One of our conversations that resonated with me the most is the one centered around advertising via Instagram/bloggers. Although it’s a great idea to use every day people to spread a companies message, is it authentic?

Every day women take style cues, cleaning tips, and lifestyle advice from other woman on social media, so it makes sense that a company would capitalize on that.

My question on this has always been, how authentic is it? Is the every day person who makes their livelihood on a blog ethical enough to suggest products to followers? Do they actually stand behind what they’re representing or are they just doing it for the money?

Every time I scroll through my Instagram feed I see women with the ability to add swipe up to their stories. Swipe up for my outfit, swipe up for this magic cleaning product that will make your microwave look new again, swipe up for this or that. If I swiped up every time I heard it on a daily basis I wouldn’t have a thumb.

Then there’s the ones who say use my code (me). Using a code to get a discount on what they buy or a store credit, it’s still a way of advertising and as smart as it is I always tread cautiously when I see it. Personally, if I’m posting something as a suggestion (and I by no means have a following of any substantial kind) it’s because it’s a product that I would actually recommend to my family and friends. But is that the case internet wide? I highly doubt it. So I guess moving forward we have to just hope that all the bloggers/Instagram models/internet it girls are doing the same, suggesting products that they would want their mama’s to buy, and not just the ones they have a lucrative deal with.