Tricked by Followers and Badges

What if your social media success was built on deception, and it
was working? In today’s episode, we hear from someone who knows
exactly how that happens. Tim O’Hearn is a former software
engineer and the author of Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on
Social Media, a book that pulls back the curtain on how follower
factories, automation, and persuasive technologies have shaped
the online world we now take for granted. Tim doesn’t just
theorize, he built these systems himself.


Tim walks us through how his small side gig growing Instagram
accounts evolved into a lucrative business, one that constantly
navigated the blurry line between innovation and breaking
platform rules. He opens up about the clever strategies he used
to avoid detection and psychological hooks that made these
methods so effective, as we explore the deeper consequences of
social media’s addictive nature. 


We’ll also explore the hidden risks businesses and individuals
face when they obsess over metrics and follower counts instead of
genuine connections, and why most people don’t even realize
they're caught up in this trap.  Whether you're running a
business, casually browsing, or just trying to figure out the
complicated world of online attention, this conversation will
give you a rare peek behind the curtain. And as you’ll find out,
stepping away from it all might not be as straightforward as
you'd think.
Show Notes:

[01:12] Tim recently published Framed: A Villain's
Perspective on Social Media, a book that shares his journey from
breaking the rules on social media to getting millions of
followers for his clients.

[02:15] We learn a little bit more about the beginnings of
spamming the Internet and increasing online presence, including
MySpace and Instagram, which evolved into getting more followers.

[04:14] This created social proof and the possibility of
higher conversion rates.

[05:09] Increasing followers using botnets or fake followers.
Organic growth and interacting with accounts that might follow or
like. 

[08:35] Tim's business was Shark Social, where he bent the
rules to get followers for clients. 

[09:53] The technical side of his operation. Proxies were
used to mask their tracks. 

[12:30] Social media services have taken efforts to stop
things like follower growth services.

[14:54] Risks for businesses using social media growth
platform services. It's against TOS, and your account can get
banned.

[18:36] Systems Tim built to target consumers using social
media. The goal was to get users to spend more time on the app.

[20:50] Thresholds for annoying users. It was shocking how
many people allowed push notifications and other annoying things.

[22:54] How social media affects Tim. 

[26:11] We learn how he feels about the influencer culture
and promoting his book on TikTok. 

[27:14] Advice for business owners, including these services,
may not get you more business. Pause before doing too much.

[28:48] Individuals should focus on conversions. 



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Tim O’Hearn

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Framed: A Villain's Perspective on Social Media

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