10 Facts About SGInstaBabes, The Influencers Platform That S’poreans Might Not Know About

There are some people who tread on the fine line of evil and kindness. Case in point: that nice colleague who’s always buying lunch for you, yet at the same time always didn’t wash his hands after a visit to the toilet.

Hate him, or like him?

Then there’s SGInstaBabes, the platform that supposedly create contents about lifestyle that focuses on “babes, nightlife, events, trends, fashion and travel”.

With over 100K followers in its Instagram platform, you wonder whether you should focus on the “buy-lunch” aspect of the business (content creation, just like us, yay!), or the “don’t-wash-hand” aspect of it (the questionable ethics of its contents, especially the “babes” part).

Now, whichever way you think, I’m sure you’re dying to know about more about this platform that somehow got such strong backlash in its latest decision, it allegedly closes down its Instagram account.

So here are ten facts about SGInstaBabes, because we’re as busybody as you.

What is SGInstaBabes?

First off, what is SGInstaBabes?

Well, you can call it a social media page, with its primary platform being Instagram. Founded by a former competitive bodybuilder, he allegedly also founded a social media company, Instalogy. According to the same interview, he doesn’t just own SGInstaBabes, but also other Instagram accounts like SGFitnessHotties, SGRestaurants and SGFashionistas. A check online shows that all other pages are no longer online, except for SGRestaurants. For that account, the last post was made in 2017.

No, What Exactly is SGInstaBabes?

Okay, I get it: you’re more interested in that than the guy who started SGFitnessHotties.

SGInstaBabes, according to its marketing deck, is a “content marketing, social media marketing and events marketing agency.”

For the first two parts, it’s quite clear: they’re doing what we do, that is to create contents and market clients’ products or services. Our digital assets are primarily articles and videos, while for them, it could be images and videos.

As for events marketing, they basically assist to organize events.

They supposedly have “50 InstaBabes” with a combined following of “900,000”, and additional database of 2,000 female social media influencers. They also claim to have over 100 clients, strategic partners and sponsors (I know what a client is, but what the heck is a strategic partner and…sponsor?).

But anyways, moving on.

They Have Big-Name Clients

Bet you didn’t know that, eh?

They have worked with big brands like DBS, oBike (okay, this one maybe not that big anymore), and according to their deck, they even helped to recruit 11 actresses for Toggle.

But of course, just a disclaimer here: very often, big brands do not engage publishers directly. They go through their advertising agency.

And just another disclaimer: I could only find these big brands so far. Either these are the only big brands they’ve worked with, or I’m lazy to find more.

Something Controversy Happened Last Year As Well

You might have know about them through their beautiful girls, but some of us know about them through a controversy that occurred last year.

Dee Kosh made a video relating what happened, and if you’ve got ten minutes and a whole lot of data to spare, you should watch the video in its entirety here:

If not, here’s a summary: a few girls, who are below 18 (even below 16, in fact), alleged that the founder molested the young influencers. Nothing much occurred after that, but the Instagram account was suddenly set to private for a while before resurfacing.

During the downtime, it announced that family-friendly contents would be migrated to a new page called @jointhecirclesg. As of now, I couldn’t find this particular account online.

Let’s just say that our goldfish memory wiped that issue away. Just another day on the Internet.

$80 per Photoshoot

According to The Straits Times, a SGInstagBabes member got $80 and free clothes for a photoshoot for a clothing brand. She would also have to post the image on her personal Instagram account. She, and another three girls, were in lingerie.

Just so you know, $80 for that job isn’t exactly…a good amount. And I’m talking about a photoshoot fully clothed, ‘coz I’ve absolutely no idea how much a lingerie photoshoot cost.

The New Controversy: The Patreon That Started It All

Lest you’re not aware, Patreon is an online platform, commonly used by YouTubers and artists, to allow fans to contribute a specific amount monthly to the creator. In return, the content creator would provide exclusive contents to the contributor, also known as the “patrons”.

It’s a very common practice in the US, and many YouTubers live off Patreon contributions. Depending on the amount contributed, patrons would have different exclusive benefits.

SGInstaBabes started a Patreon, and I’m pretty sure you know what happens next.

A $3 contribution has no perk, a $7.50 contribution has access to all photos, a $22.50 has access to all personal vblogs, a $75 has access to an invitation to a photoshoot once a month and a $225 contribution as access to all photoshoots.

But what sets people talking is the $3,750 contribution: they would party with the patron, and a few friends, on a yacht.

Just so you know, all the amount mentioned are in USD.

Still don’t see what’s wrong? Go drink some milk, my friend.

More Controversies: Founder Allegedly Got People to Join Just to Bump up the Numbers

If you go to the Patreon page (which, by the way, is still active), you’ll see that there are already 91 patrons.

Wow, indeed.

Until you see this.

According to Dee Kosh, who somehow found these screenshots, the founder had allegedly got his influencers to “contribute”, so it’ll look like there are many contributors.

They just have to cancel before the new month start, so they won’t need to fork out a single cent of contribution yet bumping up the number in the Patreon Page.

Well, tomorrow is 31 August 2018: we’ll know in two days on whether that is true or not.

But honestly speaking, I’ll just give all 91 Patrons $3 each. That’s less than $300 – not bad for “branding” and “social proof”, right?

#justsaying

But wait. Read on.

SGInstaBabes Inititally Defended Its Patreon Page

In a FAQ on Instagram Stories, the platform answered some questions and defended its decision.

But honestly, all I’m interested in is this:

For that to happen, a majority of the patrons must be contributing $225 per month. Now, either there are many professional photographers out there in Singapore who would like to learn how to take SGInstaBabes-worthy images for $225 a month, or there are many BTSS.

BTSS means Boon Tai Secondary School, BTW.

No More Controversy: Instagram Page Down

In a plot twist, SGInstaBabes shut down its Instagram Page somewhere around one or two days ago.

The exact reason isn’t given: however, according to an interview with Marketing Magazine, the founder is taking a break from social media, and the future of the platform is unknown. However, should the platform be active again, the founder would not be in charge or involved in it.

There is a possibility that a revival would mean a change in its “art direction” and its “rules”, with higher age limit.

At this moment, the platform has no clients or advertisers working them.

And just in case you forget, this happened before, in 2017. It still came back #justsaying

Patreon Page, Facebook Page and Website Still Active

Now, for some inexplicable reason, the Patreon Page, Facebook Page and website of SGInstaBabe aren’t removed.

So if you’re an aspiring photographer, you might want to check out their Facebook Page for whatever images you need for your inspiration, and considering joining their Patreon so that you can learn the art of the trade with professionals and babes.

I seriously hope you know that I’m joking.