Should Social Media Influencers Promote Health Products?
From TikTok to Instagram, we have seen a surge in the promotion of health products, such as vitamins and potential solutions that have even been said to "cure cancer." Unfortunately, there is a lack of evidence of the benefits of such products in the medical community, so it is worrisome that these individuals post content on the internet that promote such products and gain thousands of views. Plus, these advertisements are not presented on television or radio, which makes it more "natural" for the audiences, but it's not always clear to the viewers if it is a paid advertisement (sometimes, you may have to look closely for the hashtag that indicates it is an #ad).
One prominent example of health promotion is James Charles, a makeup and beauty influencer, promoting the vitamin, Sugar Bear Hair. Sugar Bear Hair is a vitamin said to "grow hair stronger and longer, improve overall health and increase hair elasticity." According to NBC News, experts estimate that the promotion potentially brought in a six-figure payout for him.
It has also been claimed by BusinessWire that 61% of people are "likely to trust recommendations from a friend, family member or influencer on social platforms," whereas "only 38% are likely to trust recommendations from a brand." It makes sense that companies are using social media influencers to promote their products with statistics such as these, which is why we have seen such an increase in what we now call influencer marketing.
As important as it is to influencers to get views, it is as equally as important to promote products for which they can be a transparent marketer. From Federal Trade Commission guidelines, social media influencers must indicate that they are being sponsored by the brand. We can only hope that influencers will act ethically by choosing brands that they truly believe in promoting, rather than being enticed by a large paycheck. That being said, we must hold influencers accountable to promote brands with the backing of scientific research and proof of personal positive experience rather than promote for a hefty paycheck because that does not benefit the public in any way. We also must have the motivation to fact-check claims rather than blindly believe each advertisement we see on the internet because that is one of the only ways to promote truth in advertising.
Hey Rebekah!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your focus on advertisement and influencers. Every time I watch a Youtuber talk about their partnership my curiuosity peaks. I want to know if they believe in the products or are just doing it for the money. Those that promote these brands for money usually speak about the brand for 15 seconds in before their video but those who really believe in the brands will incorporate it into their video.
Hello Rebekah. I found your blog post and the topic you chose to focus on very interesting. Influencer marketing has been very successful promoting products because their audience trusts their opinion. It is crazy how they can have such a high level of trust in someone they do not actually know and we do not know if they actually use these products they are advertising. Some influencers promote products that are advertised as “healthy” but actually aren't. One example I can think of is influencers promoting appetite suppressant candies and skinny teas. This promotion is very unethical and to answer the question proposed in the title, I think influencers should be careful about promoting health products especially those that aren't actually “healthy”.
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