to make a little extra money for some and the perfect medium for business and advertisers to capitalize on.

Companies are reaching out to internet famous beauty, fashion, lifestyle and health gurus to promote their products and services but in a way that seems much more organic than a normal advertisement. These companies know that certain bloggers have very large audiences, some in the millions, which are filled with loyal followers and fans who listen and follow their advice and recommendations religiously. Their power goes so far that one mention by a beauty guru about their favorite lipstick can cause the entire stock to be sold out on every website it’s carried under and every store it’s sold in, all from one mention. This a very powerful and sought-after effect that advertisers search for when looking for ways to advertise sponsored content.

 Many of the YouTubers and bloggers that I follow post branded or sponsored content once or twice a week either in their videos or on their Instagram and Twitter accounts. These sponsored posts range anywhere from clothing items, to skincare and makeup products and even electronic items. Many of these bloggers are open to their audiences and admit that they participate in sponsored videos but only with companies who products they genuinely love and they are always mindful to leave disclaimers on those specific videos. Sometimes though, a disclaimer isn’t enough for some people. Many people attack these bloggers for their openness and sometimes unsubscribe because they post sponsored content. Are these bloggers and gurus really bad people for agreeing to be sponsored by a company if they are open to followers about it and should they continue to do sponsored videos?

The answer is complicated, this is after all for many of them their full time jobs and without sponsored content they wouldn't be making any money or be able to continue to create content. If bloggers want to participate in sponsored content then I believe they should not be reprimanded. If a blogger decides to promote a product they do not fully support or like their audience will know when they eventually purchase a product and hate it. If bloggers continuously promote low quality products their audience will catch on and they will ultimate lose followers and credibility from abusing their power.

 We have to be conscious of those we trust on the internet even if they have millions of subscribers. Many bloggers do tell the truth and only promote those product that they stand behind 100% but it is a challenge for us consumers to weed out the immoral bloggers from the moral ones.