Multi-media journalist Ciru Muriuki has revealed that gatekeeping has been one of her greatest challenges as an influencer.
Through her Insta stories, Ciru who recently re-entered influencer space after being laid off by BBC in June said it has been a difficult journey trying to navigate the industry again however, things are looking up.
“How has it been since you left employment? Any advice for someone who is taking that path?” a fan asked to which Ciru Muriuki responded by saying;
“It has been challenging. One of the things to learn once you leave regular employment is to be disciplined with your money since it’s no longer regular. Re-entering the influencer space – because my previous employer(BBC) did not allow us to do influencer work- has been hard. One of the biggest hurdles I have faced is gatekeepers. Someone just doesn’t want you to prosper for no reason. The gatekeeping is wild but so far so good.”
Gatekeeping in this context means having individuals who control or limit general access to various brand partnership gigs and campaigns with the motive of keeping them exclusive.
Gatekeeping can also be used so the influencer authority can charge or extort newbies in the industry. At the same time, successful influencers may frame information shared with aspiring influencers to prevent or limit their access to the industry.
Among the many reasons for gatekeeping in the influencer industry is to avoid market saturation since the industry is unstable. By doing this, successful influencers shut out competitors and preserve their income.
Some perceived successful influencers also believe the more exclusive the partnership, the more appealing they are to their audience.
