Let’s get something out of the way before we continue; this article is somewhat of a rant intertwined with personal experience. If you think the below is about you or your brand, it’s probably not, but perhaps take a long hard look at yourself, if the shoe fits.
There is a problem we need to address, perhaps a couple actually, where to begin?
Within the ‘micro’ space in particular, whether that be watches or accessories, some smoke and mirrors is afoot. Ultimately, every single point I will outline comes down to one thing, marketing. But I’m a firm believer that a genuinely good product, at the right price point, with good exposure, can market itself. That can take time to happen though and in 2023, patience is more than just a virtue, it’s a rare gift.
Lots and lots of business at the micro level happens via or at least as a result of Instagram. Now far beyond a photo sharing site, it has become the de facto media-rich forum for enthusiasts, particularly if the mostly text-based argument pit that is a Watch Facebook group isn’t your thing. Watch Facebook and Watch Instagram have different vibes and ultimately, different structures. On Facebook, you can join one of the major watch groups and immediately have an audience of 10k or more. On Instagram, sure you can leverage hashtags, sponsored posts etc. but it’ll take some time for you to grow an audience to that kind of reach. On Instagram you need to grow followers organically and that doesn’t happen fast.
This has sparked off what is perhaps one of the most stupid aspects of the entire platform: people regarding the follower count as a competition. Why is it stupid you ask? Surely if you have more followers then you are more popular? Two words, fake followers. It transpires that if you’re a few brain cells short of a full set, you can just go on a website, send them some money and the site will (using fake accounts), up your follower count.
So now you have an account that has gone from say 2k to 10k in a very short space of time, what have you gained? In theory, nothing. Your reach is still the same as it was, your like count on posts remains the same as a 1k account. So why pay for the bump up? Well one reason seems to be that with your new superficial 10k badge of honour, you can ‘collab’ with a watch or accessory brand run by someone who also wasn’t paying attention when the neurons were being dished out.
So, picture the scene, a microbrand making watches or accessories also buys a load of fake followers, they’ve jumped from 2k to 25k in a week (still getting 50 post likes but they’ve overlooked that part). By this point they’ve even convinced themselves that they’re a company 25 thousand people want to follow. Now they are ‘flying’, they need to ‘collab’ with some real movers and shakers, in comes Mr 10k from earlier. The brand reaches out, ‘Hey, we have this 3-slot leather watch roll, worth $499, would you be interested in testing it for us?’. All Mr 10k has to do is make a few posts, give their ‘honest’ opinion and they get to keep this watch roll. They write a post about how supple it is and well worth the money, how nice the stitching is etc. and the roll is theirs.
So, let’s unpack what just went down and bear in mind, this happens every, single, day!
You have a micro brand that people may assume is reputable due to its 25k ‘followers’. They’ve then gone to an individual who seems popular thanks to their 10k ‘followers’. They’ve sent them a watch roll they had made for $10 and told them it’s a $499 luxury item. The roll has then been reviewed as a luxury item and the spin is completely positive and fake; Mr 10k doesn’t want to offend the company that just gave him something so ‘valuable’ free of charge. So then, the audience of 2000 real accounts they initially had (back when he was Mr 2k), see the post, fall for the facade and suddenly they’re overpaying $489 for a watch roll on the word of a person who seems credible (he has 10k doesn’t he?!).
Can you see what’s so messed up with that entire cycle? This is how bad stuff gets peddled for strong money and people get disappointed.
But it perpetuates. Our watch roll company start to receive DMs from other individual’s accounts with 10k+, some may even genuinely have that audience. These accounts want in on this ‘collab’, they want to test this incredibly luxurious watch roll. They get free $10 rolls, also write up misty eyed reviews, maybe even record a well edited YouTube video. More people get duped into thinking ‘well if they think it’s worth $499 then so do I’.
Mr 10k isn’t done either, he has his eyes on the prize, bigger and better ‘collabs’. How’s he going to get there? Well, his account has grown a little but he’s going to have to get his wallet out again; a few thousand more bots on order and just like that he’s Mr 20k. Now, it’s time to celebrate this ‘milestone’. He teams up with a micro watch brand to run a competition, he thanks his loyal followers for helping him to his 20k and offers them a chance to win an ‘amazing’ $700 watch. It’s possible by this point that even Mr 20k has convinced himself he got here thanks to hard work and dedication.
This watch prize is cheap and nasty, but thanks to some great photography and some artificially inflated accounts, the watch is perceived by the community as desirable. The competition runs, people have to like, subscribe, tag a few friends and pledge their soul. Mr 20k and the watch brand gain a lot of new real followers and as their count grows, so does their perceived strength.
I was trying to think if there is a direct comparison to what is happening here, away from the internet. I didn’t need to think for long, this kind of thing has been rife for decades: your traditional ‘celebrity’ endorsement deal.
If you’ve made it this far, I hope you can see the circle jerk of fakery is not a pretty sight. But I’d like to offer some guidance, whether it be taken or not. Contrary to what you might think so far, I am not against ‘collabs’, free products for review, or even paid reviews. It all just needs to be done in the right way.
Watch/Accessory makers: first and foremost, make a good product. Then price it right. Try not to write three paragraphs about how it was your grandad's dying wish for you to make a watch with a grade 5 titanium case. Keep to the point. Don’t buy fake followers and if you’re going to ‘collab’ or send out products free for review, encourage honest opinions to be put out. Endorse transparency. If your product is good, you won’t need any tricks.
Mr 2/10/20k or (whatever your name is): don’t bother with the fake followers. What will carry you further than anything is great photography, a regimented regular posting schedule and some reels to feed the algorithm in your favour. Grow your reach organically, be patient and the rewards will be greater, but don’t lose your integrity. Be honest in your reviews, make it known to companies you ‘collab’ with that you’re going to tell it how it is. Very importantly, be honest to your audience when you’ve not paid for something (it’s the law in some countries I would add!). The context of whether you put your hand in your pocket for a product can reframe a review significantly.
The consumers of watches and watch content: try and read between the lines, it can be fairly evident when an account you follow has been snapping up fake followers like groceries, their post like count will likely be the same as yours! If they plug a product, ask yourself, is that a product this person genuinely bought? Try and find reviews on a product away from Instagram that seem more authentic. It’s hard to work out sometimes if something is priced right, look at photos closely, look at specs even closer. Don’t pay £130 for a nato strap unless it comes with a three-course dinner.
Will this article change much? Probably not, from whatever angle you’re coming at this from, try and stay honest and positive, don’t try to dupe each other in the name of profit, enjoy the watches.
