Social Media – the platform for inspiration, motivation, information, and entertainment. The goal: to open the app and feel good about it. At least that’s how it should be. But what is really behind it? What is the real picture behind all the faces we see on our smartphones day by day?
It is clear that behind every smiling person there is also a person with doubts and problems and that not everything is always as it seems.
With our new format “Mental Health Check-in”, we at Kingfluencers want to draw attention to the topic of mental health and share very personal and close experiences with our community.
In this article, we introduce you to our new format, which we launched in January this year, and take a look at our topics covered so far.
Our mental health series
Comparing yourself on social media
We dedicated the first post to a widespread and above all current topic on social media: “Comparing yourself on social media“. We invited content creator Greta and had the pleasure of interviewing her about her personal experiences. We captured the whole campaign in a reel. «It’s quite normal for people to compare and use filters on social media», says Greta. She has also often experienced that she has compared herself with other influencers. She told us of the time she met an influencer she followed regularly who suddenly looked completely different from her Instagram pictures. When using filters and editing pictures, it’s very easy to distort reality and turn yourself into a completely new person and suddenly you think you look beautiful only with filters.
According to statistics from the University of Alberta, about 90% of all women compare themselves with other social media users. For men, this number is 65%. Almost 40% of these people have developed a negative self-image because of comparisons on social media.
#NoFilterFeb
In light of numbers like these, Greta and we at Kingfluencers called on our community to take part in the #NoFilterFeb challenge. The result of us can be seen in our Instagram post: Kingfluencers in the office. Authentic, spontaneous, without any form of preparation or briefings – just us, completely real and free of any editing or filters.
In Part 2 of our 1st Mental Health Campaign “Comparing Yourself on Social Media”, we discussed what it can look like behind the scenes, even if the story on Instagram conveys happiness and joy. We talked about how to deal with the pressure to post content continuously and gave ideas for when you run out of inspiration.
Greta says that compared to the past, people on social media are now much more open and authentic and also admit when they are not doing well. It is important to see and recognize that you are not alone in this. Influencers like Mimoza or Fiona have started to share authentic and real pictures, such as messy rooms or mental health problems.
The pressure to post constantly is also enormous. A survey of ours showed that 90% of content creators feel pressured to keep their community entertained.
Here are a few tips from us: Just show your community your relaxing Sunday at home, your new favorite series on Netflix, or treat yourself to a day off. The most important thing is to stay authentic. «Just the fact that you admit when something isn’t working can help,» says Greta.
Social Media Consumption
In March, we talked about social media consumption in part 3 of the Mental Health Format. It was important for us to address the need to be aware of the impact that social media has, especially on our energy and well-being. Because social media should always “work for us and not against us”.
According to Statista, about 7.29 million people in Switzerland use social networks. Of these, two-thirds are active on social media every day. Due to this high number, we have listed the following tips and tricks for you in an Instagram post on how to build a healthier relationship with social media:
- Schedule fixed social media times
- Delete apps when you realize that consumption is too high
- Unfollow people who are not good for you and mute posts
- Turn off push notifications
- Realize that you are not missing out
- Replace bad habits
You are a role model for respect and empathy
The months of April and May were dedicated to the topic of “being a role model“, including our partner @consciousinfluencehub. We are all role models in one form or another. But especially influencers and creators who take others with them and inspire them in their everyday life have a great role model function.
We talked about role models in our Instagram post. Ramin, Content Creator, and Chief of TikTok & Trends at Kingfluencers told us in a video that as an influencer you have to take on the role of a role model. You are automatically a role model for your community and especially for the younger followers. Respect and empathy are expected from role models. You should therefore not only think about what you communicate, but also how you communicate it, because you inspire others with your behavior and your content. A little tip: Think about what you would like your role models to do, because now it’s your turn!
Become a member of the CIH and join us in supporting the conscious use of social media.
With Kingfluencers against #HateSpeech
We are aware of our responsibility because as the center of successful campaign implementations and a link between brands and creators, we feel obligated to also create awareness for unpleasant topics and to pick up where others look away. «In addition to successful campaigns, it is even more important to us to convey the right values and guidelines and to serve as a support for creators in order to professionalize the Swiss influencer market,» says Tamara Glück Gonzalez, Senior Influencer Strategist at Kingfluencers.
Whether on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok: Hate comments and hate speech are widespread and unfortunately already part of “normality” nowadays. We want to set an example against hate speech and organized the influencer event “With Kingfluencers against HateSpeech” to bring more attention to this important topic.
Together with Kris Grippo, Taulant, and other influencers and social media experts from Kingfluencers, we were able to launch a super important event. Jan from 20 Minuten was also there and conducted an interview with some of the creators, in which they shared their personal experiences of how they deal with hate speech. In the video, you can find out which hate comments reach the creators and how they deal with them.
We are super proud of our successful event and share the following tips that content creator Kris Grippo presented at the event:
1. Don’t ignore the issue of hate speech, but ignore hate comments if they bother you
2. Remain polite and objective
3. Block or report the hate comment
4. Seek support
5. Set an example
A format that raises awareness
We are extremely proud to have created a format that draws attention to an extremely important issue that should not be looked away from. You see hundreds of smiling faces on social media every day, but you can’t tell if the smile is real or just posed for the photo. Therefore, it is of even greater importance to look behind the facade and draw attention to problems that everyone faces.
Chiara Rago, founder of our Mental Health Check-in format says: «Social Media can be an amazing place with lots of opportunities. However, mishandling its power can lead to harm. My purpose was clear – to raise awareness of the struggles and risks and to make an impact for the better.»
Anja Lapčević, Influencer Expert at Kingfluencers, is also pleased with the format: «I very much welcome the initiative, especially since it arose from a need of the creators but also of our employees. I am happy to be able to support the team with my expertise from the Conscious Influence Hub and I am looking forward to the upcoming topics.»
If you’re excited to learn more about our Mental Health series, follow us on Instagram to stay up to date. Help raise awareness and be a role model by showing your community the importance of mental health.
Author: Tijana Simic, Marketing Support @Kingfluencers