SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — For 30-year-old banker Julian Tee, influencer marketing is akin to a "scam” as he believes that online influencers are not selling the products "genuinely”.

Rather than being swayed to buy a product promoted on social media, the marketing tactic turns him off brands that engage influencers.

"My habit is usually to search online, search forums, search reviews from actual users on the user experience (before making a purchase). Anything that’s (associated with) ‘influencer’ just screams red flag to me,” said Tee.

He is part of a growing chorus of criticism of influencer marketing for purportedly lacking independence and authenticity, known as "influencer fatigue".

While the influencers gained their platforms for presenting as more relatable alternatives to other marketing involving celebrities and public figures, experts also noted growing fatigue with influencers.

Ong, 28, who works in the healthcare industry, said with artificial intelligence, filters and editing skills, any recommendation can be "manipulated to look perfect”.

"Since they need to earn an income, they’re constantly promoting and marketing products to their followers. This makes everything feel scripted, like ‘I’ve been using this product for weeks, and look at the difference it made’,” said Ong, who declined to share her full name.

"Every time I scroll through social media, it’s another ad disguised as a personal recommendation. It’s exhausting to see the same faces promoting countless brands, often without any real connection or consistency.”

For Anda Chaudhry, a 28-year-old entrepreneur and content creator who shares beauty, lifestyle and travel content on Instagram as "andathesea”, the rise in scepticism over influencer promotion has not yet affected her landing brand deals.

However, there is a challenge in getting her content to reach a broader audience at times, as social media platforms are over-saturated with advertisements.

The declining interest in this brand of marketing seems to extend to government outreach efforts too.

For example, checks by TODAY found that while in 2018 the Ministry of Finance engaged several influencers to create content about the Budget on social media, this practice appears to have dropped in the last few years.

In response to a March 2024 parliamentary question on the budget and content influencers are engaged to publicise, the recently renamed Ministry of Digital Development and Information said social media influencers are just one of the channels used to communicate to Singaporeans.

"We evaluate the effectiveness of our public communications campaigns, but we do not solely track how influencers fare," the ministry said.

Ray Pang, 39, a media trainer, film director and content creator himself, said the rising fatigue is a cautionary tale for youths who want to make influencing their "bread and butter".

"The danger is I hear a lot of younger people wanting to (be an influencer) as a full career. Back then, there were a handful of creators that people go back to their blogs to see what they're using, so the influence was there," he said.

"But now, it's too saturated. Anyone can broadcast themselves, and with more supply, we dilute the impact."

Still, while influencers with small and large followings alike acknowledge there is influencer fatigue, they still love the creative work they do and are not put off by this.

As companies and creators grapple with this fatigue, many are challenged to rethink their strategies to remain relevant and connected amid the over-supply of influencers, and an increasingly jaded audience.

Erosion of trust

Though younger consumers are moving towards social media platforms for inspiration and research before buying products, influencers are losing credibility as that "trusted friend”, said senior lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Wong Pei Wen.

"That trust is now eroded because brands have over-farmed the same user-generated content strategy and consumers can see through these sponsored posts even if the influencers don’t declare them as #sp (sponsored),” said Wong.

"Such resonance and perceptions of authenticity through unscripted stories and moments lent credibility to their content,” said Dr Natalie Pang, head of communications and new media at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

However, the popularity of marketing with influencers has declined for similar reasons to the decline of celebrity-based marketing, as people no longer find their lifestyles accessible and relatable.

Many consumers are wary of "overly promotional” content and have begun to view influencers as salespeople rather than "authentic voices”, said Samer Elhajjar, who is a senior lecturer at the department of marketing at NUS Business School.

A turning point was in 2018 and 2019, when brands began collaborating with brands "indiscriminately”, which resulted in a decline in trust among audiences, said Elhajjar.

Ian Jeevan is a content creator on TikTok. He said it is important for influencers to have the ability to pivot and adapt in a changing market.

Content creation is just one of three jobs for Ian Jeevan Prasad Arumugam, 27, given that the industry is "very volatile” and influencers can quickly go out of trend.

More than influencer fatigue, Jeevan pointed to an exhaustion with advertisements in general, as certain influencers "bombard” their audiences with promotional content.

Some poorly performing influencer content can also be hindered by "very restrictive” briefs from brands that may limit one’s creative flair in the regular content they are known for.

"We are bombarded with so many ads every day and more so even online with brands trying to vie for our attention. If they are able to weave it authentically with their style of content it can still resonate and sit well with their audience,” he added.

Despite the saturation of content made by influencers, Jeevan tries to stand out by developing a "strong niche” in his humorous, family-friendly skits, lifestyle and travel content.

