Influencer marketing is now a crucial part of marketing and is often vital for companies to have a successful launch of a product. Companies now rely on influencers — those who have huge social media followings and engagement — for big payouts, all without spending crazy amounts of money on creating an advertisement.

Companies pay influencers, such as YouTubers, to mention a product, talk about how much they love it and persuade their subscribers or followers to purchase said product. Even with the Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides stating these influencers should disclose the ad or sponsorship, many still do not to try to maintain trust with their following. Certain YouTubers and Instagram influencers lie to their following, taking away the trust built between them.

Watching a YouTuber feels more like a conversation and more of a friendly space, so many of their subscribers almost feel as if they are friends with the person. It is a much more intimate and authentic setting, and their audience is typically the younger generation of millennials, a group most companies struggle to engage with.

The FTC Endorsement Guides outline the rules for having to disclose receiving products from a company and being paid to endorse them, even in blogs or videos. So YouTubers should be disclosing whether a company is sponsoring a video or when a company paid them to give a good review of their product.

Recently, there has been a lot of drama surrounding the beauty community on YouTube and the problem of influencer marketing. Some makeup companies are being charged $60,000 by influencers for a sponsored video or Instagram post. This is an insane amount of money for simply talking about a product for 30 seconds in a video or photo.

Other YouTubers began uploading videos detailing how much they typically get paid, talking about how other YouTubers do not disclose advertisement, and the general issues within the influencer community.

They also explained how in a typical ad campaign, the company needs to pay a whole team of people, rent for studio space, a photographer, makeup artists and many more, which can add up the costs. Why pay all that money when they can give money to an influencer, have them do the work and can reach a wider audience?

The problem with YouTubers not disclosing this kind of information stems from two reasons: It is illegal, and it betrays the trust they have with their following. Consumers have the freedom to choose what they consume and purchase, but these influencers have the responsibility to be transparent about how much they like a product. And considering much of their audience are teens and pre-teens, being clear about a product should be the main priority.

I, personally, love the YouTube beauty community and buy the products influencers recommended because I usually trust their judgment, especially since this is their job. But now, I’m skeptical of their judgment, their products and their integrity as a brand. It’s not that they shouldn’t accept sponsorships or payments by a company — they’re a business, after all. The least they can do is disclose that information.

This is all just makeup and product when it boils down to it. Consumers can make the decision of which brands and influencers they want to support. Remember to just take what they say with a grain of salt.

Jaime is a junior in LAS.

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