Influencers and Their Lies

Everywhere you look, you see them—the “influencers” parading around in rented Lamborghinis and posing in staged mansions. Their promise? You, too, can achieve wealth and success if only you buy their overpriced courses and coaching sessions.

But here’s the reality: digital marketing isn’t about showing off. It’s not about following trends or chasing after flashy success. It’s about real connections, about building relationships that last.

These so-called influencers are all about themselves—constantly pushing their personal brands, hoping to look successful while shouting into the void. And that’s why many of us shy away from building our own personal brands—it feels fake, like shameless self-promotion.

But the truth is, the best way to build your personal brand isn’t through bragging. It’s by lifting others up and letting your actions—and your community—speak for you.

I’ve been in this industry for decades, and I’ve seen countless fake promises. It infuriates me to watch these people mislead others with their shortcuts and gimmicks.

It’s time to pull back the curtain and expose the top lies they’re feeding you.

The Top 10 Lies of Fake Influencers

1. Attention equals money.
   I know people with over a million followers who are flat broke. They’re driving for Uber just to pay their overdue rent. Attention alone doesn’t pay the bills—delivering real value does.
2. Go LIVE every day.
   They act like social media is everything. But we’re business owners, not influencers. Social media is just one of many channels to bring in clients. It’s not the entire business.
3. If you’re not on the latest trend, you’re missing out.
   Fear of missing out drives a lot of bad decisions. Remember when TikTok was “the thing” and everyone rushed to make courses on it? Those get-rich-quick schemes were garbage.
4. You need to go viral.
   If you’re selling a course, maybe. But if you’re a local business—like a lawyer, dentist, or real estate agent—what you need is clients, not fame. Ranking locally is what matters, not going viral globally.
5. The “secret” technique.
   There’s no magic bullet that will make you rich overnight. If someone is selling you “the secret,” they’re just trying to sell you something else—usually snake oil.
6. Fake it till you make it.
   Pretending to be successful doesn’t make you successful. Trust is built through authenticity, not deception. That sports car in the photo? It’s probably rented.
7. You’re just one funnel away from millions.
   They sell you the dream of instant wealth. But in reality, building a sustainable business takes hard work—there are no shortcuts.
8. Keep making content, and eventually, you’ll win.
   It’s not about how much content you make, but how valuable it is. If you’re not delivering value, producing more content won’t help. You can’t turn a donkey into a unicorn no matter how far it runs.
9. Rags to riches stories.
   They paint a picture of overnight success, conveniently leaving out the years of struggle. Don’t be fooled by manufactured stories.
10. Seven-figure, eight-figure revenue.
    Revenue means nothing without profit. I’ve seen businesses brag about seven-figure revenues, but they’re bleeding cash because their expenses are through the roof.

The Hard Truth About Digital Marketing

Digital marketing isn’t about quick wins or viral moments. It’s about relationships, real connections, and value. It’s about letting others sing your praises, not shouting about yourself.

Ask yourself:

• Do you offer something that delivers real value?
• Is your business scalable beyond your own efforts?
• Have you built a team so you’re not stuck in the day-to-day grind?
• Are you investing in your education, learning how to build a sustainable business?
• My mentor, the former CEO of American Airlines, taught me the four key components of any business:

• Marketing/Sales—to bring in traffic and customers.
• Accounting/Finance—to track the money.
• Operations/Production—to deliver consistently.
• Everything else—belongs in the corporate wastebasket.
• Focus on these pillars, and you’ll build a business that lasts.

Don’t fall for the lies these fake influencers are selling. There are no shortcuts to real success.

Let your actions—and the community you build—do the talking.

To all the entrepreneurs out there, what other lies have you encountered in the digital marketing world? Share your stories—I’d love to hear them.

Dennis Yu

Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations. You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel. You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.

View all posts