Is "influencer" a dirty word?

Somewhere between the rise of TikTok and the fall of trust in, well, literally everything, the term "influencer" quietly became a slur.

It describes someone who's not quite a scammer nor a sellout, but you definitely wouldn’t want to get stuck behind them in line at Erewhon. Once upon a time, they were a symbol of millennial hustle culture and dream-job realness. Now, the influencer is now more often mocked than admired, especially online.

And yet, despite all the hate, brands keep writing the checks. Influencer marketing is alive, well, and still incredibly effective. So, what gives?

It wasn’t always like this.

Back in the golden age of Instagram, being an influencer was aspirational. Aesthetically pleasing flatlays, beachy backdrops, mysterious captions about “projects in the works”. Life looked perfect, and followers wanted in.

Then came the overexposure. The spawn of #sponcon. The copy-paste captions. The wildfire of “authenticity” that felt anything but. There were missteps - like that Fyre Fest moment where everything imploded - and more than a few scandals (remember when people started buying followers like they were concert tickets?). 

Add a global pandemic, a few social reckonings, and the fact your mom’s friend now calls herself an influencer, and suddenly the whole thing just started to feel... icky.

Enter the “creator.”

The word “creator” started gaining traction as a way to escape the stink. Influencers didn’t want to be seen as human billboards - they wanted to be taken seriously. “Creator” sounded more professional. More respectable. Less... well, embarrassing.

To be fair though, this wasn’t just a rebrand. Many of these people were creating. They were shooting videos, editing content, building communities, developing full-blown personas with story arcs and character development that would put some TV writers to shame.

So “creator” became the preferred label, especially among those trying to distance themselves from the influencer backlash. Not everyone making content wants to influence your purchases. Some just want to tell stories. Or be weird. Or, let’s be honest, still influence your purchases (but without looking like they're trying).

But are influencers actually less influential?

Short answer: absolutely not. If influencer marketing didn’t work, brands wouldn’t still be throwing money at it. But they are. In fact, they’re budgeting more. Because whether we want to admit it or not, the power of a trusted face recommending something on our feed still hits harder than some generic product shot.

We might be more critical and roast them in the comments, but the engagement is still there. The reach is still wild. And the conversion rates? Often better than traditional marketing. So yeah, people love to hate influencers - but you’re still watching them, aren't you? Still copying their skincare routines? Still buying the damn Stanley cup?

What does this mean for us marketers?

Influencer fatigue is real, but that doesn’t mean influencer marketing is dead. It just means you have to be smarter about it. Gone are the days of handing a product to someone with a ring light and calling it a strategy. Consumers expect nuance. They want connection and can spot fakery from ten scrolls away.

So, partner with people who actually create. Look beyond follower count. Find the ones who are building communities, telling stories, and offering more than a sales pitch. Let them bring your brand into their world—not the other way around.

Also? Don’t be afraid to poke fun at the culture. Duolingo’s unhinged mascot is out here terrorizing TikTok, and it’s working. Not every brand needs to be that chaotic, but embracing the weirdness of internet culture is better than pretending you're above it.

So… is “influencer” a bad word?

Maybe. But it’s still a profitable one. And until we come up with a better term for “person on the internet who makes me irrationally want to buy things,” we’re all just gonna keep on scrolling, judging, and adding to cart.

Haters gonna hate. Marketers gonna market. And influencers? You already know what I'm gonna say.

-Sophie, Writer