Overview
This lecture explores the concept of "influencer creep," describing how influencer practices and pressures to optimize personal visibility on social media have extended beyond influencers to shape professional life and creative work across various industries.
The Rise and Normalization of Influencer Practices
- Influencers initially faced skepticism due to perceived unpredictability compared to traditional celebrities.
- Self-branding, self-optimization for platforms, and selling authenticity are core tasks for influencers.
- Influencer formats (e.g., "get ready with me" videos) became standard under advertiser and platform pressures.
- Influencers continually adapt to algorithm changes and visibility strategies to maintain relevance.
Influencer Creep in the Broader Workforce
- Non-influencer professionals now face expectations to maintain visibility and optimize online personas.
- Sectors like journalism, academia, and trades (e.g., yoga instructors, painters) now use social media to demonstrate competence and attract clients.
- The demand for digital self-promotion is intensified by job precarity, gig work, and remote work culture.
Influencer Creep and the Arts
- Artists now use social media for distribution, audience engagement, and income, mirroring influencer practices.
- Artists must balance producing art with managing an appealing personal brand and social media presence.
- Algorithmic and platform-specific optimization influences both what art is produced and how it's represented.
- Visual trends, such as favoring portraits or photogenic content, shape artistic decision-making.
Optimization and Its Consequences
- Social media platforms optimize cultural goods for visibility, discoverability, and engagement, shaping creators' behavior.
- Artists and workers must constantly update strategies to maintain relevance, often blending personal and professional content.
- Visibility is often unequally distributed; platform algorithms may favor specific appearances, reinforcing bias.
The Expansion of Influencer Culture
- Companies now encourage employees to act as brand influencers (e.g., Walmart, Wendy’s).
- Pressures to self-brand and optimize personal content are part of wider trends in neoliberal, platform-based work.
- Influencer practices illustrate and reinforce the imperative to self-optimize in the digital labor market.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Influencer Creep — The spread of influencer-like practices and expectations into non-influencer professions and everyday working life.
- Self-Branding — Creating a deliberate, marketable personal image or narrative for public consumption.
- Platform Optimization — Adapting content to fit the algorithmic and cultural expectations of specific social media platforms.
- Authenticity (in social media) — The crafted appearance of being relatable and genuine online.
- Platform Capitalism — An economic system where digital platforms mediate and monetize cultural production and distribution.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on how personal or professional social media use aligns with influencer practices.
- Consider the impact of social media optimization on your field or creative work.
- Optional: Read Alison Hearn’s work on self-branding and Gina Neff’s "Venture Labor" for deeper context.