The gap between visible numbers and actual influence is real.

Vanity metrics are nothing less than a figurative curtain.

Been pondering this topic for a while now, because many times numbers on the internet do not match real life. Even though we are all aware of this and have watched plenty of reels or posts about it, some questions are still left unanswered.

This led us to explore what it really is. Is old media quietly and slowly losing its hold on the new generation of creatives? or is it holding tightly to the audience it curated before the post pandemic social media landscape that keeps adjusting? If you have asked yourself that question as well, keep reading and expect a rollercoaster.

If you search “buy Instagram followers” on Google, you get millions of results. Among those results, you will also see articles by major news outlets promoting it, which raises a bigger question. Why would a major media or news establishment propose and advertise such a thing? That is where it gets interesting.

Take a quick stroll on Reddit across r/influencermarketing and you will see many people pondering the opportunity to purchase fake followers for the facade we constructed as a society when it comes to realizing someone’s value. Strategically, it might have become the new way to form a first impression and decide how much importance to give someone. That is where it gets bad.

It is like those attention seeking videos of doing something until I have a certain number of followers, or those Substack posts that say Dear Substack as if it is your genie. This is not Aladdin, and we are definitely not in a motion picture film, so wake up.

Now conservatives will step back and say that as you scale up, engagement drops. While at its root that might be true, it is also a byproduct of diverting from the original mission in order to gain popularity or make money from the opportunity given.

If you started by talking about fashion and now suddenly talk about flights or a major hyped event that has nothing to do with it, that argument falls and no longer holds value.

It is time for brands to realize this and see where we are with social media. Those vanity numbers do not signal meaningful connection. When they realize this and do proper due diligence, their sales and community building will be meaningful and will grow exponentially.

We can expand this into the streaming services conversation. We have proof that these numbers can be faked. With bot streaming crackdowns allegedly affecting major artists and causing sudden drops in numbers, you should question everything you see on social media. This is literally a constructed world.

Once you see it, you cannot unsee it.

“The Burning Truth” - Inspectah Deck

This is evident across multiple industries. It hits you when you see brands with tens of thousands of followers but every post gets about 20 likes. It makes no sense. A clothing brand is built around community. So where is the community? Exactly. Invest in your community, and don’t ever dilute it.