SOCIAL
Twitter Defends Fake Account Metrics After Latest Queries from Elon Musk
So, how’s Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover going?
Well, not ideal.
Today, in response to public criticism from Musk that Twitter’s methodology in counting spam and fake accounts is clearly wrong, current Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted out a long explanation of the company’s current fake profile detection and removal process.
Over the last week, Musk has questioned whether Twitter’s estimation that 5% of all Twitter accounts are fake could possibly be correct, and has invited his 90m+ followers to conduct their own rudimentary experiments to see what they find.
To find out, my team will do a random sample of 100 followers of @twitter.
I invite others to repeat the same process and see what they discover …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
Of course, any anecdotal test like this is massively flawed, and will ultimately prove nothing.
But as with many aspects of the platform, Musk is seemingly learning about these processes in real time, in the midst of a $44 billion takeover, despite all of his various questions being raised and assessed, in various form, in the past.
So, with chatter around this specific element rising, Agrawal addressed Elon’s criticisms directly.
First off, Agrawal explained that detection of bot accounts is not easy, and likely can’t be done by regular users:
“The most advanced spam campaigns use combinations of coordinated humans + automation. They also compromise real accounts, and then use them to advance their campaign. […] The hard challenge is that many accounts which look fake superficially, are actually real people. And some of the spam accounts which are actually the most dangerous – and cause the most harm to our users – can look totally legitimate on the surface. Our team updates our systems and rules constantly to remove as much spam as possible, without inadvertently suspending real people or adding unnecessary friction for real people when they use Twitter: none of us want to solve a captcha every time we use Twitter.”
So randomly counting the accounts that you suspect are fake in your own following list won’t be accurate. Which, really, seems obvious.
Note, too, the reference to performing a CAPTCHA verification process every time you use the app is a direct reference to another suggestion by Musk.
“Each human review is based on Twitter rules that define spam and platform manipulation, and uses both public and private data (eg, IP address, phone number, geolocation, client/browser signatures, what the account does when it’s active…) to make a determination on each account. The use of private data is particularly important to avoid misclassifying users who are actually real. FirstnameBunchOfNumbers with no profile pic and odd tweets might seem like a bot or spam to you, but behind the scenes we often see multiple indicators that it’s a real person.”
In other words, there are many elements that go into detecting and determining fake profiles and spam, not just gut feel, or account info that makes a regular user narrow their eyes. Twitter has the back-end insight to support its investigations, and it’s more in-depth than a simple eye test.
“Every quarter, we have estimated that <5% of reported mDAU for the quarter are spam accounts. Our estimate is based on multiple human reviews (in replicate) of thousands of accounts, that are sampled at random, consistently over time, from accounts we count as mDAUs. We do this every quarter, and we have been doing this for many years.”
That’s interesting, because according to Musk, Twitter only samples 100 random accounts for this figure.
Twitter legal just called to complain that I violated their NDA by revealing the bot check sample size is 100!
This actually happened.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
As you can see, Musk then further claims that Twitter contacted him over violating the terms of his agreement on this element – so either Musk is making this up, or Agrawal is exaggerating Twitter’s process.
Again, there’s no smooth sailing in the Elon takeover push.
In summing up, Agrawal says that, actually, based on its most recent reporting, its fake account figure is less than 5%.
“Our actual internal estimates for the last four quarters were all well under 5% – based on the methodology outlined above. The error margins on our estimates give us confidence in our public statements each quarter. Unfortunately, we don’t believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can’t share). Externally, it’s not even possible to know which accounts are counted as mDAUs on any given day. There are LOTS of details that are very important underneath this high-level description.”
Musk’s response?
Right. Seems like that’s going to go over well – and again, it’s fascinating to see the internal machinations of a multi-billion dollar deal come down to misinterpretations, and technical interpretations versus an individual’s personal view.
At best, the back and forth would have to trigger some level of concern over Musk’s capacity to transform Twitter into a money-making machine, as per his projections, given that he seems unable to grasp even some of the most basic social media metrics.
But then again, many will also say that Musk is right, that it’s not possible for Twitter’s fake profile count to be so low, based on their own, personal experience, but also, based on published external studies which would clearly suggest otherwise.
Indeed, back in 2017, a joint study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California and Indiana University found that around 15% of Twitter’s user base were bots rather than people, while in 2018, Twitter suspended or removed more than 70 million accounts which it had determined were fake. At that time, Twitter had 330 million monthly active users, which would suggest that around 20% of its user count were not actual, real people.
