One of Instagram's Biggest Bot-Making Tools Has Been Taken Down
 |
| Instagress |
For businesses, being able to create social media bots to increase the reach of their content is vitally important. There are a number of different ways to do it, but by far the easiest is to use a third party app. There are a few cross-platform ones, numerous Twitter dedicated ones and a fair amount for Instagram too. The relationship between these services and the platforms themselves has always been rocky, however, and now one of the biggest has been shut down for good.
The site, known as Instagress, announced in a statement that they were shutting down due to a request from Instagram themselves. As you can see below, they also included a GIF of Godzilla ripping a pagoda down in the statement, just in case it wasn't clear how they feel about all this. Users are also being offered refunds.
Instagram have been clear that they have a zero tolerance policy towards fake accounts, yet since they originally promised to get rid of them all 3 years ago, the practise is still going strong. In the strictest sense, the accounts that Instagress create aren't fake, they're just automated. The idea is that they use likes and shares to push up the reach of a particular post. Usually this is done to increase the chance of gaining some ad revenue, and that's where the issue gets really murky.Sad news to all of you who fell in love with Instagress: by request of Instagram we've closed our web-service that helped you so much. pic.twitter.com/sIRYfFVywX— Instagress (@instagress) April 20, 2017
Artificially bolstering the popularity of a post is one thing, but using that popularity to earn money which could have gone to someone who was generating interest organically isn't exactly the most amicable way to conduct business. Instagram are trying to be fair to everyone, and paying to have posts boosted is distinctly unfair.
In some ways, Insta have only themselves to blame for this trend coming into existence. By changing the feed from chronological to algorithmic, they created a system wherein some posts simply will not get seen unless something is done to increase their popularity. Given how much some brands and influencers rely on Instagram, it's hardly surprising that some of them have started cheating.
Instagram can play whack-a-mole with this paid services all they want, but there are plenty of other workarounds out there which aren't so easy to police. Pods, for example are a community-driven way of achieving the same goal, and for every large scale bot operation that gets snubbed out, there are 5 more to take it's place. One way or another, this is going to keep on happening.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
One of Instagram's Biggest Bot-Making Tools Has Been Taken Down
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, April 24, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, April 24, 2017
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.