Hey Social Media Managers! Want to Totally Ruin Your Client? Just do this!

Buying followers. Faking retweets. These are real things that people can use to boost their social presence. It seems crazy to me. I never understand why anyone would take the easy route out of something, because you guys know me: I like a challenge. I live for the climb. So when it comes to MY Twitter, Instagram, all of that - I’m all real.

But maybe you’re not like me. Maybe you don’t see the problem. If it gets your content out there, shouldn’t it be fair game? Not to me. Your reputation isn’t worth it. Because in the end, what’s going to hurt your credibility more: having next to no followers, or faking your popularity?

My answer?

Neither of those things.

I’ll tell you what will hurt you the most: lying.

Let’s take a step back and I’ll explain. This a world where everything is extremely transparent, and people can dig deep for everything you have ever said or believed in. We live in a TMZ kind of world, with bloggers and Gawker keeping watch for the next big slip up (and it happens way too often). Because of all of this, faking it an enormously dangerous thing. You are bound to get caught. But it won’t even be the getting caught part. Bringing it back to what I said before: what will hurt your credibility the most is people realizing you lied. It’s the lying that will ultimately suck for your brand, more than the fact that any of your engagement is fake.

Obviously, you shouldn’t even think of trying to pretend like you didn’t fake anything. Things will only get worse and worse. OWN IT. Own that you bought those views, those clicks, those numbers. Whatever. If that’s your hustle, that’s your hustle. I can’t agree, but at least you’re being transparent and putting it up front.

We don’t care always care about the action itself as much as we care about when you’re caught. Bottom line: faking it is not worth it.

Hey, more importantly, what about sleeping at night? ;) It’s kind of fun to sleep at night. Think you would be able to do that as easily, knowing you’re faking it? Now you see what I’m saying. In the end, it’s your call. Just know what you’re getting yourself into.

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Know somebody too focused on vanity metrics? Send this their way next time they're too caught up on the numbers without enough focus on the value ;)

Photo: Helder Almeida / Shutterstock