Influencers criticized for trying to get freebies by asking for recommendations

Some of Australia’s top influencers are being accused of using a sneaky Instagram hack to get free products and services.

The likes of Martha Kalifatidis, Emilee Hembrow and Ruby Tuesday Matthews are regularly seen asking for “recommendations” from their followers.

But these ‘screams’ they are often a thinly veiled attempt to get a free or discounted service in exchange for a social media plug-in, known as a “counter deal.”

bill snark dutch mint he highlighted several examples of this in a post this week.

Martha recently asked her followers for salon recommendations, while Emilee shared a post asking fans if they knew a good builder to work on her new shop.

Model Belle Lucia also posted a shout out to a family photographer, while Lily Brown asked her followers to help her find a ‘Freelance Garment Technician based on the Gold Coast’.

Dutch Minty reposted a series of these requests, sarcastically asking if they had ever heard of Google.

Social media stars including Martha Kalifatidis, Emilee Hembrow (pictured) and Ruby Tuesday Matthews regularly ask their followers for “help”.

“Influencers who forget Google exists (except they’re just trying to get a freebie),” the admin wrote.

Influencers often receive freebies, including clothing and beauty products, in exchange for glowing Instagram posts in what’s known as a matching deal.

If they are paid money to post an ad, it is considered a sponsored post.

Martha recently asked her Instagram followers for salon recommendations, while Emilee shared a post requesting a builder for her new store.

Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that Tammy Hembrow can charge anywhere from $37,850 to $63,100 for a single sponsored Instagram post.

Sitting right behind her is fitness mogul Kayla Itsines, who can potentially earn between $37,700 and $62,900 per post.

Former cricketer Michael Clarke earns between $3,500 and $5,900 for a sponsored post, according to estimates.

Australian model Belle Lucia also requested a family photographer on her Instagram story, while Lily Brown asked her followers to help her find a ‘Gold Coast-based freelance garment technician’

AFL WAG Bec Judd could earn between $3,260 and $5,440 per post.

Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson is also believed to be one of the top earners, earning between $3,100 and $5,100 for a single ad.

She earns more than her Married At First Sight co-star Jessika Power, who charges $1,500 to $2,500 per sponsored post.

MAFS girlfriend Martha can charge anywhere from $2,580 to $4,300 for each post.

Instagram ‘shout-outs’ are often a thinly veiled attempt to get a free or discounted service in exchange for a plug-in, known as a ‘counter deal’. Pictured is Ruby Tuesday Matthews

Influencers often receive free gifts, including clothing, in exchange for sponsored posts for their sizeable following to promote sales. Some also make a lot of money promoting products on their social media pages. In the photo Bella Lucia

Her earnings from sponsored posts exceed those of her fiancé Michael Brunelli, who earns between $1,200 and $2,000.

The Influencer Marketing Hub generator allows you to enter an Instagram handle and then calculates how much influencers earn per post.

It takes into account the number of followers an influencer has, their average likes per post, and their engagement rate.

The calculator then estimates what they can ask for for each sponsored post, with some of Australia’s top influencers getting thousands.

Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that Tammy Hembrow (pictured) can charge anywhere from $37,850 to $63,100 for a single sponsored Instagram post