The B-side of influencer success

Marcos Blanco, professor at ESIC Business School

This week, we have seen how the pressure has finally caught up with one of the young Spanish stars of Twitch. Joaquín Domínguez, content creator known as 'ElXokas' has announced that he is taking a few days off following a controversy that arose due to some fake accounts he managed on Twitter pretending to be followers.

The need to stop 'ElXokas' once again shows that, although influencer is the most desired profession by young Spaniards, all that glitters is not gold . And the fact is that the countless advantages that we sense exist, in exchange for generating content to give visibility to different brands,brings with it a large number of psychosocialrisks .

"There are two distinct parts of this 'B-side' of influencers, cybercrime and psychosocial disorders," says Marcos Blanco, professor at ESIC and founding partner of the digital agency Gestazion.com, "anyone can be a victim of a scam, theft of personal or banking information through the Internet. But the probability of this happening to an influencer is multiplied: the continuous connection with their followers through live or Instagram stories and other social profiles makes them much more vulnerable to this type of situation".

In fact, it is increasingly common to find news in the media about influencers who have been victims of this type of crime, such as impersonation on other social networks, even on adult content platforms, hijacking of devices or accounts and even economic extortion.

"We must keep in mind that we are dealing with people who make a living from their digital reputation, so these types of dangers they face can put their credibility and, therefore, their business at risk. For an influencer, personal branding is everything: we are talking about a profession that involves a daily and constant dedication to build a strong identity and a loyal community," he adds.

No digital disconnection

Another risk associated with influencers is the lack of boundaries between work and private life . "We are dealing with people who have a level of fame similar to that of any famous person, but who face it with less experience and knowledge of what this may mean for their daily lives. Being an influencer implies living for and to generate content, to stand out, to get likes, to get their followers to see them, etc. And this means that they are always connected to their social profiles, responding to the great demand of their millions of followers," explains Blanco.

In addition to this lack of disconnection, knowing how to navigate interaction with followers and other audiences on their profiles is critical for them. " Overexposure on social profiles; seeking constant validation from followers (and non-followers); criticism and offensive comments; or creating an identity based on what users demand, are serious risks that influencers face on an ongoing basis, something that can lead to anxiety and even depression."

6 recommendations to curb risky behavior in Influencer Marketing

1. Avoid using personal emails, associated with other areas such as banking, on your social profile accounts.

2. Use secure and different passwords for each platform and always have the double verification and security protocols of the Social Networks activated.

3. Create a habit of digital disconnection, establishing a fixed schedule and workspace, like any other employee.

4. Establish boundaries between the private sphere and the work sphere: it is not necessary to be connected with followers 24/7.

5. From agencies, brands and companies that require the services of this type of profiles, provide all the legal information required by the activity and the necessary contracting framework (for employees, temporary contracts, etc.).

6. And finally, it is very positive to make the influencer feel part of the brand or agency, invite them to visit the facilities or offer them a place from which to carry out their work.