She [or he] is so boring. I will unfollow or mute” is a statement that I hear a lot from my friends in reference to celebrities and social-media influencers.
The next common complaint is, “He [or she] is kadiri [repulsive].”
Why do we follow influencers? Is it because they’re good looking and/or hot? It starts with the looks, of course. You follow someone because his or her visual appeals to you. For instance, I have never followed this famous American blogger and influencer even at the height of her fame because I couldn’t relate to her aesthetic. She’s beautiful and has a great sense of style but I never really “got” her, if you know what I mean.
But I do follow Dara (@daraxxi on Instagram), who we all know as Sandara Park in the Philippines, because I think she is beautiful and cool in the way I think people are cool. She dresses like my friend Cecile, who’s one of the coolest people I know. Dara’s Instagram isn’t really “feed goals,” as kids like to call it these days, but it’s interesting enough for me.
Another account that I follow is that of Adri (@sortofobsessed), who loves skin care and makeup.
Adri has the most amazing skin. I love how she curates her Instagram to the point that it is on-point, but still reflects her personality. On her feed, Adri mostly posts the products that she likes with a dominantly pink aesthetic. I am not a fan of pink,
but I make an exception for her. Adri’s Instagram stories, where she reviews products and shows her followers how she uses them, are very informative.
I appreciate how Adri replies to her followers without being snarky.
Ava Te-Zabat (@artsyava) is also someone with a pastel feed. This wife and mother is not your typical mommy blogger. She is someone who is young at heart. I love how she composes her photographs and how she knows her best angles so that each image is perfect or nearly so.
For travel, no one beats Ana Gonzales (@anagon) who is an expert in a way that you can relate to.
Ana can find her way around Japan and Korea, despite not speaking the language. Via her Instagram stories, she has the most practical tips for travelers. I also love her photos.
So what would make people follow a celebrity or influencer on social media, particularly Instagram?
So I made an informal survey and this is what I found out:
1. People are so obsessed with feed goals, but it is not a serious consideration. You don’t follow someone because he or she has amazing pictures of sunsets and clouds.
2. If you post food, make sure it is appetizing. This certain dish might be your childhood favorite, but people may not like the way it looks.
3. Unless you’re an actress or actor with a spectacular face, don’t post your face all the time. Three out of five posts with your face on it is an acceptable ratio.
4. Pets, shoes and travel are three of the posts people I talked to found the most interesting. But they also said they don’t want to be saturated with posts like these. A balance is what they seek.
5. People I talked to didn’t mind sponsored posts, but they said celebrities and influencers had to be true to their own brand. Turn-offs include influencers posting about one particular brand today and the rival brand after two days. They also didn’t like it if celebrities and influencers posted about dieting and whitening aids, and it is obvious that the posts are sponsored.