"I'm not even 20 yet and the FTC could be after me."
Interviewer: Thanks for sitting down with us today. Let’s start with the basics. How did you get started on TikTok, and what led to your gaining over a million followers?
Influencer: I started just for fun, mainly during Covid to be honest. I was bored and stuck at home so I started making stupid videos just being myself. I think my content just resonated with people and one of my posts went crazy viral. Now I have a million followers.
Interviewer: Can you tell me about your experience with brand deals?
Influencer: When I got my first deal, it was a brand who commented on one of my posts asking if I’d be down to collaborate with them. I felt like I made it because of the idea of getting paid to be silly and have fun…but then after a few deals I started to realize the reality is different. Tehre’s a lot of pressure to perform. Brands want you to push their products and get sales so honestly I started buying views and comments.
Interviewer: Did you ever feel like you were deceiving your audience?
Influencer: Honestly, yeah. There were times when I looked at my own content and scrolled through all the hate comments and would just think “who am I even more?” I started feeling like a sell out.
Interviewer: How do you feel about the recent FTC ruling that cracks down on fake endorsements?
Influencer: It’s a big wakeup call. I’m still excited to work with brands but only ones I genuinely like and can really speak about. I also am going to start asking brands I work with for written confirmation that they are compliant. I’m not even 20 yet and the FTC could be coming after me. I don’t want to ruin my future because of careless mistakes that I could have totally avoided.
