Are Celebrities Like Lady Gaga & Justin Bieber Paying for Twitter Followers?

According to an interview posted to media industry newswire, FlashNews with social media expert and “friend” peddler Leon Hill, “there is plenty of evidence to suggest that celebs and world leaders are increasing their online fanbase by ‘artificial means’”.

Hill, who owns uSocial.net, makes a business out of “selling Twitter followers and Facebook friends to businesses so they can increase their marketing and popularity online,” explains the FlashNews report.

uSocial.net owner, Leon Hill, even goes so far as to claim that out of the top 100 power players on Twitter, that “at least 15 of those top 100 tweeters are augmenting their following” with purchased followers from databases like his own.

The way Twitter and Facebook friend purchasing works is typically in packages of large numbers that could range from as little as 1,000 followers to as much as 100,000 followers that are screened and vetted to be sure that these followers are at least somewhat interested in what the Twitter or Facebook account is trying to promote.

Indeed, upon researching Leon’s website uSocial.net, his company claims that, “with uSocial’s Twitter marketing services, we can deliver you up to 100,000 real, targeted people interested in your product or service.”

With companies like this one and others like it, it does seem reasonable to believe that public relations, marketing, and social media professionals who manage public figures would take advantage of this type of social media service that can effortlessly augment their client’s following on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. It would not only be to market that public figure more effectively, but to give the illusion of more clout and influence than the celebrity or politician may actually have.

The FlashNews article even goes so far as to call out President Obama, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, questioning the authenticity of their Facebook and Twitter followings, stating, “President Obama, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber may seem popular on Twitter, but they’re faking it.” That’s a pretty bold statement for a news story to make. What do you think about buying Twitter and Facebook followers to grow your popularity online?