Companies Are Now Selling Social Media Clicks

In the online world, a company's influence and popularity is measured by the number of clicks, Likes, and followers it has on its social media accounts. Hiring a social media company to legitimately increase these metrics is a good way to build a solid reputation on the Internet. Unfortunately, many companies are turning to the dark side of social media where thousands of Facebook Likes, YouTube clicks, and Twitter followers can be bought for as little as $10.

Earlier this year, the Associated Press reported on a growing trend of companies selling social media clicks. According to the report, companies are peddling everything from Twitter followers to LinkedIn connections for as little as half a cent apiece. Carla De Micheli and Andrea Stroppa, two security researchers in Italy, estimate sales of Facebook Likes can generate $200 million per year and fake followers on Twitter can produce up to $360 million a year.

The most notable aspect of the report is the discovery that spammers and other black-hat marketers aren't alone in buying fake social media links and clicks. Coca-Cola, Billi Productions, and other reputable businesses have been exposed for using a social media company selling this type of traffic. Even the US State Department admitted to spending $630,000 to increase its social stats.

Most of the companies in the underground industry are located in Asian countries, with Dhaka, Bangladesh, named as an international hub for this kind of activity. One owner of a Bangladeshi social media company stated he paid workers to click on his clients' pages manually. This type of fake traffic is more difficult to track because the activity is done by real people rather than a computer program.

While the practice goes against the terms of service of many social media websites, the illegality of fake clicks and followers is still under debate. The Federal Trade Commission has already laid down the law regarding bogus testimonials and reviews but has not said anything about fake clicks, and whether this activity falls under the same umbrella as false endorsements remains uncertain.

Illegal or not, the unethical nature of buying social medial links and traffic from a social media company is clear. People in communication jobs whose positions entail promoting their companies online should steer clear of this type of activity. Being exposed for purchasing fake followers from a social media company on the black market can cause a loss of customer faith and a subsequent loss of sales.

Although tech companies are fiercely fighting back against these operations, the activity is unlikely to stop anytime soon. As long as money can be made, these providers will continue churning out false clicks. The best thing a business can do is cut the beast off from its food source by hiring a reputable social media company to do its online marketing. Only when these fake click providers stop making money will the practice end.

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