# Influencer marketing: pros and cons: IELTS Writing Task 2 samples Writing Task 2 - Media Many companies now pay popular social media users, known as influencers, to promote their products. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo. ## Band 6 sample Nowadays, many companies pay famous people on social media, who are called influencers, to advertise their products. This is a new way of marketing and it has some advantages for companies and influencers. However, in my opinion, the disadvantages of this are more important than the advantages. To begin with, there are some advantages. For companies, it is cheaper than making advertisement for television, and they can choose an influencer whose followers are the right customers. For example, a sport shoes company can pay a fitness influencer, so their advert reach young people who like exercise. Also, influencers can earn money from their hobby, and some of them become rich by making videos about make-up or games. This create new jobs for young people. On the other hand, there are more serious disadvantages. The biggest problem is that followers trust influencers like a friend, so they think the influencer really likes the product, even when he is only paid to say it. Many followers are teenagers and children, and they can not understand that it is an advertisement. For instance, my younger brother bought an expensive headphone because his favourite gamer said it is the best one, but later he found out the gamer was paid by the company. Moreover, some influencers promote unhealthy products, like diet pills or energy drinks, and this is dangerous for the young people. In conclusion, influencer marketing is good for companies and influencers because it is cheap and it give them money. However, I believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, because it can trick young people and make them buy things they do not need. The government should make rules that influencers must say clearly when a post is an advertisement. **Examiner notes.** This Band 6 essay gives a clear position and supports it with a relevant personal example about the brother and the paid gamer. However, the disadvantages are listed rather than weighed against the advantages, and the final suggestion about government rules is introduced only in the conclusion without development. Errors such as "their advert reach", "This create new jobs" and "an expensive headphone" are noticeable but do not block meaning. For Band 7, the writer would explain why the disadvantages are more serious and use more flexible linking. ## Band 7 sample Social media has given rise to a new type of celebrity, the influencer, and many businesses now pay these individuals to promote their goods to their followers. Although this form of marketing benefits both companies and content creators, I believe its drawbacks for consumers are more significant. There are clear advantages for the businesses involved. Instead of paying for an expensive television campaign aimed at a general audience, a company can work with an influencer whose followers already share a particular interest, such as cooking, cycling or skincare. This allows even small firms with limited budgets to reach exactly the customers they want. Influencer marketing has also created a new source of income for creative people, some of whom have turned a hobby into a full-time career. However, these benefits come at a cost to the audience. The main problem is that the line between honest opinion and paid advertising is often unclear. Followers tend to regard their favourite influencers almost as friends, so a recommendation feels like personal advice rather than a sales message. This is particularly concerning because many followers are teenagers, who may not realise that a glowing review of a phone or a pair of trainers have been paid for. In addition, influencers are sometimes paid to promote products of questionable value, such as unproven health supplements, which could harm the people who trust them. Some countries now require sponsored posts to be clearly labelled, but such rules are difficult to enforce across millions of accounts. In conclusion, while paying influencers is an efficient form of advertising and a source of income for creators, I believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, since this practice often misleads consumers, especially young ones, about whose opinion they are actually hearing. Companies and influencers should therefore be more open about which posts are paid for. **Examiner notes.** This Band 7 essay states a clear position in the introduction and maintains it to the end, explaining that followers treat a recommendation as "personal advice rather than a sales message". Vocabulary such as "a glowing review" and "products of questionable value" is used well. However, the point about labelling rules is added at the end of a paragraph without being explored, and there is a minor agreement error in "a glowing review ... have been paid for". A Band 8 essay would develop why disclosure fails and weigh the two sides more explicitly. The Band 8 and 9 samples are free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-2/influencer-marketing). ## Common questions ### How many words should I write? At least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Writing a little more is fine; an answer under the minimum loses marks. ### Can I use these sample answers in my test? No. Memorised material is marked down and you will not get this exact question. Use the samples to see what each band does with the same task.