Instagram, Influencers and my Bank Balance
For a minute I thought my blogging account had been stolen! It's been so long since I felt the urge to put pen to paper (or computer) that I'd forgotten the gmail account that I'd used for the blog, which was once the love of my life but it now seems that everyone has moved on to "Insta" and YouTube and I've let it fall my little blog fall behind the times. I've watched a few IGTV'ers, even followed a few...but I've been truly left behind in the social stream of the internet world.
Is mummy blogging out of vogue or has everyone my age moved onto pastures new?
The truth is my kids aren't kids anymore, so I'm not strictly a 'mummyblogger'. (I probably never was as I was and am a wee bit older than the usual suspects.) The kids are now on the cusp of adulthood with lives of their own; Instagram accounts of their own and ideas which seem completely alien to me. I can't seem to influence them anymore and they no longer buy into "Because I said so".
So this little corner of the blogging sphere has been and always will be, a little bit of me. Even if no one ever visits. Because I never post these days, probably. I'm guessing I need to change. Which is fine. I can do that.
So I started looking around. I though Instagram was a "picture' library, where people posted pictures and other people liked them. A short version of Facebook without the words. I posted a couple of pictures of the dogs. My friends liked them. The few that I have, that is. I "liked" their photo's just for balance.
"There must be more to it than this?" I thought.
I can't keep going around just "liking" photo's, can I? I soon found out there was another world to all this. A far reaching world. Were there others like me? Age appropriate, aimed at me? I started to follow @middleagedminx. I listen on t'radio most days and she appeals to me as it's about London, she's my era'ish and I love that she's self-deprecating (in a funny way. She can so laugh at herself.) She's a bit of me or rather she would be a bit of me had I not spawned the spawn. I've even subscribed to her YouTube channel.
Then I delved in a bit deeper. OMG...the beautiful lives people live! Then I delved a bit deeper. OMFG!!! The beautiful things you can buy! I started following people I thought were interesting and vacuous. My ageish, but my style (or the style I'd like). Not that there were many, but a few that ticked the boxes.
One that I particularly like is @doesmybumlook40 Kat Farmer (blogger, stylist, fashionista) shares tips and ideas about fashion, beauty and hosts The Confidence Bible on Facebook, where women share their #ootd (outfit of the day- I had to look that up) and ask questions about current trends and whether others though them suitable. Fab stuff and really endearing posters. Kat looks fab, but she is about 10 feet tall, slim and clothes drape perfectly on her, but she always offers great advice on how to wear the clothes she's showing, with most of them being affordable.
However....my bank balance has taken a bashing. Which brings me onto my next thought. I had absolutely no idea about influencers and what they did. I just thought they wore, tried or lived the lives we wanted to emulate. I didn't realise (I hadn't even thought about it to be honest) that this is actually what they were. They influence us in our spending. We see them living their fab lives. We see them as we are. But we're not, are we?
" Oh, Ok, She's wearing that and it looks good on her. I can see it move, and she's just like me, or how I'd like to look. It's affordable, it looks good quality. Oh look, there's a link" Sold!
It's a good way to sell and I can see the benefits to retailers. It's not a sinister thing. Some influencers want their 'friends' to have the best they can afford and very often offer alternatives, but it's all about spending and our habits. I see something I like on Insta, I can buy it in a click. It's easy convenient and all done from the comfort of my kitchen. Don't know where I shall wear them...it's as if any of us are going anywhere, are we
Anyway, on to my purchases....
I've become almost obsessed with pleather.
https://m.zara.com/uk/en/sequinned-trousers-p02731298.html?v1=57548148&v2=1549190
So now I think I've found my way...a bit. I like clothes. I also like spending, but my bank account doesn't. I'm no longer gainfully employed. My grateful employer believed I was surplus to requirements...so on the scrapheap I am! Redundant! That's a tale for another day. I've no regrets and look forward to the future with enthusiasm and zeal...as long as I can curb my spending!
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