The toolkit to the internet

Did you know that one in four people in Namibia use social media? We live in an era where we, and our lives, revolve around the internet. It has also become addictive to the extent of us wanting to appear online as people we are not in real life.

Have you ever noticed and maybe wondered some people on social mediums have a large following yet most of them are not well-known? What is the secret behind their 78 000 followers and friends? What is the psychological impact of craving attention online and lastly, how can one use this to their advantage and make a few bucks out of it? This week tjil caught up with a Tuli Kaute, a social media practitioner.

Over the past few years social media has impacted our lives in more ways than one. It has become such a big part of our day-to-day existence, getting us news, entertainment and education. However, it has also become evident that social media has become a space where people are consistently competing for attention. The need for likes, reactions and comments has driven people to go to unimaginable lengths to gain more followers. In some instances, people have gone as far as buying likes in order to gain more followers. There is nothing wrong with buying likes and followers, especially if one has a brand to market, but what if there is not anything to sell?

Where does one buy likes and who sells them? Well, it's as easy as searching for sites like Authentic Plays, one of the most reliable websites to buy likes, views and followers. According to Authentic Plays, using their website will provide you with real, safe, high-quality views, likes and followers. Unlike other sites that use robots to send views, they deliver real human views.

Now that we know where to buy popularity, a curious person would ask why one would feel the need to by 'friends and reactions'? Have we really become a society that is okay with mingling and telling strangers what we ate or plan on doing the rest of the day? Is it a sort of attention-seeking method to fill a void in our lives? If a person with a high following shares or updates their status raising a concern, people are likely to react simply because that person spoke about it. The bad thing about having many followers is when you are not strong enough to withstand criticism. Having many followers on social media makes one vulnerable to bullying. According to the Teen Safe website, suicide trends among teens and social media is partially to be blamed.

We have also seen a new trend of people who make a living by creating content for social media. Social media has become more than a tool for just keeping in touch with friends and family. Many have found a loophole and have made great amounts of money by selling products or selling themselves - by being brand ambassadors. We have successful individuals who have made a lot of money simply by having a large following which attracts business owners and alternatively, selling their brands through these people. Talah da Costa is an Instagram model who now earns a living by promoting local brands on his account. Kaute advices people to be careful of what they post on public platforms as it plays a crucial role in one's life. “Keep in mind that companies are now starting to look into what you post on social media before they hire you, because your personal presence/reputation on social media will affect the company's image,” he said. Kaute says there is nothing wrong in purchasing followers, likes or views, but it is important that one knows what to do with them. “I strongly believe that in the near future the success and failure of any business, personal brand or individual will largely be determined by its presence on social media,” he said. Here his top four key points one should consider before buying the numbers.

Define your purpose: Why are you on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Why do you need more followers? What will you do with these followers? What is the return on investment? With every post, every comment, like or share on any platform, you use data and data costs money. The question is what are you getting in return? Defining your purpose will help you to be more strategic in terms of identifying your needs and use of social media.

What is your aim: Why are you using social media to build your personal brand? Are you an advocate? Or do you simply have personal insecurities and want to use social media as a tool to fill a void/lack of self-esteem? Truth is if you don't have an aim, you will be posting purposelessly and endlessly doing things that mean nothing.

Work on your brand, AKA you: It is pointless to have promoted a product/idea or lifestyle on social media if it is not consistent with your reality.

Follow/befriend the right people: Keep in touch and befriend people who can help you gain more wisdom, knowledge and ability to build your business and make money.



Here is a list of the most followed Namibian entertainers on Instagram:



Top 10 females

1. Dillish Mathews 291k followers

2. Maria Nepembe 165k followers

3. Meriam Kaxuxwena 73.7k followers

4. Pombili Shilongo 73k followers

5. Sally Boss Madam 55.5k followers

6. Tjuna.k 48.1k followers

7. Oteya_official 47.6k followers

8. Betty Davids 47.6k followers

9. Nomvulaiman 40.8k followers

10. Celama Hamunyela 40.2k followers



Top 10 males

1. Luis Munana 145k followers

2. Gazza 98.1k followers

3. The Dogg 86k followers

4. Talah Dacosta_Hashipala 73.8k followers

5. Paul Da Prince 35.3k followers

6. Young T 33.8k followers

7. Sunny Boy_Yaziza 17.3k followers

8. House Prince (Chester) 15.4k followers

9. Kvng_Tala 14.5k followers

10. Wellem Kapenda 13.8k followers



Did you know?

The 'Fake Followers Check' analyses your followers to see how many are fake. The interesting thing is you can do the analysis on other accounts too.









June Shimuoshili