In response to this latest exchange, SparkToro conducted a fresh analysis of 44,058 active Twitter accounts and determined that 19.42% ‘fit a conservative definition of fake or spam accounts’.
The key may lie, then, in this element identified in Agrawal’s explanation:
Our estimate is based on multiple human reviews (in replicate) of thousands of accounts, that are sampled at random, consistently over time, from *accounts we count as mDAUs*. We do this every quarter, and we have been doing this for many years.
— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) May 16, 2022
What, exactly, is an mDAU according to Twitter?
“We define monetizable daily active usage or users (mDAU) as Twitter users who logged in or were otherwise authenticated and accessed Twitter on any given day through Twitter.com or Twitter applications that are able to show ads.”
So there could be other users that fall outside of this count – maybe they’re not active every day so they miss the assessment, or they’re not eligible to be shown ads, due to varying system logic. There may be, due to varying parameters, some technical explanations that would address some level of variance between these third-party findings and Twitter’s own data.
But even then, Twitter’s 5% count, on balance, seems like a stretch, and a bending of the actual truth in respect to what people are experiencing in the app.
And as Musk says:
So how do advertisers know what they’re getting for their money? This is fundamental to the financial health of Twitter.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2022
Which, of course, is a fundamental question that’s been raised by every advertiser and every business in digital marketing circles since the inception of the medium, so it’s not like this is breaking new ground, or will come as startling new insight for those in the sector.
But it is, seemingly, fairly new news for Musk himself. Which, again, could raise questions about his massive growth plans for the app.
So what happens now? Can Musk back out of the Twitter deal if, somehow, he can prove Agrawal wrong, and show that Twitter’s fake profile account is actually much higher than it says?
Well, probably not.
Musk, for better or worse, waived a lot of due diligence measures in his Twitter takeover proposal in order to push the deal through faster, which means that, as it stands right now, he’s pretty much locked in, and it would take a significant legal argument for him to walk away from the deal.
It’s feasible, with at least some legal precedent, that if Musk could prove definitively that Twitter had deliberately mislead the SEC in its regular financial statements, via its misreporting of fake profiles, that he could possibly get out of these requirements, with the argument being that the platform is simply not worth what believed, based on its financials. But that seems like a stretch, especially given Agrawal’s explanation.
Maybe, then, Musk is simply pushing to reduce his offer price, in order to get a better deal.
It’s not 100% clear what outcome Musk is seeking, but as it stands, it still looks like Musk will have to go through with the Twitter deal, even if he and his followers think these stats are wrong.
Will we ever find out what Twitter’s actual fake profile count is? Based on Agrawal’s explanation, that also seems unlikely, though the technicalities here seem important, in specifying what’s counted, and what’s not, in Twitter’s user stats.
Either way, the public debate can only be a negative for Twitter, in either reducing advertiser trust in its metrics, or highlighting a long-running issue with its systems.
Is that a good thing for Musk, the future owner of the platform, to be pushing in public? It seems like a flawed approach, especially given the various other options he would have available, in terms of private audits, discussing with Twitter internally, verifying through independent researchers, etc.
Maybe this is just how Musk plans to do things, but it’s not exactly an inspiring origin story for the next stage of the app.
SOCIAL
Instagram Launches New ‘Close Friends Only’ Podcast to Showcase Celebrity Users
Not sure if this will be a valuable addition, or another stream that’ll fade out pretty quick, as Meta stops paying attention to it.
Today, Instagram has launched a new podcast called “Close Friends Only”, which it says will present “the latest on culture – from memes and icks, to fashion and friendship – all from your favorite celebrities.”
And they’ve gone big out of the gate, with the first episode featuring Ice Spice in conversation with Doja Cat.
The conversation sees the two stars discuss their favorite memes, their favorite animals, celebrity crushes, experiences in flirting on IG, their juiciest DMs, and more.
Which will no doubt get a heap of attention, and will help make Instagram a bigger focus for youngsters seeking to replicate their idols. But in terms of practical advice or tips, yeah, there might not be a heap there.
But it could be worth tuning in anyway, in order to get the lowdown on the latest trends, from some of the people that are leading the way on cultural shifts.
But then again, as noted, it’ll be interesting to see how IG follows this first episode up, and whether they keep running regular episodes of the podcast with more celebrities.
Either way, it’s an interesting promotional vehicle for IG, especially given that it’s focusing on musicians, as TikTok becomes an even more critical platform for music promotion.
