Liking isn’t all about pressing the like button, likewise following (someone on social media platforms) isn’t always about showing your gratitude to your favourite friend/acquaintance/ex colleague/photographer /blogger and all that you can think of.
First impressions are not always the last impressions. Maybe with this thought, all the views on FB and micro blogging site are called an ‘impression’ and the act of sharing, commenting and liking falls under ‘engagement’. The more the engagement, the better are the chances of moolah flowing in.
Most likes, comments, number of followers are now quickly transformed into a smooth unassuming business where the only ones who do not see the point are the followers, (positive) comments makers etc.
Social media marketing at present isn’t just confined to marketing houses, it can be anyone’s tool to make money if you have a considerable amount of followers, write a blog, take pictures and also be a part of any foodie group in the city.
The benefits are more if the likes and comments are bagged by someone who blogs and is a part of a group which has a few thousand followers on social media.
And the perks can range from free stays, food tastings to bagging the latest products and merchandise and a fat cheque.
However, there is no proper check on the genuity of the blogs, their knowledge on the subject and whether these spaces have authentic website visits or not.
Nothing wrong in making a few bucks, but some things are definitely not right when these turn bullies to their followers and business establishments and end up making genuine ‘likes’ look quite suspicious.
“Social media marketing is being used as a tool to highlight what is good. It is basically a battle for numbers where quality takes a nose dive. Every business house wants visibility, irrespective of what they are into; this is where they are also failing to look at quality. Eventually all that seem to matter is visibility online and how many clicks they have earned in an ‘online’ exercise.
To get a fair idea of how that works, a media consultant who studied and worked on social media marketing explains, “A blog with 9000 followers means at least 7000 clicks. Whether the content is actually thoroughly read isn’t important. What eventually matters is the 7000 clicks which even if it is doubled (considering the way content is shared and discussed online) become 14000 views which in turn multiplies many times, just the way footfalls are counted in a store or a restaurant.” The consultant is now with a hospitality groups and loves the fact that she is able to use the knowledge.
She goes to explain, “While ads are one way of getting publicity, it is mostly accomplished by way of written words on the internet, because it doesn’t cost much; the written word seems more authentic than an ad inserted by oneself.”
She also points out that, this association could be a short lived one and helps only for a few initial days.
So, how does it work? “Every blogger has a target. The bigger the number of followers, the bigger the chances of brands signing on the writer, with an understanding that the blogger pushes the brand on the sly to his/her group members. The remuneration can be anything from Rs 20,000 to 50,000,” explains another food blogger. So, doesn’t this explain the reason for ‘like/follow requests’ and why so many food lovers want to be bloggers?
“The genuine bloggers need a lot of persuasions to be associated with brands and hospitality businesses. They are the ones who have a lot of genuine followers and they don’t just update on their breakfast lunches, dinner and snacks in between. Their blog posts are much more informative in terms of trends, cuisines, recipes and sometimes on raw materials,” says another Hyderabad food and travel blogger.
