What happens when a social media influencer gives up on social media? This.
Essena O’Neill deleted her Instagram account, but before doing so, she changed all the captions on her images to reveal her sponsored photos and how fake the photos were. She has then gone on to create a site called letsbegamechangers.com, advocating for ethical ads amongst other goals.
Going back to earlier in the term, we learned about the rules of engagement for e-marketing. One was to talk, but don’t talk at people. That’s essentially telling brands to post content that isn’t just commanding and selling in nature, but actually join in the conversations. Essena’s social media deletion, and what she started posting prior to it, solidifies her as someone who is qualified to talk about topics of ethical advertising. What she has to say towards the topic is worth listening to.
I think how she led up to the release of her site was very well done, and the audience she’ll end up engaging with for the site and her upcoming projects will be aligned with her goals. Who would’ve thought giving up a social media account can gain you just as much recognition as running one?
