We're all familiar with the saying 'too much of everything is a bad thing'. This applies to things we consider to be both good and bad so while things like food, sleep and shopping are all considered good things, too much of either is not.
Let's think of indulgence in terms of today's society; social media, blogging and 'influencing' in general some may argue have become somewhat excessive. Excessive to the point of becoming borderline obsessive, pushing young impressionable kids, teens and even grown ups alike to as they say...fake it for the gram! Many of us are guilty of sharing all of our business with the world for a bunch of strangers to essentially pick apart, judge and fawn over. We do this all in the name of wanting to be 'transparent' and 'open' with these strangers we have adopted as friends, followers, subscribers and members of a so called tribe.
This new age of Influencer Marketing was once a 4 year course in University (at least in Nigeria that I am aware of) that people studied for the purpose of one day hoping to work for the big name companies and organizations. I remember it being the only types of jobs people could get back in the day often for very little to no money at all. Graduates were forced to take on these 'prospectless' roles/positions hoping to do well enough to receive the menial commissions that this very likely stressful role offered as the only form of payment.
Today, we are all very happy 'marketers' masquerading as 'influencers' and reveling in this indulgence. In comparison to our earlier predecessors, we are demanding compensation for work through payment and other means and almost always getting what we demand too. This is because brands have become acutely aware of the power of influence that many wield today and would be foolish not to take advantage of the millions of consumers aka followers that hang on to the influencer's every word. Where we were once the ones who sought out these companies we prayed would hire us, these days the very same companies are the ones seeking us out to help promote their products and services, willing to pay our fee for the exposure we give their brands. This Influencer-Indulgence culture has become so high profile and elite that people as young as their 20s and early 30s are leveraging on the new age career to create wealth for themselves.
As with most things, there is the good and bad that come with the territory but I prefer to focus on the good because dwelling on the negatives isn't anything I want to "indulge" in this year. So let's look at some of the positives of the influencer - indulgence:
1. Being Self Sufficient
2. Building a community of loyal support and following
3. Encourages self employment
4. An opportunity to drive worthy causes and conversations
5. Encourages creativity
Brands and consumers also benefit from social media influencing through:
1. Aesthetically pleasing images
2. Proven product credibility and discounts
3. Added value
4. Loyalty and trust
5. Organically generated consumers via engagement with the influencer
At the end of the day, we all are guilty of indulgence in one way or another. The takeaway is not to become so absorbed by the things we see online because of pretty images or fancy captions but to remind ourselves that not everything is always as it appears. Live your life in real time; it is afterall what we were doing only a few short years ago.
In what ways have you been overly indulgent? Sharing is Caring...😊
Always Love💘
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