If Fake News is the Hammer, Fake Audiences Are the Anvil

Social media has given birth to a new breed of celebrities.  They are called “influencers.”  People you have never heard of are shaping opinions, driving trends, and even swaying purchasing decisions. More often than not, their seeming off-the-cuff remarks on Instagram or TikTok are carefully curated messages. Successful influencers are rewarded with perks, freebies, travel, and lots of money.  

The big rewards for what is largely unregulated behavior has attracted some shadowy characters to the game. Since influencers are compensated by such measures as the number of “followers” they attract, a whole cottage industry of paid-for fake followers is thriving. It is the same with another measure called engagement.  Artificial engagement is a flourishing and obviously unethical trend among people who want to appear to be more influential than they really are. 

As the Jewish community is becoming more aware of the threat posed by online antisemitism — real dangers spearheaded by influencers with genuine audiences, we must identify both well-meaning and underhanded activists who willingly misrepresent their influence.   

In the critical battle for social media predominance, too many Jewish organizations, philanthropists, and genuinely good-hearted Jewish professionals lack the tools and understanding to identify genuine vs. inadvertently misrepresented and even fake influence. This becomes a painful exercise of throwing good money after bad. 

One of the reasons I co-founded The Tel Aviv Institute, a data driven research laboratory for social media influence, is that I recognized the critical importance of focusing resources on genuine, impactful social media. Working over the previous decade as a social media analyst and ad campaign manager in everything ranging from international presidential campaigns and major venture capital initiatives to wine from family-owned vineyards, I gained critical experience talking to and influencing every imaginable type of audience. Years of experience and accumulated data stand behind an urgent hue and cry which, if we are to reverse antisemitism online, Jewish leaders must take to heart.   

Paid-for Fake Followers and the Illusion of Influence

One of the pressing issues surrounding social media influencers is the prevalence of fake, paid-for followers. The desire for higher follower counts has led some influencers to resort to purchasing fake followers. This creates a deceptive illusion of influence. An enormous industry of fake followers has arisen thanks to the demand of want-to-be influencers desperate to claim they are influential online. Regrettably, this phenomenon has not been neglected by some loud Jewish voices. Fake followers are identifiable, obviously unethical, and need to be purged from the ranks of those fighting antisemitism. If our fight isn’t ethical, it is neither a Jewish nor a fight worth having, and we will not prevail.

Organizations fighting antisemitism must shift their focus from follower counts to evaluating real engagement and influencers’ impact on their target audience.

Fake followers not only mislead brands but also undermine the credibility and authenticity of social media platforms. To tackle this problem, social media platforms need to invest in better algorithms and enforcement to identify and remove fake accounts. Organizations fighting antisemitism must shift their focus from follower counts to evaluating real engagement and influencers’ impact on their target audience. A big part of my work is assisting organizations so they do not waste their resources or find themselves unwittingly mired in this kind of unsavory activity.

The Pursuit of Authentic Engagement

In a world dominated by sponsored content and product placements, the pursuit of authentic engagement is paramount. Genuine connection with an audience requires influencers to foster trust, transparency, and honesty. By sharing personal experiences, opening up about challenges, and genuinely interacting with their followers, bona fide influencers build meaningful relationships and inspire change. In fact, most public relations companies advising brands in the commercial sphere have shifted from investing big money in mega-influencers like Kim Kardashian to investing in micro-influencers. This approach yields much better bang for the buck than spending enormous amounts of money on big-name mega-influencers to promote artificial content. Poor engagement squanders resources and renders all other potential benefits of influence meaningless.    

How do we identify real engagement? It helps to have a team of nine data scientists and linguists, as we have at The Tel Aviv Institute, but there are several factors anyone can evaluate. Our team recommends measuring the correlation between comments, likes and followers number. If an influencer has 100 followers and only eight people in average comment on their post, it means that they have an 8% engagement rate which is excellent. But then you must look at who’s commenting, try it for yourself, go to random Jewish influencers’ accounts, and look at the comments sanction. Suppose they have 100 comments, and all are generic, one or two words, or only an emoji, or comments by a suspicious user name or a “fan club” account (unless it’s Madonna, influencers don’t have fan clubs). In that case, they are likely bots, not real people. One can also go a step further and click on the commenters’ profiles to determine whether they are authentic users or bots, based on their posts and the followers/following they have.

Bots Farm

As with any product, as demand increases so does supply. And in a competitive marketplace, prices drop too. The sad truth is that paid-for followers and engagement now sell at enticingly low prices through dark channels. For $10,000 an unethical influencer can acquire one million fake followers on Instagram. For less than $5, that same person can buy 100 fake likes. There are dozens of bot farms supplying this product. I have visited this social media underworld of cyber-sweatshops where 20 or more man-droids run hundreds of fake personal accounts. When an influencer in need of followers, likes, emojis and admiring comments shows up with cash, they deliver the product amorally and efficiently.   

Leveraging Influencer Power to Combat Antisemitism

While the commercial aspects of influencer marketing are well-known, social media influencers have great potential to make a difference for causes that extend beyond promoting products. These individuals can be powerful advocates for social, environmental, and humanitarian issues by leveraging their reach and influence. Engaging genuine influencers in authentic partnerships with nonprofits and charitable organizations can amplify awareness and inspire action. Influencers can use their platforms to educate their audience about critical issues, encourage donations, and drive tangible change. However, as we have learned through extensive analysis, such cause-related collaboration simply does not work unless it is driven by genuine passion and commitment. Influencers who ask to be paid for posting about a cause they supposedly believe in are driving you and your organization down the mercenary motorway.

Despite the temptation to get much exposure, these paid collaborators extract a significant moral and practical cost. The fees charged by influencers for sponsored content can be astronomical when they promote a product. This disparity perpetuates inequality and limits the potential for positive change. Platforms, brands, organizations, and influencers must explore alternative models that balance compensation with impact. 

The realm of social media influencers is a double-edged sword. It has enormous potential to bring about positive change for the Jewish community. It has the same potential for counterproductive manipulation. Tackling the issue of paid-for fake followers, emphasizing authentic engagement, harnessing influencers’ power for social causes, and addressing the costs associated with collaboration are crucial steps toward realizing the true potential of the digital age. By encouraging transparency, accountability, and genuine passion, we can transform the influencer landscape into a force for authenticity, impact, and lasting change.

Hen Mazzig is an Israeli author, digital media enthusiast, and the co-founder of TLVI.org, a research laboratory for online influence.