"I think the sustainability of an influencer career is highly dependent on your ability to pivot, adapt and grow with your audience,” said Jeevan.

Going micro

Other content creators remain optimistic about the effectiveness of influencer marketing by finding new ways to break through to a tired audience.

With social media platforms democratising content creation, influencer marketing has shifted from working with celebrities or larger influencers to more "niche, relatable” figures known as micro-influencers and even nano-influencers, said Elhajjar from NUS.

While brands originally believed that reach equated to impact, Elhajjar said smaller creators have emerged as means to more effectively drive "real connections” with engaged and loyal communities.

Another strategy gaining popularity is user-generated content, where brands are encouraging their customers and influencers alike to post about their products, encouraging more "authentic content”.

One such creator is Chloe Chua, a 25-year-old freelancer who has created makeup and skincare reviews and tutorials on TikTok and to about 7,500 followers on its related platform Lemon8 as "ch.lout" since 2022.

While she has joined the industry at a point where it is really saturated, she has noticed constant demand for fresh perspectives as influencer fatigue sets in more for bigger creators who can lose the relatability factor after gaining fame.

"There is some irony and tension in this discourse because a lot of content creators rely on brand deals to earn a living, yet that seems to be in conflict with the calls for authenticity from audience members,” said Chua.

James Soh, director of online home renovation portal Renopedia, said engaging influencers with a larger platform and high view count may not necessarily translate into sales.

He recalled engaging a well-known local influencer to create a video to help promote Renopedia.

The video attracted over 600,000 views but did not end up creating any leads as the content only name-dropped the firm rather than leaving an impression about its services.

With Singaporean consumers becoming increasingly media literate, Soh said Renopedia has since had a better experience collaborating with a micro-influencer who had recently renovated their own home.

"How they create the content, as a user, I can see there’s a certain passion and level of understanding. Even if they don’t have the popularity, they do connect with an audience, because they know what are the woes of homeowners,” said Soh, who said that video created leads for the firm.

What is ‘authentic’, really?

Besides causing a move to smaller creators, the fatigue over influencer content has put a spotlight on defining what is "authentic" among recommendations online.

Experts noted that influencer fatigue has even led to the rise of "de-influencing”, where influencers and regular users advise followers on what not to buy.

But Chua pointed out that the concept of "de-influencing” could be seen as "still inherently influencing”.

Though such content appears more authentic, users who make this content still play a role in "swaying one’s purchase decisions” and sometimes recommend what to buy instead of the product they denounce, she added.

Anda, the beauty content creator, manages the challenge of providing honest reviews for sponsored products by fostering open communication with her community.

Despite boasting over 40,000 followers on Instagram and receiving private messages in the hundreds for popular posts, she makes it a point to reply to all messages directly or address feedback through a public post.

"Let’s say if I’m using this product, some followers will share if it works for them or if it doesn’t, and I will post both reviews up. When someone says they don’t like it, there has to be a reasoning behind it,” said Anda.

"I can post (the feedback) and say: 'This product actually works better for dry skin, or if you have oily skin and want to try it, maybe this is what you can do'.”

Another way some influencers ensure they remain credible is ensuring a good fit before accepting collaborations.

Chua has declined collaborations for products she would not "genuinely use” and discloses paid partnerships with brands.

Organisational consultant Bean Kim, 25, who makes beauty related content as "beansauna" on Instagram and TikTok, gained attention from brands who took note of her candid videos on her struggles with acne and eczema prone skin.

She makes it a point to take on collaborations only with products that she has been able to trial. She also aims to make reviews educational.

"If I am collaborating, I try to make my content in a way that even if the audience doesn’t want the product, they still have something to take away from the video,” she said.

"The people coming on TikTok and Instagram are inherently not there to be consumers,” said Kim, who gave the example of a video where she reviewed a foundation while sharing tips on how to make sure one’s makeup lasts.

Wanting to make fewer videos that focus on showcasing products, Kim has been "wrapping up” most brand collaborations and plans to make more videos on local events, research-focused skincare and interesting media.

For 24-year-old Shen Shuyi, who works in the media industry, even the supposedly "more authentic” user-generated content has its limitations.

Based on her experience in marketing, many creators of user-generated content receive free products through a "barter and trade” system. While they might not be directly paid to promote a brand, there can be an implicit pressure to post more positive reviews.

Though the socialite-type influencers may be losing popularity in favour of less polished content, with trends having shorter and shorter lifespans, it may not be long before audiences "see through” user-generated reviews as well.

"The digital space is all about the pursuit of authenticity, but it’s something you can never fully achieve. It’s an endless chase for what’s truly authentic, and that definition is constantly shifting,” said Shen. — TODAY