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Under the Influence - How to Fake Your Way into Getting Rich on Instagram: Influencer Fraud, Selfies, Anxiety, Ego, and Mass Delusional Behavior
Join photographer Trey Ratcliff, of the #1 travel photography blog StuckinCustoms.com, as he exposes the cunning tricks Social Media Influencers use to buy their way into the lucrative, multi-billion dollar world of social media brand sponsorship, world travel, and free merchandise. Discover the Instagram black market, hidden in plain sight. Meet these fake “Influencers” - with seemingly glamorous lives, but no real sway on social media - who are fraudulently cheating the system by buying likes, comments, and followers.
You'll find out how little the social networks and agencies are actually doing to protect major brands across every industry, who these Influencers are defrauding to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each year. This widespread deception has side effects that are more than just monetary. The seemingly perfect, glamorous lives of these Influencers, combined with social media algorithms engineered to get you to keep clicking, cause many of us to feel anxious and unsettled after using social media.
Go on a deep dive into the social media black market and explore its harmful psychological effects with Trey Ratcliff, a social media insider who has accrued over 5 million followers (the honest way). Take a trip through the behind-the-scenes economics of social media, learn how to spot fake accounts, and discover how it’s possible to stay zen on the Internet - without needing to unplug completely.
You'll find out how little the social networks and agencies are actually doing to protect major brands across every industry, who these Influencers are defrauding to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each year. This widespread deception has side effects that are more than just monetary. The seemingly perfect, glamorous lives of these Influencers, combined with social media algorithms engineered to get you to keep clicking, cause many of us to feel anxious and unsettled after using social media.
Go on a deep dive into the social media black market and explore its harmful psychological effects with Trey Ratcliff, a social media insider who has accrued over 5 million followers (the honest way). Take a trip through the behind-the-scenes economics of social media, learn how to spot fake accounts, and discover how it’s possible to stay zen on the Internet - without needing to unplug completely.
378 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2019
70 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Trey Ratcliff
14 books16 followersTrey Ratcliff is an artist on a somewhat quixotic mission to help spread consciousness and mindfulness to the world through photography and creativity. Running the #1 travel
photography blog in the world, StuckInCustoms.com, has taken him to all seven continents over the past decade. Google has tracked more than 140 billion views of his photos, all while he’s been building a social media presence with over 5 million (170K on Instagram).
Chris Anderson, curator of the TED conference, called Ratcliff a “pioneer" of the now ubiquitous genre of high-dynamic-range photography. Ratcliff’s photograph, Fourth on Lake Austin, was the first HDR photograph to hang in the Smithsonian Museum. Subsequently, sales of his large-format, limited edition prints to fine art collectors worldwide have grown into a multimillion-dollar business. In 2012, Ratcliff moved his photography business to Queenstown, New Zealand (before it became a trendy doomsday contingency plan). He lives there with his wife, three children, and their dog, Blueberry.
To learn more about Trey, visit www.StuckInCustoms.com/Trey-Ratcliff
photography blog in the world, StuckInCustoms.com, has taken him to all seven continents over the past decade. Google has tracked more than 140 billion views of his photos, all while he’s been building a social media presence with over 5 million (170K on Instagram).
Chris Anderson, curator of the TED conference, called Ratcliff a “pioneer" of the now ubiquitous genre of high-dynamic-range photography. Ratcliff’s photograph, Fourth on Lake Austin, was the first HDR photograph to hang in the Smithsonian Museum. Subsequently, sales of his large-format, limited edition prints to fine art collectors worldwide have grown into a multimillion-dollar business. In 2012, Ratcliff moved his photography business to Queenstown, New Zealand (before it became a trendy doomsday contingency plan). He lives there with his wife, three children, and their dog, Blueberry.
To learn more about Trey, visit www.StuckInCustoms.com/Trey-Ratcliff
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 28, 2019
This brilliant little book reverse engineers the scam-fest of social media “Influencers,” particularly on Instagram, and makes a strong case for leaving social media in the dust (although the author has chosen another path).
Working in the wellness industry, I’ve noticed a marked uptick in influencers purchasing hundreds of thousands of followers, employing bots to comment, and a host of other unsavoury behaviors in order to receive well-paid sponsorships by big brands. This book breaks it all down and even includes real-life examples.
Kudos to the author for having the cajones and awareness to tackle the issue head on. It sucks, it’s demoralizing, and it’s theft. If you’ve got a business presence on social media and you’re not a total jerk, read this book!
Working in the wellness industry, I’ve noticed a marked uptick in influencers purchasing hundreds of thousands of followers, employing bots to comment, and a host of other unsavoury behaviors in order to receive well-paid sponsorships by big brands. This book breaks it all down and even includes real-life examples.
