Everyone wants to be popular on social media—and some are even willing to pay big bucks for it. According to a bombshell report from The New York Times, it’s a widespread practice for celebrities, athletes, politicians, and other public figures to pay for social media followers—followers who are, in most cases, not even real human beings. These fake followers number in the millions, and have been used to artificially inflate social media stats—but now, with these practices under federal investigation, public figures and regular individuals alike may see their social media followers evaporate. In a new statement to the press, Grammar Chic, Inc. comments on this timely issue.
“It’s long been common for public personalities, and even businesses, to prop up their real social media followings with bots and fraudulent accounts,” comments Amanda Clark, the Editor-in-Chief of Grammar Chic, Inc. Indeed, entire companies, such as Devumi, have sold millions of social media followers to such highly-public figures as Clay Aiken and John Leguizamo. But now, these celebrities are seeing millions of their own Twitter followers vanish in an instant, as both federal- and state-level scrutiny comes to bear on the companies that generate these fake accounts.
According to The New York Times, “Devumi sells Twitter followers and retweets to celebrities, businesses and anyone who wants to appear more popular or exert influence online. Drawing on an estimated stock of at least 3.5 million automated accounts, each sold many times over, the company has provided customers with more than 200 million Twitter followers.”
What’s more, these accounts are often designed to mirror real people—meaning it can be hard to spot the bots from the flesh-and-blood human beings. The Times investigation notes that at least 55,000 fake accounts mirror actual, personal details of real-life Twitter users—many of them minors.
“These tactics have always been shady, and now that they’re out in the open, it’s likely that they’ll come under increased scrutiny and ultimately be shut down,” Clark notes. “The implication is that those who’s taken short cuts to social media popularity may find their numbers suddenly taking a nose dive.”
Without fake followers, though, how can businesses and public figures expect to attain their lofty Twitter and Facebook goals? “There’s no silver bullet here, and anything that seems like a short cut is almost sure to blow up in the end,” Clark advises. “With that said, it’s still possible to create and share quality content that engages actual human beings—building your follower numbers slowly but honestly and reaping the benefits of genuine interaction.”
Clark goes on to say that human followers are materially better than bots, inflated follower numbers aside. “You may have 10,000 fake accounts following you, but none of them are actually going to buy your goods or services, or recommend your brand to family members,” says Clark. “Having just 100 real followers who are loyal to your brand can make a much bigger bottom-line impact.”
Businesses and public figures can start sharing content and engaging those flesh-and-blood social media followers today, with the help of companies like Grammar Chic, Inc.
Those interested in a social media consultation are invited to learn more at www.grammarchic.net.
ABOUT:
Grammar Chic, Inc. is a full-service content writing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company boasts a team of in-house writers and editors, providing diverse services in content marketing, copyediting, resume writing, and beyond.
More information about Grammar Chic can be obtained by calling (803) 831-7444 or visiting at www.grammarchic.net.
Additionally, the company can be reached via Facebook or on Twitter @GrammarChicInc.
Media Contact
Company Name: Grammar Chic, Inc.
Contact Person: Amanda Clark
Email: amanda.clark@grammarchic.net
Phone: 803-831-7444
Address:3499 Fallowbrook Forest
City: York
State: SC
Country: United States
Website: http://www.grammarchic.net