60% of Brits find influencers luxurious lifestyles 'infuriating'

1-in-4 people say that comparing their lives to those of influencers negatively affects their mental health.

Scrolling on Instagram, we're often presented with the 'Insta-perfect' lives of influencers - from back-to-back holidays to the latest designer purchases. What's more, these content creators are paid anywhere between a few hundred pounds up to millions for every post, depending on the size of their following. Well, the era of easy cash, and fickle relationships amidst a $16.4 billion industry might just be coming to an end.

Yet amid ever-worsening economic conditions, new nationally representative data from Room Unlocked - a platform that connects influencers with brands - has revealed that a staggering 60% of Brits state they find the cash-rich lifestyles of influencers infuriating amidst the cost of living crisis, with a further 24% even admitting that comparing their lives to those of content creators negatively affects their mental health.

As the public becomes increasingly disengaged with this type of content, influencers must focus on authenticity over income to survive and thrive—another reason you should consider shifting to a non-aesthetic Instagram feed.

Not only are societal pressures forcing influencers to change tack, but brands are also facing their own 'cost of operating crisis' and having to slash marketing budgets across the board. This has caused them to reassess influencer relations, and whilst there is no doubt that this form of marketing can be effective, it must be done in a way that transmits trust, transparency and authenticity.

Another crucial trend causing influencers to report a reduction in earnings is the simple fact that there are far more of them now. There’s been a wave of people leaving their jobs to chase this career path, meaning there’s more competition by way of choice, and as such, brands can pay less.

The landmark research also revealed that 37% of Brits say they do not identify with influencers who do not post with a social cause at the heart of their content - highlighting the need for content creators to use their platforms not only for financial gain but to make a positive difference in society. Influencers that choose to take this direction will contribute to a worthy cause and benefit from the sense of authenticity that this breeds.

Trying to restore trust in this fragmented relationship between influencers and society, we should aim to connect those with a profile to brands offering products and services they genuinely love. Fighting against everything wrong with influencer culture; brands historically trying to buy influence resulting in disingenuous content. Proprietary research from Room Unlocked has also found that influencers are more likely to share more pieces of content when they have actively searched out the product or experience they are advertising – further highlighting the benefits of this approach.

There’s no denying that casual Instagram is performative, there’s a delicate balance between candid and beautiful, and our curated portrayals and performances will be a hard habit to shake. But connecting people of influence to the brands they genuinely love and posting content telling their audience why will unlock absolute trust and loyalty in brands via authentic stories and experiences