Kroger might charge you more if you seem rich. Their AI tests flag pricey tastes to raise prices. Most Americans still aren’t sold on EVs. Cyber kidnappings — fake abductions for cash —a re on the rise. Oh, and Gen Z? They’re all-in on becoming influencers.
The folks trading retirement for influencer status
TikTok.com/@therealirvinrandle, Instagram.com/trainwithjoan, Instagram.com/grandmajoysroadtrip
Who do you imagine when I say “social media influencer?” I’ll bet a young, hot model or a chiseled guy into cars. It’s time to expand your horizons.
I love that Joy Ryan didn’t even get her passport until she was 91. At 94, she’s on a mission to visit every continent with her grandson. So far, she’s at four out of seven. Joy is also the oldest person to visit all 63 U.S. national parks.
She’s posting “Grandma Joy’s Road Trip” on Instagram. She’s part of the trend of “grandfluencers” (“grandparent” and “influencer”) racking up millions of followers and fans of all ages. Maybe this is your sign to get this idea going with your grandparents, parents or even yourself.
Defying stereotypes
You probably think grandfluencers’ fans are older adults, too, right? Nope, most are young adults.
Take 94-year-old Lillian Droniak, aka “Grandma Droniak.” She went viral by laying down the three rules she wants people to follow at her funeral: Cry, but not too much (don’t embarrass yourself); Bertha isn’t invited (Who’s she?); and get drunk afterward.
Her 14.6 million TikTok followers love her sass, and I do, too. After she was hospitalized for breaking her leg, she shrugged it off, saying she “slayed too hard.” Love her.
Then, there’s 78-year-old Joan MacDonald. She was overweight and struggling with health issues. With the help of her daughter, a fitness coach, she now deadlifts 175 pounds for her 2 million Instagram followers and sports a bodybuilder’s physique, along with crop tops. She’s proof it’s never too late for a glow-up.
Offering up wisdom
Navy vet Kenny Jary, or “patriotickenny,” tells stories and tries out new tech with his 2.7 million followers. The 82-year-old has a chronic lung condition and gets around with a mobility scooter.
When Kenny’s last scooter broke down, his followers raised money for a new one. He’s since paid it forward and helped 119 other vets with their mobility needs. How awesome is that?
Be yourself
LinkedIn influencers? It’s not just for jobs anymore. People are sharing personal stories mixed with career advice, and it’s making them famous. Take April Little (paywall link). She wrote about layoffs, went viral and now has 260,000 followers and $150,000 in brand deals. A little shameless self-promotion: Share this with your friends on LinkedIn and tell ’em to sign up for my newsletter at GetKim.com. TY!
$300,000
Paid over six months to TikTokkers willing to jump ship and go Instagram-exclusive. Meta’s contracts, which were sent to certain influencers with 1 million followers or more, are broken down into tiers (paywall link). The top one pays $50,000 a month to post 10 Reels between 15 seconds and 3 minutes in length. I’d take that hourly rate.
Gotta close my rings: Fitness influencers are all over a new “hack” for more accurate step tracking: Strapping a smartwatch to your ankle instead of your wrist. One woman tried it with a 10-minute jaunt around Target. On her wrist, the watch recorded 91 steps; on her ankle, 835 steps. If you try it, know you’re losing out on features like heart rate and CO2 tracking. Another downside is you look like a prisoner with an ankle monitor.
That escalated quickly: TikTok Shop is pulling in more customers than retail giants Shein and Sephora. It launched in September of 2023, and 45% of Americans have already bought something through it. Fashion and beauty items pitched by influencers are the most popular.
Winning over Americans one check at a time: An Indiana mom raked in $95,000 in five months promoting fashion, beauty and kids’ products on TikTok. Unlike other social platforms with steeper entry requirements, TikTok Shop lets folks with just 1,000 followers start monetizing. Is it worth it for how much data they collect? Up to you. Here’s the signup link.
The problem with influencers
There are already countless reasons to be wary of social media influencers. This latest one might even help them skirt the law.
August 31st, 2024
A new tech ban is coming, and this time it targets Russia. Thinking about trading your data for cash? The real cost might surprise you. Plus, San Francisco’s subway still runs on floppy disks, and influencers are creating “digital clones” of themselves. That and all your great calls!
FTC cracks down on fake followers and reviews
Fake followers? Fake likes? The FTC is done playing around. I’ll tell you why the crackdown could mean big fines — or worse — for influencers and brands pulling these tricks.
Influencers continue to lie and mislead
The FTC sent out more warnings this week to social media influencers. Here’s the lowdown — and it’s not sweet.
July 29th, 2023
In this week’s show, OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s global ID system plans and how Ukrainian women use AI to “honey trap” Russian soldiers. Meteorite hunters’ big profits, selling your old iPhone and sexy deep-faked influencers. Also, Allie and I share our most mispronounced words. That and much more, plus all your calls and questions.
"Influencers" overtaking legitimate journalists as news source
Where do you get your news? Here’s why finding a trusted source is vital, in 60 seconds.
A gentle reminder for internet influencers
Pushing a product online? In just one minute, discover why disclosing if you’re being paid is a must.
Amazon resort, movie sound hack, Firefox fights cookies
Would you share an electric motorbike with other people? Lime thinks you should. Plus, Firefox gives total cookie protection to all users by default — and Amazon treats influencers at a luxury resort. In this 30-minute podcast, I’ll tell you about a handy site that alerts you when your favorite show comes back, along with three steps to take before you trade in or sell an old phone.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Instagram become the new MySpace?
The most optimistic thing you can say about Instagram these days is that it’s in a slump. But to many, Instagram is now boring. It has too many influencers — and not enough people to be influenced.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tech Refresh: Influencers shilling crypto, update your iPhone, medical data breach
Cryptocurrency is going mainstream, and influencers like Kim Kardashian are cashing in. Apple just released an urgent update for older iPhones and iPads, and a new medical data breach could give cybercriminals even more fuel to come after you.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should you trust social media influencers?
Social media started as a way to connected with friends and family and share snippets of our everyday lives. But now social media is a full-fledged business, and influencers are the pros hard at work trying to impact our buying decisions. Can you really trust what they post? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices