In a world overflowing with influencers and endless product pushes, it’s easy to feel like every post is just another sales pitch. At Military Mom Collective, we get it. While we do share products we genuinely love and believe in, our mission has always been bigger than that. We’re here to be a resource and a place where military moms can find real-life support, encouragement, and connection throughout every season of military life.
We know that statements like this can sometimes come across as pointed, but please know it comes from a place of sincerity. This is something we firmly believe in. If you ever have questions or concerns, we welcome the conversation, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our community is built on mutual trust, and we’re honored to be walking this journey with you.
How many military spouse accounts are you following on social media? Do you regularly use them as a resource to help navigate different parts of our military lifestyle, or are they just a fun follow who happens to also be a military spouse? At first glance, would you consider them an advocate simply because they are encouraging in military life?
The military spouse community is a unique space where generally we do our best to cheer each other on, and an easy way to do that on social media is to click “follow”. When I see that MilSpo life listing in a bio, it’s hard not to think: Same! Who doesn’t love to see a base housing glow up or a cute reveal for a PCS? Influencers are fun, but when they start labeling themselves as advocates or resources, personally I would like to see the receipts for that claim.
After more than 17 years in the military spouse game, I’m pretty well versed in this Air Force lifestyle, but even with that knowledge it is becoming increasingly hard to tell which accounts are actually sharing legitimate resources to support our military spouse community versus who is selling a lifestyle brand but marketing themselves as an “advocate” on social media. I started to dig deeper into the links certain accounts share and the information they post, looking for the resources and advocacy programs they are part of, but by and large there isn’t much to be found except a steady stream of affiliate links and paid partnerships.
You might wonder: why does this matter? Labeling oneself a military resource simply to tap into the community, is predatory. The bottom line is that social media is a big, loud, oversaturated space. Teasing out facts from opinions is tricky and takes thoughtful effort. And when influencers are sharing their experience but labeling it as advocacy, it distracts from researched information. There is certainly value in a shared experience- we feel less alone, we can see the road ahead of us a bit more clearly, or we start to see the positives in a potential next duty station. Those things are great, but they are not the same as advocacy. Real advocacy is usually not particularly exciting or aesthetically pleasing, but it’s where the best information comes from. Any of us could make a reel of our favorite dress options for an upcoming ball, but how many of us could create a reel with cold hard facts about the proposed changes to military PCS policies? Definitely not me, and not just because I’m inept at Reels.
It’s been an important lesson for me to pause before taking advice from someone I don’t really know on the other side of a screen, even if they say they’re a military life resource. Here are some of the things I’m paying attention to when I try to decide how much weight I want to give to the opinion of a social media account.
- Does this account have a particular advocacy passion project that they are specializing in? The military family experience is broad, and most true advocates have a niche that they are well researched and informed in. Whether it’s housing, moving, healthcare or something else entirely, the most informed advocates are specific in what the knowledge is that they are hoping to share with you. The best advocates will say ” I can speak on the issue of food insecurity, but if you are looking for a resource on navigating Tricare, the account you want to follow is…” because they know just how deep each topic is.
- Do they have an LTK account, or an Amazon storefront? In a lot of ways being an influencer is a side hustle that makes sense for a military spouse, since it’s a flexible, moveable source of income, and I’m happy to click those affiliate links of it’s a product that really fits my life. But if I’m seeing links regularly, it’s a good indication that I am being pitched a product based on the fact that we share the common denominator of military life.
- Does this person actually represent a military spouse experience that feels authentic to the experience most of us have? I know there are millions of military family experiences and they are all unique, but if someone is treading LOUDLY on that military spouse title, I try to compare notes. Are they actually representing military experiences, or are they simply trying to tap into the community as a revenue source.
Finally, most resources can really be found as stand alone webpages with a small social media presence. Military One Source for example is a wealth of information for a broad range of military situations and offers 24/7 support. Or, if you’re looking for a person instead of a company, a great place to start is the Armed Forces Spouse of the Year list where you can scroll through a truly impressive list of spouses who are making real changes in our communities!
