With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to damage livelihoods, some influencers are giving away money to their Instagram followers while getting a lot more in return.
It can be remembered that on March 18, states sent home unneeded workers due to the pandemic. Companies were also expected to cut costs. This prompted Paige Hathaway, a fitness influencer, to post a message for her over four million followers on Instagram.
In her Instagram post, the influencer noted that she understands how strict the quarantine is, especially for those unable to work. This is why she decided to give someone a $ 5,000 giveaways. The post, already removed from Instagram, featured a picture of Hathaway fanning out $ 100 bills.
Instagram straight flexing
Shortly after the post was published, Hathaway fans started tagging their friends and commenting on how they could use the money. Similarly, other Instagram users commented on prayer emoji’s.
Instagram posts like Hathaway’s have been circulating on the aforementioned social media platform since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted individuals’ livelihoods. Several other influencers including Harry Josei, a star on the reality show Too Hot to Handle Netflix, lifestyle influencers Laura Beverly and Caitlin Covington, and Bad Babied, a social media star, and rapper.
Rapping Instagram followers as influencers
In the past few weeks, more than 26 million residents of the United States have registered unemployment and millions more are struggling to meet unexpected expenses such as medical bills and grocery purchases at the same time. For these people, the monetary gifts offered by influencers seem to be their potential lifelines. While they appear to be charitable, these freebies are nothing more than a small part of a ubiquitous growth program on Instagram.
For example, Hathaway was paid thousands of dollars by Social Stance, a social media marketing firm. In return for this payment, Hathaway must promote her giveaway on her Instagram page. Those who wish to join the giveaway must follow a list of more or less 70 accounts that Social Stance followed. Those 70 accounts paid $ 900 to the aforementioned social media marketing firm to be on the list. In return, they could expect to gain thousands of new followers in just one night.
Instagram “giveaway” scheme
19-year-old Nathan Johnson noted that if you tell someone they can get Instagram followers in three days, they will. Johnson is the one who helps YouTube and TikTok influencers plan freebies. Johnson runs a business with Carter, his 16-year-old friend. They pay famous influencers a certain amount of money in exchange for hosting a monetary gift. Once they have someone to do the giveaway, they sell slots for the follower’s list so they can make a profit.
According to Johnson, entrepreneurs are buying spots on the follower list to grow their followers and sell their e-books with courses. Models, on the flip side, are buying places to get followers, increase engagement, and get more branded offers. Also, doctors buy spots to increase their brand and credibility.
Buy spots to buy Instagram followers
The founder of the Social Acceleration Group, Louisa Warwick, staged seven freebies on Instagram with influencers and actresses like Natalie Halcyon and Tori Spelling. How that is different from buying Instagram followers is beyond common sense. Her company is now selling spots for the sponsor list for the upcoming cash gift from the teen mom star Farrah Abraham. Parties wishing to be on the sponsor list must pay $ 270. In return, the company’s founder said they would get 100 followers on Instagram for free followers.
When did the Instagram competition start?
Instagram freebies have been circulating for years. These programs were first developed in 2016 when bloggers and small businesses started giving “loop” gifts. To join the giveaway, you will be asked to follow people or groups or to create a “loop” and come back to the host’s page and leave a comment. In most cases, Loop freebies are sponsor-free and run in collaboration between two or more influencers. An example of a loop giveaway was that from Covington and Beverly.
But the first major giveaways were made last summer. Most of the stars were gift items like Louis Viton bags. However, everyone is now using cash as a giveaway.
Buying slots on sponsor lists is the fastest, most affordable way to grow Instagram. Dr. Thomas Connelly said that if you buy a place on the list, you will get a sudden surge in your number of followers. Dr. Connelly was among those who bought slots in Kardashian giveaways.
On the other hand, Dr. Neal Blitz, a foot surgeon, that giveaways allow sponsors to target an audience they would normally not be able to reach as closely.
According to Preston Millon, the CEO, and founder of Influential
The management, a digital marketing agency, some of the promotional influencers of the artists who run freebies, also buy spots for themselves. And while these artists can buy ads on Instagram, they have concerns as ads can cost around $ 10,000 to get 100,000 followers. But through freebies, they only have to spend around $ 2,000 while getting the same number of followers.
Additionally, a founder of HigjKey Clout, one of the largest Instagram giveaway companies, Jordan Lantz noted that he doesn’t want to label the program as buying followers. Instead, it’s like sponsoring an internet event. The company’s upcoming freebies will be posted on their verified Instagram account. On the other hand, the winners of the previous competition will be announced on their official website.
However, Johnson noted that not all giveaways are made with that much transparency. He added that some meme sites are currently orchestrating fake giveaways, as are some influencers. He stressed that if a giveaway is legitimate, the host will always announce a winner and tag it on Instagram.