Kudos to the author for having the cajones and awareness to tackle the issue head on. It sucks, it’s demoralizing, and it’s theft. If you’ve got a business presence on social media and you’re not a total jerk, read this book!
January 29, 2025
Es un libro que sorprende por su agilidad narrativa y su agudeza crítica. Con un tono mordaz y un enfoque incisivo, el autor desentraña el mundo de los influencers y la cultura de las redes sociales, exponiendo las prácticas fraudulentas, la ansiedad y la egolatría que alimentan esta industria. Desde el principio, el libro captura la atención con su estilo directo y su capacidad para combinar humor y análisis profundo, lo que lo convierte en una lectura tan entretenida como reveladora.
Uno de los aspectos más destacados es cómo el autor desmonta el mito del éxito instantáneo en Instagram. A través de ejemplos concretos y testimonios, muestra cómo muchos influencers recurren a tácticas cuestionables, como comprar seguidores falsos, manipular métricas de engagement y crear una imagen de vida perfecta que dista mucho de la realidad. Estas prácticas no solo engañan a las marcas y al público, sino que también perpetúan un ciclo de ansiedad y competencia insana entre los propios creadores de contenido.
El libro también aborda el impacto psicológico de esta cultura en los usuarios comunes. La obsesión por los likes, la comparación constante con vidas aparentemente perfectas y la presión por mantener una imagen impecable en línea son temas que el autor explora con sensibilidad y perspicacia. Aquí, el texto va más allá de la crítica superficial y se adentra en cómo estas dinámicas afectan la autoestima, la salud mental y las relaciones interpersonales.
Además, el autor no se limita a señalar los problemas, sino que también cuestiona las estructuras que los sostienen. Examina el papel de las marcas, las agencias de marketing y las propias plataformas en la perpetuación de esta cultura del engaño y la superficialidad. Su crítica a la economía de la atención y a cómo las redes sociales monetizan la inseguridad de las personas es particularmente contundente.
Sin embargo, aunque el libro es brillante en su análisis, en ocasiones puede sentirse un tanto repetitivo. Algunos puntos, como la compra de seguidores o la fabricación de una imagen idealizada, se reiteran varias veces sin añadir necesariamente nueva información. Esto, sin embargo, no resta demasiado valor a la obra, ya que su ritmo ágil y su tono provocativo mantienen al lector comprometido.
En definitiva, *Under the Influence* es una crítica mordaz y necesaria a un fenómeno que define nuestra era. Su combinación de humor, investigación y reflexión lo convierte en una lectura imprescindible para cualquiera que quiera entender el lado oscuro de la cultura influencer y el impacto de las redes sociales en nuestras vidas.
Uno de los aspectos más destacados es cómo el autor desmonta el mito del éxito instantáneo en Instagram. A través de ejemplos concretos y testimonios, muestra cómo muchos influencers recurren a tácticas cuestionables, como comprar seguidores falsos, manipular métricas de engagement y crear una imagen de vida perfecta que dista mucho de la realidad. Estas prácticas no solo engañan a las marcas y al público, sino que también perpetúan un ciclo de ansiedad y competencia insana entre los propios creadores de contenido.
El libro también aborda el impacto psicológico de esta cultura en los usuarios comunes. La obsesión por los likes, la comparación constante con vidas aparentemente perfectas y la presión por mantener una imagen impecable en línea son temas que el autor explora con sensibilidad y perspicacia. Aquí, el texto va más allá de la crítica superficial y se adentra en cómo estas dinámicas afectan la autoestima, la salud mental y las relaciones interpersonales.
Además, el autor no se limita a señalar los problemas, sino que también cuestiona las estructuras que los sostienen. Examina el papel de las marcas, las agencias de marketing y las propias plataformas en la perpetuación de esta cultura del engaño y la superficialidad. Su crítica a la economía de la atención y a cómo las redes sociales monetizan la inseguridad de las personas es particularmente contundente.
Sin embargo, aunque el libro es brillante en su análisis, en ocasiones puede sentirse un tanto repetitivo. Algunos puntos, como la compra de seguidores o la fabricación de una imagen idealizada, se reiteran varias veces sin añadir necesariamente nueva información. Esto, sin embargo, no resta demasiado valor a la obra, ya que su ritmo ágil y su tono provocativo mantienen al lector comprometido.
En definitiva, *Under the Influence* es una crítica mordaz y necesaria a un fenómeno que define nuestra era. Su combinación de humor, investigación y reflexión lo convierte en una lectura imprescindible para cualquiera que quiera entender el lado oscuro de la cultura influencer y el impacto de las redes sociales en nuestras vidas.
