I don’t know about you, but I tend to get what I call “Click Bait” on my social media pages.
What is Click Bait?
This is my way of explaining it.
Click Bait is when someone follows you, then immediately unfollows you after you follow them back, or within a specific period of time because you have not followed back.
When using hashtags, people will go to your page and leave generic comments, or just like your photo after following you. Sometimes they do not even do that. They just follow you.
Have you seen this?
They are hoping that you will become a follower for them in return and then they dump you like a used piece of trash.
It’s rather unprofessional and completely tacky in my own personal opinion.
Now hold the phone…
I was guilty of this years ago when I first got my Instagram account. But stopped immediately after the first few times because I do not want to be selfish. It just was too tacky for me. I want my followers to follow me because the genuinely are inspired, motivated or like what I post.
I then in return want to follow people who I care about or pages that have something that is going to help me grow as an individual.
I do not want to waste my time trying to get followers who think I care but do not.
So if I’m following you, it’s because I care about you.
One other form of Click Bait is in the “loops” we see, especially on Instagram. Those giveaways where you have to like the photo, follow the page, click on the next page that is tagged in the post, and repeat those steps until you complete the loop.
Generally, only 1 person will win the prize. And every one of those pages now has you following them. Even if you do not care about their content. And you can not unfollow them until after the giveaway. Which is really inconvenient to go through your followers, remember each one, and then delete each one; one-by-one, a week or so later.
Facebook and Instagram both have an algorithm that allows you to only see like the top 10% (this is may not be the exact percentage) of the people you interact with. So when you follow these loops and follow others who are using you for click Bait, it is taking away for the 20-30 people you actually cared about and wanted to see in your feed.
One other area where this is a turn off for me is scripture. Now scripture did not say “Click Bait” and they definitely don’t use the words social media or Instagram. But the Bible does give us a warning about who to follow.
2 Timothy 3: 1-5 states this:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people”
I don’t know about you, but this scripture is very clear on why we should avoid falling for those who use Click Bait techniques.
Now do not get me wrong. I am not trying to slander or be rude to those who use those techniques. Once upon a Time, we were taught to use those methods in social media coaching/training. But Click Bait is not a very personal, professional, honest, or respectable way to gain followers in my opinion. And that is just the thing – it is only my opinion. And that doesn’t mean my opinion is right. But for me, it does line up with the warning we were given and the instruction to have nothing to do with those people.
And for me; Obedience to God is above everything!
I do want to add. I have found some incredible people to follow because of people using Click Bait with my accounts. So it is not without some bonus. But that is the beauty of God. He will turn things around for His glory when people try to take advantage of the righteous. And I personally think that is what that is.
So with all of that, I will leave you with some personal reflection today.
🔹Are they just using you?
🔹Are they lovers of themselves and not really interested in you?
🔹Are they just trying to build themselves up?
🔹Are they being proud and bragging about themselves hopes you will follow them?
🔹Are they ungratefully unfollowing you?
🔹Are they abusing your account and personal interests to gain a follower?
🔹Are they boasting in your comments or even posting generic comments to get your attention and make it seem like they are genuine about your interests?
Be cautious who you follow.