Spilling the tea on scammy Influencer tactics…
Around this time last year, I published a post about the business side of blogging. It’s a topic I still get questions on from time to time, especially right now when people might have some extra time at home to start a new hobby. The hot question is always “How do I grow my blog and my following quickly?” Well, good things take time my friends. There isn’t an easy way to gain genuine followers and build a trusting community overnight. And if that’s the only reason why you want to start a blog, it may not be the right venture for you…
I’ve shared this before, but I always set out to create quality content and share bits and tips from my life that provide VALUE to readers. I want to share pieces of my day-to-day that are helpful. Things people can relate to. I have a full-time marketing job that I love, so when I have the time to work on this blog space I want to provide truly quality content. I focus on genuine conversations and engagement with my (albeit small) community of readers.
But, I get why fast tracking Instagram follower growth is the ONLY thing influencers care about these days. The amount of DM and email garbage I sift through on a daily basis is alarming. From “engagement pods” and “buying followers”, people make it seems like there’s some magic quick fix. And new influencers buy into this. So, what are these tactics? If you’re not in the influencer space, here’s a quick explanation…
Buying Followers // It’s not as straightforward as clicking a button and fake followers appear. At least once a week I receive emails from ‘social media growth agencies’ that offer a gain of 1k-5k followers by paying $500 and having some previous ex-Bachelor contestant include your IG handle in a giveaway group. It’s just bananas in my mind. Last month I got an offer for Demi (anyone remember her? Bachelor in Paradise girl a couple years ago?) to post about following a group of influencers for a small fee of $800 (!!!) in order to gain thousands of followers. I mean, WHAT?! First, this is a huge waste of money. And second, the new followers you might gain are not actually interested in your blog. They just want the chance to win a prize that the Bachelor girl is posting about. So it could be a quick gain of followers, but they aren’t going to engage with you. It’s cheating. And even though I can see through this, others don’t. They cough up the $800 for a chance to gain thousands of followers. Ick.
Engagement Pods // These influencer pods are banned by Instagram, so they typically happen on the Telegram app. What is it? A group of 200+ influencers with small followings and they all ‘like’ each others posts. When you post something on Instagram, you share your link in the Telegram app and then all the bloggers in the group ‘like’ it so drives up your engagement rate. But, it’s all FAKE! It just drives me nutty, because those aren’t the ‘likes’ you should want! You want a real, true audience that enjoys your content and wants to engage with you because of a sincere interest. So, if you see a kind of crummy photo that has 700 + likes, those likes are coming from an engagement pod.
These examples are just ways influencers are trying to cheat the system. It’s unfortunate, because it’s really just diluting the entire blogger community. But, PR companies and brand reps are smart about these things and can easily sort through what’s fake and what’s real. My advice if you want to start a blog? Don’t fall into these silly traps.
So, what is it like being a micro-influencer during a crazy 2020? I’ve really focused on not changing my approach and still set out to share valuable content. However, I’ve had some brand deals fall through because marketing budgets have shifted and I’ve certainly made less commissions this year since people are shopping less. (I’m shopping less too, so I get it!!) Some days it can be frustrating, but I still treat my blog as my passion project and a creative outlet. I’m still here to share helpful things from my own life and enjoy getting more personal with my stories as time goes on. I love connecting with readers and like-minded bloggers.
How can you support your favorite bloggers and small businesses in 2020? Through the simplest ways that make a big difference! Share their content with your friends. Like and comment on their posts. Make a purchase through one of their links. These are small ways you can show your support for a small business and small blogger that will truly make them jump for joy on the other side of the screen.
Love this. ❤️