There is good and bad in social media. Just like everything else, it is not perfect. Some of the worst things about social media are fake likes, fake fans and not far behind are fake reviews. It is projected that by 2014, social media accounts will be proliferated by everything fake. According to a recent research, the trend towards everything fake will become even worse than it is at present.
This can be attributed to social media interactions which are not genuine but paid. According to analysts who are keeping tab of this alarming occurrence, more than 15% of all reviews, likes and other forms of social engagement in social media will be manufactured. These dealings would be paid by companies which are endorsing their products and services.
Fakes in Social Media Today
15% is indeed a very big jump from the fake interactions today which only amount to about 1% to 4%. What makes it difficult to pin down these fakes is the fact that there is not much information about them. However, there are always cases which are quite notorious and not easily forgotten. Just take the case of US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. It was revealed that he had thousands of fake Twitter followers but Romney’s office said that the campaign had nothing to do with it.
The notoriety of fake likes and reviews have spawned entirely new software which are dedicated to figuring out the real from the fake. Embarrassing numbers have been revealed about all things fake in social media.
Companies for Paid Fake Interactions
On the other end of the spectrum are companies which are for paid fake interactions. There are several websites which encourage paid tweets, for instance. These companies tap into a wide range of influencers to help promote brands and services. Targets can be as varied as likes, Tweets, favorites and shares.
All these fakes are making it difficult for people to believe others when they seem more like walking billboards and paid endorsers rather than consumers with sincere inputs about products and brands. There is a lack of transparency which does not bode well in the long-term. There is so much unregulated space that it is a must for organizations to start weighing things up in the near future.
One of the many reasons for the spread of fake social engagements online is the fact that the number of people using various social media platforms continues to grow. Companies are seeing a market which they would like to tap. After all, there is a lot of money to be had from this market. Facebook alone, one of the biggest social media platforms today, have more than a billion users. Just imagine how much money you will be able to make if you have just a fraction of the market.
Contribution of platform operators
Aside from the companies themselves, it is also necessary for platform operators to get involved if they want to keep fakes away. The entire business model could end up in jeopardy if ads are not balanced with real, entertaining, fresh and informative content.