June 7, 2019
Did not expect this book to be one that I couldn't put down. Trey did a fantastic job of making a fairly dry topic very engaging and surprisingly funny. It felt like the book lost focus towards the end but was still informative and enjoyable to read.
I highly recommend this informative and entertaining read!
I hope Trey writes another book based off Appendix A (about himself) as that would also be quite interesting and he is a highly engaging writer.
I highly recommend this informative and entertaining read!
I hope Trey writes another book based off Appendix A (about himself) as that would also be quite interesting and he is a highly engaging writer.
August 5, 2023
Wow
I learned so many new things,I initially picked this book up because i have an instagram account for my pup and i thought i could blow up lol.This book is amazing, exposing so many people,the fact that its still not removed from the kindle store is mind boggling because it exposes soo many people.I loved it. the tea is HOT.10/10
I learned so many new things,I initially picked this book up because i have an instagram account for my pup and i thought i could blow up lol.This book is amazing, exposing so many people,the fact that its still not removed from the kindle store is mind boggling because it exposes soo many people.I loved it. the tea is HOT.10/10
Read
April 24, 2020Totally opened my eyes to what could possibly be fake or fraud. Very informative for those interested to be successful this is a great read on what not to do ... that is if you have a conscience.
Trey put a lot of work into this project and you won't be sorry reading this.
Trey put a lot of work into this project and you won't be sorry reading this.
August 18, 2019
Straight to the point discussion of the new world of "Influencers" and how success can be faked. Examines real life accounts and doesn't pull any punches when showing deception and outright fraud.
April 17, 2019
Summary: This book takes you through the crazy world of Influencer fraud but ends up being so much more than that.
I first heard about this book on a podcast I follow (TWIP) and having already been curious about some of the strange things I had noticed on Instagram I decided to give it a shot… wow, there is so much going on that I hadn’t considered!
As the title suggests, this book probably can help you to fake your way to getting rich on Instagram. It doesn’t seem that hard and certainly isn’t something that costs much money to put the various pieces in place but to say this is a guide on how to do that would be a great disservice to the author. Outlining the unethical and downright fraudulent behaviour of many Instagrammers (including some naming and shaming) is a decent portion of the book but here in at least equal measure is a deeper look at how social media impacts on us as individuals and society as a whole.
In fact, this book is probably different things to different people and covers how brands can ensure their marketing spend is given to people with real influence, how the social media companies could change the situation for the better (it probably won’t surprise you to hear Instagram/Facebook are fully aware of the Fraud… they even communicated with the Author about it… yet have done nothing to fix it!) and how you and I can have a better online experience, whether that be happier, less anxious or just generally just more aware of what goes on behind the pretty Instagram veil we see in the images from our feeds.
I was also quite surprised by the overall heft of the book. It’s a fairly chunky 300+ pages and is filled with plenty of data for the curious, case studies illustrated with examples, tools to allow us to investigate further ourselves and even some pretty pictures to close off the book. (I think the Kindle version will have these in colour so that may be worth the investment.)
I swithered for a while between 4 and 5 stars because as delving into social media stats, etc isn’t the most exciting topic but it is done well here. Added to that there is some fun humour throughout and the heart and overall message is very much in the right place, so 5 it is!
I first heard about this book on a podcast I follow (TWIP) and having already been curious about some of the strange things I had noticed on Instagram I decided to give it a shot… wow, there is so much going on that I hadn’t considered!
As the title suggests, this book probably can help you to fake your way to getting rich on Instagram. It doesn’t seem that hard and certainly isn’t something that costs much money to put the various pieces in place but to say this is a guide on how to do that would be a great disservice to the author. Outlining the unethical and downright fraudulent behaviour of many Instagrammers (including some naming and shaming) is a decent portion of the book but here in at least equal measure is a deeper look at how social media impacts on us as individuals and society as a whole.
In fact, this book is probably different things to different people and covers how brands can ensure their marketing spend is given to people with real influence, how the social media companies could change the situation for the better (it probably won’t surprise you to hear Instagram/Facebook are fully aware of the Fraud… they even communicated with the Author about it… yet have done nothing to fix it!) and how you and I can have a better online experience, whether that be happier, less anxious or just generally just more aware of what goes on behind the pretty Instagram veil we see in the images from our feeds.
I was also quite surprised by the overall heft of the book. It’s a fairly chunky 300+ pages and is filled with plenty of data for the curious, case studies illustrated with examples, tools to allow us to investigate further ourselves and even some pretty pictures to close off the book. (I think the Kindle version will have these in colour so that may be worth the investment.)
I swithered for a while between 4 and 5 stars because as delving into social media stats, etc isn’t the most exciting topic but it is done well here. Added to that there is some fun humour throughout and the heart and overall message is very much in the right place, so 5 it is!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews