5 Effective Strategies to Avoid Engagement Farming and Build Authentic Social Media Interaction

Why do authors need to know about this technique? Let's discuss...

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Engagement farming on social media, also known as "like farming" or "engagement baiting," refers to the practice of creating posts or content that are specifically designed to generate a high volume of likes, shares, comments, or other forms of engagement.

This is often done by asking users to engage in a certain way, such as "Like this if you agree," "Tag a friend who needs to see this," or "Share if you support this cause."

Engagement farming operates on a simple idea: the more interaction a post gets, the higher its visibility on social media platforms.

The reason engagement farming is considered sketchy is that it can be manipulative and misleading. Here's why:

1. Artificially Inflated Metrics: Engagement farming can inflate engagement metrics, giving a false impression of a post's popularity or the level of genuine interest in the content. This can mislead both the audience and potential advertisers or sponsors.

2. Manipulation: These tactics often prey on users' emotions or sense of social obligation to elicit a response rather than earning engagement through genuinely exciting or valuable content.

3. Low-Quality Content: In pursuit of easy engagement, content creators may prioritize quantity over quality, leading to a flood of low-quality, clickbait-type posts that clutter users' feeds and detract from the overall user experience.

4. Algorithm Gaming: Social media platforms use algorithms to determine what content to show users based on engagement metrics. By artificially inflating these metrics, engagement farmers can game the system, making it harder for genuine, high-quality content to get the visibility it deserves.

5. Trust Erosion: Over time, engagement farming can erode trust in the platform and its content creators. Users may become skeptical of the authenticity of engagement and the motives behind specific posts.

In response to these issues, many social media platforms have updated their algorithms and policies to penalize or reduce the visibility of content that engages in engagement farming practices.

My advice is to focus on your own interests, topics, and experiences as opposed to creating clickbait-type posts for the reasons stated above. More here:

In response to these posts, writer friend Vennie Kocsis shared a hilarious example on X(formerly Twitter) that’s worth the read:

There’s more, so click to read the rest.

Do I Need To Be Worried About This Technique?

I’ve worked with several clients who feel increasing pressure that they need to create long engagement-farming posts to ‘keep up;’ my advice is the same as it’s always been: social media is what you make it.

If you see people engaging in these tactics, that’s a pretty good insight into your own motivations and efforts on socials. Whether it’s to sell a course, a book, or a service, relationship marketing is the best way to build and cultivate these relationships with readers.

In other words, talk with people, not at them.

Is Engagement Farming Sometimes Okay?

Engagement farming is generally viewed negatively due to its manipulative and deceptive nature. However, it's possible to argue that there are some potential positive aspects, albeit with caveats:

1. Increased Visibility: In the short term, engagement farming can boost the visibility of a post or account. Higher engagement rates can lead to more exposure on social media platforms, which use engagement metrics as a key factor in their algorithms.

2. Audience Growth: As a post gains visibility, it might attract new followers or subscribers who might not have discovered the content otherwise. However, it's important to note that this growth might not always translate into a genuinely interested or engaged reader audience.

3. Testing Engagement Strategies: Some might argue that engagement farming can be used as a way to test different strategies for eliciting engagement, helping content creators understand what resonates with their audience. However, this should be done ethically and transparently without resorting to manipulative tactics.

4. Community Building: In some cases, engagement farming techniques like asking questions or creating polls can foster a sense of community and encourage interaction among followers. However, this only holds true if the engagement is genuine and not solely aimed at gaming the system.

It's important to note that while there may be short-term benefits, engagement farming can have long-term negative consequences, such as eroding trust and damaging the reputation of the content creator or brand.

Instead of resorting to these tactics, focus instead on creating high-quality, valuable content that naturally encourages engagement.

What are your thoughts on this technique and please share any experiences!

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Something new:

New monthly audiospace (open to all) at 2 pm PST on the last Tuesday of each month: Want specific advice on your current web presence (website, blog, socials, newsletter)?

Join me as my guest for host Vennie Kocsis’ audiospace on XSpaces where we discuss and review author bios, websites, or whatever else you need help with! Recorded if you miss it.

Free to attend. Click here now to set a reminder. Follow me @BadRedheadMedia and @VennieKocsis on X(formerly Twitter).

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