Maybe, then, this will be Instagram’s counter to that, but again, we’ll have to wait and see whether more episodes arrive.
SOCIAL
Who is HRH Collection founder and YouTuber, Alexandra Peirce?
ALEXANDRA Peirce proves there’s no such thing as bad publicity, garnering more fans and subscribers every time she posts one of her infamous video rants.
Peirce, known better by her social media pseudonym HRH Collection, has been an internet mainstay for years, and her fame only continues to grow after sharing more of her contentious takes online.
Who is Alexandra Peirce?
Alexandra Peirce is a social media personality, influencer, and jewelry designer.
Peirce was born on May 13, 1984, in the US.
She currently resides near Los Angeles, California.
Before launching her famous YouTube channel, Peirce graduated from college in 2007 with a degree in political science.
In 2009, she earned a master’s degree in international business.
While in graduate school, Peirce studied abroad in Shanghai, China, where she says she “fell in love with all things Asian.”
Peirce returned to the US during the peak of the 2008 economic recession, forcing her to move in with her parents.
Despite applying for countless jobs, she couldn’t land a position, leading her to create her YouTube channel.
Peirce post her first video, a “What’s in my bag” vlog where she walked viewers through everyday items she carried in her purse.
Peirce kept the channel going even after landing a job in accounting, posting videos and designing jewelry pieces during lunch breaks and after hours.
Fueled by her growing subscriber count, her design hobby would eventually turn into a full-fledged company, HRH Collection.
While Peirce now runs her jewelry line full-time, she is even better known on the internet for her viral videos, which typically show Peirce sitting in her car, ranting about anything from current events and pop culture trends to hairstyles and holidays.
Her videos are often cut up and reposted on TikTok, where select sound clips go viral.
Some of Peirce’s most well-known tirades include her take on beachy waves – “it’s not the vibe, stop!” – and her controversial views on Women’s Day – ““I think it’s stupid. I really do.”
Nevertheless, Peirce has amassed a legion of hardcore fans and haters who can’t help but watch her scream and shout her opinion on just about everything.
Peirce’s controversial videos (and views) have been compared to other un-cancellable influencers, like Trisha Paytas and Theo Von.
Who else could get away with yelling: “Shut up! Stop being fat! Stop being ugly!” at her viewers, who keep coming back for more?
It seems like no matter what she posts, or how many people disagree with her, viewers can’t help but leave her videos wanting more.
One TikTok user commented: “This woman is actually problematic but my brain is itched by the way she complains because it’s exactly how I think when I’m annoyed.”
Despite – or maybe because of – the controversies, Peirce has continued to grow her social media following.
Her Instagram account boasts 118,000 followers, despite several of her past accounts being banned or deleted.
Peirce’s X account is currently suspended, but that hasn’t stopped the internet icon from sharing her views online.
Her YouTube channel, which hosts over 600 videos, has 449,000 subscribers.
The hashtag #hrhcollection has also garnered nearly 1 billion views on TikTok, from reposted videos to sound bites.
Peirce has also garnered fame via interviews with BuzzFeed News and Interview Magazine, and appeared on podcasts like The Spillover With Alex Clark.
What is HRH Collection?
HRH Collection is a jewelry line created by Alexandra Peirce.
Besides rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, the website also sells bag chains, keychains, ankle socks, t-shirts, and a windbreaker.
On the company’s about page, Peirce explains that the e-commerce site “started as a hobby and has now grown into a company that I’m so proud to call my own.”
Peirce first designed “a Japanese style frosting cupcake ring and key fob,” sharing the pieces on her YouTube channel.
Viewers were interested in purchasing the items, leading Peirce to create La Lumiere, mixing chain metals with assorted crystals to create bracelets and necklaces.
Peirce wore her jewelry to work and showcased her pieces on her social media, leading to steady stream of customers and orders.
From there, Peirce launched an Etsy shop, juggling her full time job alongside designing new pieces and fulfilling online orders.
Peirce states that she is “so thankful” for everyone who helped her along the way, but also offers some practical advice for anyone who hopes to turn their hobby into a viable career, saying she was “strategic” in developing HRH.
She writes: “Many of you guys ask me if you should quit your jobs to pursue YouTube or your other hobbies.”
“To be completely honest, I do not think you should quit your job for any hobby, until you have grown your company into one that can reasonably replace your job – this is very important.”
HRH collection features hundreds of items, with most priced between $50 and $150.
Shoppers can also select items from “Alex’s Musts,” which includes products like a $190 sterling silver tennis necklace, a trio of mixed metal rings for $87, and $59 diet soda hoops, resembling soda can tops.
