Selling myths through social networks

Selling myths through social networks

It is hard to imagine a time when Facebook didn't exist. Social media has invaded lives and rooted itself in daily routines. The speed with which people can communicate with each other is a marvel of technological advancement.

Social media adds many conveniences. Arranging a meeting with friends, cancelling events and sharing stories are done with just a few pushes of buttons, but the speed and reach come at a price. The minute that something is posted, it is sent into cyberspace. A retraction is very difficult once something has been uploaded and shared.

The instantaneousness and wide reach of social media is attractive to businesses big and small. Advertising on social media allows businesses to target a specific demographic based on users' browsing habits. If a person frequently "likes" pages that are associated with babies or children, it is likely that Facebook will show advertisements from companies that make products for babies.

Just as social media opened doors for large corporations, it offers the same opportunities to small-scale merchants. Rather than selling products in a storefront, salespeople can save overhead costs and sell products on social media. Most notable social media direct sales are beauty products, whitening remedies, weight loss pills, anti-cellulite creams, breast enhancement supplements, detox regiments, energy supplements and sex drive enhancement products.

The direct sale pages for these goods are all over Facebook. Their advertisements seem to share the same themes, selfies and contact information. For example, an ad for breast enhancement cream would have an attractive young lady in a low-cut shirt with large breasts and contact phone number on the bottom of the page. For weight loss pills, a not-so-attractive before and a very attractive after picture of a slender girl with an email address is displayed. Sometimes, special pricing, like a holiday sale, is included in the ad. Overall, these promotions and advertisements appear amateurish and home-made.

These social media flyers may attract young men and women, but from a seasoned shopper's perspective raise many warning flags. First, nearly every camera and computer has a photo-enhancing function of some sort. So it is likely that the images of overly whitened, smooth-skinned, attractive ladies are enhanced and retouched at some point.

Individuals selling these products are not licensed doctors or pharmacists. How much do they know about the ingredients that are in the products? When it comes to applying creams on the skin or swallowing pills, it is wise to think twice about the manufacturing origins of a product.

If a product can produce the jaw-dropping results claimed in these ads, why aren't big pharmaceutical and beauty companies selling them? What laboratory tests have been conducted on these products? If the ingredients work so well, why not charge more and make a larger profit?

Furthermore, it is unlikely that these individual social media retailers would have brand, product or company loyalties. If a product causes harm, what liabilities do they bear? It is too easy for these retailers to simply delete their social media accounts and start new ones to escape responsibility. The buyer assumes all the risk for the product.  

There are also very few reviews on these direct sales pages. On occasion, there are a few likes. The absence of positive and negative comments is questionable. Most of the time, if something wonderful happens, people share their experiences. Relative anonymity in social media has empowered people to provide opinions and reviews. If the advertised products are effective, why are so few sharing their experience with the product?

Selling beauty products, weight loss pills, anti-cellulite creams, and supplements by posting a few pictures on social media may seem like an easy way to make some cash. But is selling an unknown product to family and friends prudent? What if a friend tries the product, has an allergic reaction and goes to the hospital? If the doctor asks for a sample of the product, would the ingredients he reads on the label actually be in the bottle? What about unlisted additives? Since the product is an unknown brand with unknown manufacturing standards, how can a doctor devise a treatment? Who harbours the blame in this situation? The seller or the buyer?

Social media is a powerful forum for entrepreneurs. Launching a retail business on social media is low-cost, and word can spread to potential customers at lightning speed. With sellers able to target demographics and tailor messages to customers' desires, the number of individual retailers using social networks to market products will only rise. As social media is filled with dramatic before-and-after pictures, the potential to fall for various advertising fallacies also increases.

What are consumers to do? As with storefront purchases, they should shop smartly on social media and do the necessary research before committing to a purchase. If something is too good to be true in real life, it also probably is on social media. 


Prapai Kraisornkovit is the editor of the Life section of the Bangkok Post.

Prapai Kraisornkovit

Life Editor

Bangkok Post Life section Editor.

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