Summary of Key Points
Liu Liu, a former director at an MCN company, used her own one-year experience to expose the inner workings of the industry: MCNs attract traffic by creating fictional characters (fake bosses, fake health and wellness experts, fake influencers, etc.) and copying popular content. Most of the contracted bloggers are either ineffective or have questionable credentials. There is a widespread culture of shifting blame within the company, with directors bearing the brunt of criticism despite low salaries. Eventually, Liu Liu quit her job after discovering that the company was selling counterfeit products and started her own blog. The industry has evolved from a time when it profited from the scarcity of information to one with low barriers to entry and fierce competition.
Detailed Analysis
1. The Farce of Fakeness: Every Detail Is Planned
The so-called “inspiring female bosses” and “health and wellness experts” you see online may all be actors. For example, the first blogger Liu Liu worked with had the persona of a 24-year-old woman who inherited her company, but in reality, she came from a middle-class family, and the office was just used by the MCN team—the employees were her colleagues, and the luxury car was probably rented. Even scenes like “working while taking care of a child” were staged with props such as coffee and massage chairs.
The health and wellness blogger’s persona was even more exaggerated: claimed to be a 39-year-old unmarried expert who self-taught traditional Chinese medicine, but she had only posted a few health videos, copying the content of other bloggers. She would simply change the order of activities (e.g., “meditating → drinking goji berry water”) and use special lighting to make it seem like she spent an entire day filming in just one and a half hours.
Even the plot of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict was scripted: the blogger initially complained about her mother-in-law not changing diapers properly, then they had a fight, and finally, she started selling diapers. Viewers would angrily criticize the mother-in-law, not realizing that the entire scenario was orchestrated.
2. Contracted Bloggers: Either Ineffective or Untrustworthy
MCNs struggle to sign talented bloggers; those who are capable tend to start their own businesses. The bloggers they contract often have flaws:
- Some had briefly successful online stores but couldn’t sustain their sales;
- Others have large followings but don’t generate much revenue;
- A few became popular temporarily but lack the skills to create meaningful content.
The “fake influencer” Liu Liu worked with claimed to own a 250-square-meter apartment, carry a Hermes bag, and earn hundreds of thousands from selling skincare products, but in reality, her apartment was old (with peeling walls), and the bag was fake. Her photos were taken for free at a hotel. To maintain her image as a wealthy individual, she could only film small, mundane moments like applying makeup or using her phone on the sofa, and her poor kitchen conditions would be exposed whenever she filmed cooking.
3. Internal Chaos: Blame-Shifting Is the Norm
There is no clear methodology within MCNs, and problems are always blamed on others:
- If a video doesn’t perform well, it’s the blogger’s fault for lacking charisma; if it does, the blogger wants to cancel the contract due to poor support from the team.
Liu Liu worked with a fitness blogger who, after a divorce, posted more engaging content (without mentioning the divorce), but still decided to leave, blaming the team for being unprofessional. Later, when the blogger tried to promote herself as a divorced model, her videos failed even worse. It’s frustrating that bloggers earn hundreds of thousands in commissions while directors receive fixed salaries (as low as 8,000 RMB).
4. The Breaking Point: Selling Counterfeit Products
Liu Liu’s resignation was triggered by the discovery that the “fake influencer” was selling fake products. A whitening set was sold for 10,000 RMB, and a basic skincare product for 2,000 RMB, claiming to offer “at-home cosmetic treatments” when it was just a mixture of moisturizers and waterproofing agents. The target audience was described as wealthy but uninformed women from small towns who would buy such cheap alternatives to maintain their marriages.
Liu Liu could tolerate fake videos (thinking they were amusing for viewers), but selling counterfeit products was too much; she couldn’t stay.
5. The Decline of the MCN Industry: Rise of Individual Bloggers
MCNs used to thrive because self-media platforms were just emerging, and video editing required specialized skills. Now, anyone with a phone or computer can start a blog. Individual bloggers are more successful because they can target specific needs directly without sharing profits with companies. MCNs struggle to attract top talent, pay their employees poorly (like Liu Liu’s 8,000 RMB), and have to rely on deceptive practices. After leaving, Liu Liu started her own blog, focusing on practical content like cleaning the computer hard drive. Although she earns less, she enjoys the freedom from the pressure of working for an MCN.
Conclusion
This report reveals how self-media content is often scripted by MCNs in pursuit of traffic and profit. However, as more individual bloggers emerge and viewers become more discerning, MCNs that rely on deception will eventually be phased out. Authenticity is what lasts. Liu Liu’s decision shows that it’s better to focus on what you can control rather than wasting energy in a corrupt industry.