Consumers looking for unique pieces are in luck, as there is a limited amount of inventory available per item, with many pieces already sold out.
2
Is Alexandra Peirce married?
Peirce came under fire from both her fans and haters after getting married on June 16, 2023, to her second husband, Jason Locke.
The influencer was mocked for her dress, venue, food, and overall wedding aesthetic.
She was also trolled on social media for live-streaming the event, charging users $25 to watch the party.
Peirce chose to wear a short, white, recycled Zara dress for the reception, while the groom chose to don a camouflaged Trump/Pence hat.
After a small ceremony at Bethania Lutheran Church, a reception was held in the parking lot of the Hitching Post, a BBQ joint in Buellton, California.
The eatery’s website says it is known for its wines and West Coast barbecue, and guests dined on veggies, garlic bread, and quesadillas, among other items.
Decorations were minimal, with few flowers adorning the white tent erected in the parking lot.
Each table did come with a cherry-scented ashtray candle, personalized with ‘Mr. & Mrs. Locke’ in a gothic font.
Peirce then changed into yoga pants before heading off to a local casino with her new beau and a few close friends, keeping the party going well into the morning hours.
Many users took to X to share their thoughts.
Some users called the wedding trashy, while others lamented the party’s seemingly low budget.
One user tweeted: “You had a trailer park wedding” along with a crying and skull emojis.
Another wrote: “how can hrh collection talk about anyone when her dress looks like it came out of a Zara clearance section?”
One influencer even branded the event as “the tackiest wedding ever.”
Peirce fought back, going after her online haters and critics in another one of her infamous video rants.
In a video titled Addressing The Devils, Peirce asks her viewers: “Do you think I didn’t know what my wedding was gonna be like? Like, I didn’t plan my wedding?”
“I don’t like big to-dos. I’m the least to-do person ever.”
She added: “B***h, I could fly to the f**king Maldives with every damn f**king person in my damn family and pay for everyone and not have it impact me at all, you f**king idiots.”
Peirce then stressed that her and Locke wanted to keep the wedding “casual and mellow.”
She said: “I did exactly what I wanted to do for my wedding and I would do it all exactly over again.”
Peirce ended the video by saying: “I’m happy, I’m in a really loving relationship. I basically have everything I want.”
“I have my own business, a beautiful house, I have a husband. I’m really happy right now and you guys are so vicious and mean.”
Then, in her signature fashion, she addressed her haters head-on, explaining: “I get it, because you’re miserable and ugly.”
“And you’re a loser, I understand. Life isn’t fair.”
SOCIAL
New Guide Highlights Key Considerations for Effective TikTok Ads
Looking to make TikTok a bigger focus of your marketing effort in 2024?
This will help. TikTok recently partnered with creator intelligence platform CreatorIQ to conduct an analysis of the key factors that make for a resonant TikTok promotion, culminating in a 26-page report which covers a range of key notes and tips for your planning.
You can download CreatorIQ’s full TikTok ads guide here, but in this post, we’ll look at some of the key notes.
The report is broken up into five key pillars of TikTok ads creation, which echo much of the best advice that’s been shared for the platform over time.
CreatorIQ’s five key TikTok marketing notes are:
- Grab attention from the start
- Foster a personal connection
- Show your product in action
- Use high-impact creative elements
- Close with a clear call to action
For each of these elements, the guide digs deeper into how to enact them, and the critical considerations of each, including stats on effectiveness:
Tips on TikTok-specific trends and tools:
As well as case study examples to underline each point:
It’s a handy overview, with a range of valuable notes, though the main finding, above all of the creative pointers and advice, is that established creators perform better for TikTok promotions.
As per CreatorIQ:
“The report found that creators overwhelmingly make the best-performing TikTok ads, with recommendations carrying more weight than traditional brand advertisements and celebrity spokespeople. In fact, after watching a creator-driven Spark Ad, 57% of TikTok community members say the creator is trustworthy, 56% say they can trust the brand because the creator shared it, and 71% say creator authenticity led them to buy a product.”
So while there are a heap of practical notes and pointers for increasing the resonance of your in-app promotions – like this:
The key point of emphasis is that creators make better TikToks, and thus, better ads, so partnering with relevant influencers in your niche is still likely a better way to go.
Some good considerations, and some valuable, data-backed tips, which could help to get your TikTok promotion plan on the right track in the new year.
You can download CreatorIQ’s full TikTok marketing report here.
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