This part is cretinously stupid of course:
For social media influencers, success comes in units of thousands and millions – but for many of them that is followers, not pounds.
This month, MPs recommended that the government investigate pay standards in the industry as part of a wider review of the influencer market, citing inconsistent pay rates and evidence of a racial pay gap.
It’s purely numbers driven – as close to a pure market as we’re ever likely to get. Have a large audience that spends lots, you’ll get well paid. Have a small one, or one of little value, you’ll be paid little. And?
But this is lovely and ambitious:
There are also moves to establish a trade union for influencers and creators in the UK. Kat Molesworth, co-founder of the Creator Union, is hoping to start recruiting members later this year. She says influencers and content creators are often treated badly, working without contracts and waiting months or years for payment.
“I think that funding for a union should in part come from the industry, both the advertising industry and the social media platforms, because influencers are part of a $6bn global economy and they deserve to be treated fairly and represented,” says Molesworth.
The people the union will be negotiating against should fund the creation of the union?
Now actually think about this a little. It’s a blindingly good idea. A great little earner for whoever gets to occupy the corner office of course. But much more than that, if it’s the industry that funds the union then it’ll be the industry that controls the union. Which would be a lovely strategic win, wouldn’t it, even if pretty shit for those influencers.
A $6bn global economy of people sticking their lips out while posing for selfies? I find it hard to believe
It’s not just that though. Some of it is people paying fairly small amounts of money to get podcasts and videos about things that interest them.
e.g. I’m paying a few quid a month towards a very well researched WW2 history podcast and a Youtuber who covers 20th C naval history. You’d never see that on the BBC, which I’m forced to pay 10x that amount to.
Comrade President Putin, let the friendly nukes fly mash’Allah.
As I’m an old fart out of touch with this, I’d have thought the entire point of “influencers” was that they had a unique (or at least idiosyncratic) take on things. So let’s have a union to standardise everything in the hope of equality.
What?
Not as many people pay for my stuff as other people’s stuff, wah wah, not fair, wah wah, force the system to pay me for my stuff! I never earned the same from my scribblings as Terry Pratchett did, there’s summut wrong with the system. PTerry’s estate must be forced to give me money.
Influencers get paid by advertisers and social media platforms. Diverting some of that money to a union will merely result in less money for influencers.
Mostly it’s a pretty grubby trade, as the book “Get rich or lie trying” illustrates.
Influencers = “artists”, shills, panhandlers, and others of that ilk.
While sir PTerry did flesh out a Beggars Guild, I can’t see it work in Real Life™.
It’s fun to see them try, though…
“I think that funding for a union should in part come from …”
Ker-fecking-ching.
Translation: I’m a bit rubbish and can’t make any money with my inane witterings, so I’ll strong arm someone into paying me.