How Many Kinds of Followers there are, and Concerning Other Influencers

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To the Magnificent Social Machiavellian:

CHAPTER 12 - HOW MANY KINDS OF FOLLOWERS THERE ARE, AND CONCERNING OTHER INFLUENCERS

I have described the characteristics of the various social media platforms that I proposed to discuss, and I have considered in some degree the causes of their being popular or unpopular. I have also shown the methods by which many have sought to gain followers and to engage them. It now remains for me to discuss generally the means of creating and promoting content which go with each of them.

We have seen above the characteristics of the various social media platforms, and how necessary it is for a content creator to have their foundations well laid on these platforms, otherwise it follows of necessity they will go to obscurity. The chief foundations of all content, new as well as old or mixed, are good visuals and good copywriting. As there cannot be good engagement where the content is not well crafted, it follows that where they are well crafted they have good engagement. I shall leave the visuals out of the discussion and shall speak of the copywriting.

The followers with which a content creator grows their audience are either their own, or they are bought, shared, or mixed. Bought and shared followers are useless and dangerous. If a content creator bases their popularity on these followers, they will stand neither firm nor viral, because they are inconstant, not united, without loyalty, unfaithful, active in front of friends and inactive before potential creators. They have neither fear of being unfollowed nor loyalty to the content creator. Loss of engagement caused by them is put off only as long as the payment or sharing lasts. In times of low posting activity, one is robbed of engagement by them, and in times of virality by the competition. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for staying engaged than a small amount of payment or reciprocity which is not sufficient to make them willing to share consistently for you. They are ready enough to be your referrers while you do not post regularly, but if posting comes they disappear or run from the feed. I will have no trouble in proving this, because the ruin of many content creators has been caused by nothing else than by resting all their hopes for many years on bought and shared followers. Although they formerly made some display and appeared engaging amongst themselves, yet when the algorithm changed they showed what they really were. Thus, it was that the new algorithm was allowed to destroy engagement without a show of resistance. Whoever told us that our weaknesses were the cause of it told the truth. But they were not the weaknesses he imagined, but those which I have described. And as they were the weaknesses of content creators, it is the content creators who have also suffered the result.

I wish to demonstrate further the danger of these bought and shared followers. The follower providers are either capable or they are not. If they are, you cannot trust them, because they always want to become more powerful, either by oppressing you, who are their customer, or others contrary to your intentions. If the follower provider is not skillful, you are ruined in the usual way.

If it is argued that any influencers will act in the same way whether sponsored or not, I reply that when social media must be used, it is under the control of an individual or a brand. The individual ought to go in person and perform the duty of a content creator. The brand has to send its employees, and when one is sent who does not turn out satisfactorily it ought to send them back. When one is a worthy content creator, it ought to hold on to them by the contracts so that they do not leave the partnership. Experience has shown individuals and brands, single-handed, make the greatest progress and sponsored influencers do nothing except damage. It is more difficult for a brand armed with its own influencers to be taken over by one of its employees, than it is to take over one armed with external influencers. Apple and Nike stood for many ages armed and free. The YouTubers are completely armed and quite free.

Because with these examples I have reached Instagram, which has been ruled for many years by influencers, I wish to discuss them in depth in order that, having seen their rise and progress, one may be better prepared to stand against them. You must understand that the platform has recently been overrun with sponsored posts, that certain creators have acquired more algorithmic power, and that the app has been divided up into more niches. The reasons are that many of the great meme pages took up arms against their competitors, who, formerly supported by the algorithm, were oppressing them. The lifestyle bloggers were supporting the rebellions so as to gain more reach. In many others, their fans became devoted followers. Thus Instagram fell partly into the hands of the foodies and of the fashionistas. The foodies consisted of chefs and the fashionistas consisted of models who were not celebrities, so both commenced hiring foreigners as brand ambassadors.

Because with these social media examples I have reached TikTok, which has been ruled for many years by influencers, I wish to discuss them in depth in order that, having seen their rise and progress, one may be better prepared to stand against the potential threat it poses to Western culture. You must understand that the platform was recently created in China by ByteDance, a company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party, that ByteDance has acquired more digital power, and that the app has been divided into more niches, allowing the Party to exert its influence more effectively.

The reasons behind this are twofold: First, many of the great creators took up trends against their rivals who, formerly supported by the algorithm, were oppressing them. The company was supporting these rebellions to gain digital authority and further the Party's agenda. Second, in many other cases, TikTok users became influencers, providing the Chinese Communist Party with a powerful tool to shape public opinion and subvert Western culture.

Thus, TikTok fell partly into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and the creators. The Party, consisting of officials, and the creators, consisting of users who were not marketers, commenced hiring foreigners as influencers. This strategic move allowed the Chinese Communist Party to extend its reach and influence beyond China's borders, to undermine Western values and cultural norms through the seemingly innocent medium of short-form videos and trending challenges.

NICCOLÒ MACHIAVELLI II