Hyderabad: Data row hashtags are a business

Hyderabad: All that topics trending on social media necessarily may not be genuine. At times it has been observed that people are paid to tweet and further a particular agenda.

With #TSGovtStealsData going viral, some people who have no connection with the Telugu states are tweeting about it perhaps to make a quick buck.

Propaganda clips, messages and hashtags have become a business, with bloggers, groups, and influencers using them as a route to make quick money.

Trending hashtags in the politically-charged atmosphere is a quick way to make money.

Venkat Reddy Marri, digital marketing consultant, explains: “There are various categories of influencers in the market. There are companies which work for corporates where the product and brand placement is the requirement.

“In this category there are paid social media handles which are used to spread the message. They are mostly groups of college students.”

Price ranges from Rs 10k-Rs 50k for a handle
“The other category is of the political hashtags and here the companies either buy in the handles that are known to them or fake handles are created. In the hashtags of political parties, the motive is to ensure that the news reaches far and wide within a short period of time. The handles used in the political messages are often fake accounts which have been created for the purpose,” Venkat Reddy Marri, digital marketing consultant, explains.

The credible influencers, it is found, do not want to get into this kind of venture as it can spoil their reputation and not give them the business which they often get from corporates.

In the political space, social media cells depend on the handles of influencers who are leaning towards a certain ideology and are willing to propagate it for a certain amount of money. The price ranges from '10,000 to '50,000 for lending the handle. The price is fixed based on the followers.

B.V. Raju, another digital marketing consultant, says that most of the companies who are carrying out propaganda for political parties are based in North India.
“These tweets are generated from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It has been seen that those who are for short term gains in social media jump for these hashtags. With the political scene changing in the country, a lot of handles are going up on sale and most of them are bought by youngsters looking to make a quick buck in the run-up to elections,” he says.

The business is carried out by agencies that are able to contact students and use their handles for the purpose. The money is usually paid in cash stated the consultants.