Social media platforms provide massive opportunities for
businesses to reach new customers and drive sales. However, as with any
marketing channel, it’s important to have confidence that the results being
reported are accurate. A recent study analyzing data from one of the largest
social networks raises some doubts about the reliability of their advertising
metrics.
Analysts found some peculiar inconsistencies when reviewing
web referral traffic to the site over the past year. Numbers showed an abrupt,
unexplained spike last spring - skyrocketing from 1 billion daily visits to
over 2 billion.
Since then, traffic has continued rising at an unusually
fast rate without any product changes or events that clearly account for the
growth. The sudden surge and ongoing increases leave many scratching their
heads about what’s truly driving this traffic.
An even more concerning finding came from an ad verification
company’s examination of referral traffic during a high-profile event. They
determined an alarmingly high percentage, over 75%, of the visits from platform
ads were likely fake or invalid. This stands in stark contrast to measurements
of the same promotional activity just one year prior, which found under 3% of
traffic to be fraudulent.
While the network denies any wrongdoing, past statements
from their own leadership and the site’s current owner bring their user metrics
into question. In a previous legal dispute, the owner alleged as much as 20% of
all accounts could be inauthentic - much higher than the 5% claimed by
executives. Removing that level of fake activity should have led to a larger
drop in reported active users than has occurred.
Of course, more research is warranted before making absolute
accusations. But these findings serve as an important reminder for advertisers
to thoroughly analyze their own smm panel results and closely monitor key
performance indicators across all channels.
Any inconsistencies between internal stats and your observed
sales and engagement metrics would suggest something needs further scrutiny.
Overall, regular auditing with third-party tools gives the best chance to
verify campaigns are truly reaching real potential customers.
As with any marketing investment, focus on the bottom line
impact rather than unverified third party studies. If this network continues
delivering leads and sales, there may be no cause for alarm. But these insights
highlight why working with an experienced agency like Great SMM makes sense.
Their team of social media managers can help optimize, analyze and safeguard
your digital campaigns - giving you control and clarity across all aspects of
the customer journey.