Gender Treatment in the Influencer Marketing World: A Closer Look

The Gender Treatment in Influencer Marketing: Breaking Stereotypes and Pay Gaps

In a recent documentary on the gender-based pay gap, ‘Explained’, the focus was on shedding light on the reasons behind the fact that female professionals still earn less than their male counterparts for the same work. The documentary highlighted that the prospect of having children is a major factor that unjustly leads to lower remuneration and limited career opportunities for women. However, the gender treatment within the influencer marketing world presents a different picture.

The masculinization of industries like IT and influencer marketing has been a common trend. In the IT industry, which was once predominantly female, the shift towards male dominance occurred as the profession gained importance and prestige. Similarly, the influencer marketing industry, which started as a female-dominated business, saw an influx of male influencers as the profession gained popularity.

Despite this shift, the top influencers in the world, both male and female, are earning similar amounts per post, indicating that there is no significant gender pay gap in the influencer marketing industry. In Switzerland, where there are more female influencers, the industry is considered fair and both genders are remunerated equally.

With the rise of TikTok, a new trend has emerged where male influencers are gaining prominence on the platform. This has raised questions about whether history is repeating itself, with males overshadowing females in a popular field. However, the industry experts believe that success in influencer marketing is more about the content produced rather than gender.

Stereotyping and unequal treatment continue to be challenges in the influencer marketing industry, with female influencers often being cast for beauty and fashion campaigns, while male influencers are associated with more serious topics. Online bullying and harassment, especially towards female influencers, have also become a significant issue, with women facing a higher risk of cyberstalking.

Despite these challenges, the influencer marketing industry offers flexibility and opportunities for both male and female influencers. Self-employed influencers can access insurance coverage for maternity benefits, with some countries offering better conditions for women than men. Overall, the industry shows fewer signs of unfairness in terms of wage equality, but there are still areas that need to be addressed, such as sexism, online bullying, and stereotyping.