Uncategorized
28 February 2024
The phenomenon of social media, a technological form of word-of-mouth marketing, has transformed into a new professional group. Ramazan Becer, the Chairman of the Board of CRM Group, issued warnings to advertisers on social media. Becer stated, “Advertisers must thoroughly analyze the influencers they agree to collaborate with for product promotions. The number of followers, likes received, and the amount of comments influencers have may not reflect the reality.”
While brands are preparing to spend 13.4 billion Euros on social media influencer campaigns starting from 2022, 79% of marketers prefer Instagram over other platforms. International United Ad, in its research titled “Turkey Influencer Engagement,” presented significant findings through an analysis of the country’s rapidly growing influencers. According to the study, which examined 1.4 million posts by Instagram influencers, 480,000 posts managed to receive more than 1.5 billion interactions. Influencer marketing, capable of creating trends and being one of the most cost-effective and fastest marketing methods for product promotion, can also be used as a tool for fraud. Ramazan Becer, the Chairman of the Board of CRM Group, warned advertisers. He mentioned that advertisers participating in the recent surge of giveaway campaigns need to be cautious when selecting social media influencers to collaborate with.
Becer emphasized the importance of caution for companies advertising on Instagram, especially during the pandemic period, which has become one of the most significant platforms for e-commerce in Turkey. He said, “Advertisers need to carefully analyze the influencers they collaborate with for product promotion. Since the number of comments and likes are considered in the giveaway campaigns, the number of followers, likes, and comments influencers receive may not reflect the reality.”
Becer highlighted the importance of paying attention to the interactions received by individuals with millions of followers, saying, “You look at an account followed by millions, but there are very few likers and commenters. It’s clear that these are purchased followers. Advertisers, trusting in the follower count, end up paying thousands in advertising fees. As a result, the advertisement goes to waste.”
Becer continued, “Recently, through various applications or services, followers, likes, and comments can be easily purchased for a fee. Thus, influencers can portray an image of high interaction to advertisers. This turns the organized giveaways into a deception, both for the advertisers and the participants. Therefore, advertisers need to pay attention to whether the followers are real, and whether the number of followers and likes are genuine, among other factors, and if possible, seek support from an expert.
