by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor…
Although it’s April Fools Day, this is no joke.
Everyone knows that most social media data can be faked. Likes, followers, views, even comments — name it, you can buy it. What most people don’t realize is how easy it is to do so…
If you’re in Moscow, just pop a few rubles into a vending machine and — da! — instant Instagram popularity, as journalist Vasily Sonkin shows you here..
So remember: never base “influence” on a number of easy actions, like “likes.” Look for follower actions that take real effort, such as THOUGHTFUL comments, and compare that to the overall number of followers or likes. That’s still not proof of true influence, but it’s one way to gauge whether a person’s followers were bought like so many Snickers bars.
Mark Armstrong
Takes “influence peddling” to a whole new level! Quite the rude wakeup call– great find, Freddy!
Freddy J. Nager
Great line about “influence peddling,” Mark! I wish I had thought of that.
janet karel
Excellent words and wisdom focusing on the ever evolving world of social marketing.
Freddy Tran Nager
Thank you. Keep watching this blog for more articles on the topic.