In the creator community, appointment pods can be incredibly damaging to your value.

Even if yous're not aware of what they are, involvement in an Appointment Pod could consequence in your contour being unknowingly flagged, causing you to lose out on approvals and cash.

The thing is, you may be in an engagement pod and not even realise - but like I was.

What Is An engagement Pod?

About a year ago, I received a Messenger notification from a new group conversation.

It was a friend of mine saying that she'd made a new Instagram page, and that she was hoping we could all like and comment on her posts. She too said that if nosotros wanted anything liked, we could mail service information technology in the chat and receive the same in return.

She went on to explain that, considering of the way Instagram's algorithm worked, posts with an early on spike of engagement were considered more than valuable and prioritised in the explore section also as followers' feeds.

I didn't think much of it at the time. I muted the group, but didn't exit in case I needed the service at some point. (Too, the idea of everyone immediately seeing "Doug Neale left" was a little too intense.)

It wasn't until I started working at TRIBE that I learned almost Engagement Pods.

"'What are they?" I asked.

"They're groups of people who similar each other's posts to faux likes and engagement."

This immediately started to ring a bong…

"They're a large problem in the influencer marketing globe"

Information technology made sense. If an influencer's value comes from their engagement, any trick that makes them announced more influential than they are is an issue for the brands trusting them with their money and production.

I still had a few questions, then I decided to look further into it.

Start of all, how do you lot identify an engagement pod? Likes are likes, aren't they? And if you're simply using this technique to gain accurate followers, isn't that merely playing the social media game? (I've certainly played that game, ever since I learnt that getting your Facebook friends to say 'congratulations' on your post bumps it to the top of the feed. True story.)

On the other mitt, is it okay to inquire your friends to like and share your posts for more exposure? This is where the line of right and incorrect started getting blurred.

The more than I looked into it, spotting an engagement pod became pretty obvious. Take you ever seen an influencer whose posts are constantly filled with comments by the same set of accounts? Accounts that themselves accept a similar engagement pattern? Truth is, brand managers find this behaviour too, and it affects their impression of the creators behind these accounts.

Due to the AVS algorithm built into our platform, too as our Compliance team who conduct transmission checks daily, we're able to spot appointment-pod activity a mile abroad without any tech at all…  And then can brands.

The bottom line is that those who employ engagement pods are holding themselves dorsum from growing their following organically. Past only exposing your content to the same people repeatedly, influencers are limiting their accomplish, engagement and influence to a bubble. While this tin help you sustain a low level of engagement, it doesn't assistance to grow your following.

Information technology'southward i thing to want to get a message out there by asking others to like and share your posts, but if you lot're just wanting to get more followers and simulate appointment – that sends a very different kind of message.

The "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" mentality is all well and adept amongst regular social-media users who aren't being paid for their content. Only, in the influencer community, it's a very unlike story.

Ultimately, if you're creating high-quality accurate content, it will speak volumes over a high book of followers. The heady matter about the ascension of micro-influencers, is that there's no longer the pressure of having a huge follower count. Brands aren't looking for hundreds-of-thousands of disengaged followers – they want an accurate, engaged audience: consumers who are genuinely interested in their brand, non people pretending to be equally a favour.

I all the same had a few questions, so I decided to await further into it.

Is it really that bad?

First of all, how do you place an engagement pod? Likes are likes, aren't they? And if you're simply using this technique to proceeds authentic followers, isn't that just playing the social media game? (I've certainly played that game, ever since I learnt that getting your Facebook friends to say 'congratulations' on your post bumps it to the superlative of the feed. Truthful story.)

engagement

On the other mitt, is it okay to enquire your friends to like and share your posts for more exposure? This is where the line of right and wrong started getting blurred.

The more than I looked into it, spotting an engagement pod became pretty obvious. Take you ever seen an influencer whose posts are constantly filled with comments past the same prepare of accounts? Accounts that themselves accept a similar engagement pattern? Truth is, make managers detect this behaviour too, and it affects their impression of the creators backside these accounts.

Due to the AVS algorithm built into our platform, as well equally our Compliance squad who conduct manual checks daily, we can spot date-pod activity a mile away, even without any tech at all…  And so can brands.

The bottom line is that those who use engagement pods are property themselves back from growing their following organically. By merely exposing your content to the same people repeatedly, influencers are limiting their accomplish, engagement and influence to a chimera. While this tin assist you sustain a low level of engagement, it doesn't help to grow your post-obit.

It'southward one thing to want to get a message out there past asking others to like and share your posts, but if you're only wanting to get more followers and simulate engagement – that sends a very different kind of message.

The lesser line

The "you lot scratch my dorsum and I'll scratch yours" mentality is all well and adept amongst regular social-media users who aren't beingness paid for their content. But, in the influencer community, it'due south a very different story.

Ultimately, if you're creating high-quality authentic content, it will speak volumes over a high volume of followers. The exciting matter about the rise of micro-influencers, is that there's no longer the pressure of having a huge follower count. Brands aren't looking for hundreds-of-thousands of disengaged followers – they want an authentic, engaged audition: consumers who are genuinely interested in their brand, not people pretending to be every bit a favour.

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