The Perils of Perceived Popularity

By Ashley Klimecki

OCCASIONALLY WE CAN FIND OURSELVES OVERWHELMED WITH A DESIRE TO BE PERCEIVED IN A CERTAIN WAY, PERHAPS A LESS AUTHENTIC VERSION OF WHO WE ARE.

There are a few specific traps we can fall into that see us picking up these ‘fake followers’ whether it be by purchasing a larger audience via an expensive scam, inappropriate giveaways, or like ladders that insist all members like each page regardless of interest levels. If these newfound followers are not intrigued by your brand, they’re simply pulling overall engagement right back and Facebook will deliver your posts to these ‘fake followers’ taking away from the opportunity to reach out to those who are genuinely interested. We’ve all come across scams in our personal life, well they can also exist within our business. When looking at the demographics of a Facebook page, it can be obvious almost instantly that they have fallen victim to a scam that has resulted in a liker boost. They are often unaware that this has occurred and trusting that they had purchased legitimately targeted leads instead of ‘fake followers’ adding no value to their page past that nice liker counter appearing inflated. Competitions can also have the same effect, by drawing a crowd that may lack a genuine interest in the product or service on offer once the competition is over. Therefore diluting the volume of highly engaged followers. This problem can be lessened by ensuring your prize is very strongly tied to your brand. Can the harm be reversed? Indeed it can! Read the complete article in the new issue of Mumpreneur Movement Magazine: From Imposter To Influencer.

Ashley Klimecki is a Freelance Writer and Founder of Stardust Publishing, as well as part owner and Business Manager of Flowright Gutter and Roofing. She is based in the Yarra Valley and is married with four young children. She has a background in Education, Marketing and facilitating various networking groups. She remains passionate about family, travel, nature and writing.