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This problem is much bigger than any of these articles seem to imply. I am also convinced that Twitter knew this all along. Unfortunately, bots don't just infl
by mv4 9y ago
This problem is much bigger than any of these articles seem to imply. I am also convinced that Twitter knew this all along.
Unfortunately, bots don't just inflate user numbers for them, they create ad revenue.
Additionally, the majority of self-proclaimed "influencers" rely almost entirely on automation for publishing (i.e. they are not really "there" on the platform), and bots for amplification.
If you dig deeper, there's a number of "certified" Twitter partners there, that provide social media analytics and management platforms. They pay Twitter for data access, but they employ 3rd parties to provide "amplification" for them, via bot farms - creating the illusion of effectiveness for the subscriber.
The rate of real, authentic human discovery and engagement on Twitter right now is incredibly low.
- mschuster91 9y ago> Unfortunately, bots don't just inflate user numbers for them, they create ad revenue. How? At the end of the day, a human sees the ad and so generates ad revenue for Twitter. A bot a) does not see the ad tweets in his normal timeline feed and b) does not feed back impression tracking to Twitter.
- JumpCrisscross 9y ago> A bot a) does not see the ad tweets in his normal timeline feed and b) does not feed back impression tracking to Twitter Source?
- mschuster91 9y agoI have written both bots and a client, I have yet to see a sponsored tweet. In fact this is why Twitter cracked down on 3rd party clients because they cannot show sponsored tweets.
- shostack 9y agoIf the bots are posting content or attracting real human eyeballs with their comments, would they not be able to generate revenue then?
- mschuster91 9y agoYeah, but that is entirely legitimate revenue.
- mv4 9y agoThat's impressions (even those can be gamed). If you promote a tweet or account on Twitter, you will get billed for Engagements (RTs, likes, follows). https://business.twitter.com/en/advertising/campaign-types/increase-tweet-engagements.html https://business.twitter.com/en/advertising/campaign-types/i...
- mv4 9y agoThis article states Twitter's position ("Bots? On my platform?") vs 1st hand experience from advertisers: http://adage.com/article/digital/brands-worry-twitter-underestimates-impact-bots-ads/309665/ http://adage.com/article/digital/brands-worry-twitter-undere...