How many followers do you have? What’s your handle? Can you share your analytics? Who can you tag? What apps do you use to create reels?

If you can answer these questions, chances are you are an established influencer who suddenly found a career or opportunity to become famous.

Along with fame, comes responsibility and accountability. Are these new faces the voices to help pick a U.S. president, congressman or state assembly member?

In 2015, when then-candidate Donald J. Trump made that famous ride down the Trump Tower escalator to start a political career and a grassroots movement dedicated to America First and Greatness, little did we realize that he also changed political campaigning by taking advantage of social media.

The platform was Twitter, and everyone in politics from candidates to journalists to political organizations sat on their phone communicating and networking to build one of the greatest upsets in political history.

Today, in 2024, with many more social media platforms and even more streaming outlets, campaigns are looking towards influencers to garner new votes in target locations and demographics.

Welcome to the world of Instagram. Reels, posts and stories have changed the world of factual journalism to a one-stop shop of purchasing goods, joining a live chat and reposting something from an issue to a profile.

It sounds easy, cheap and effective. Is it really?

Here are some top issues too many overlook when following social media:

We won’t find out just how effective Instagram will be until November 5th. The most important impact of Instagram will be how many voters actually turn up to vote on Election Day or by absentee or early ballot voting.

Researchers should also evaluate the number of votes that actually came out because an influencer shared something on their page.

For example, influencers tried to change the purchasing power within the fashion industry, sitting front row at fashion week events and attending private parties in exchange for free merchandise and other perks.

Fashion industry business leaders found out the hard way by sinking profits that the only way to sell merchandise is by working directly with retail store staff and directly with paying clients, especially in New York in most cases. Need proof? Compare the New York Fashion Week schedule of February 2024 to previous ones, especially right before the Biden administration took over.

Restaurant owners found many influencers demanding more food and drinks than actual future customers. Some used their platform as a threat with a bad review if their demands weren’t met. Some were “called out” but not without unneeded aggravation in an already troubling situation.

Another big problem is that the biggest outlets, especially Facebook and Instagram either totally delete or strongly shadow ban accounts that seem to post more conservative views.   This has happened to me multiple times without prior notice or confirmation. 

While I might not have the same amount of followers publicly, I probably have more influence because of the important contacts I have made through the years by actually doing the appropriate networking and follow up to build personal and professional bonds, and more importantly, trust.

Trust leads me to the next concern. Ae you actually receiving, following, reposting and sharing factual information?  I find so many people I follow up with on Instagram cannot answer questions. Influencers do just that: connect and try to convince. How many of them actually investigate and research their “likes”?

How many share multiple sources in their videos? How many of them started as voices in other arenas and now are focusing on politics because it’s a presidential year? Challenge someone before you like their post. Who is your local assembly member or who is running for Congress from the major parties in your district? What are the top issues that they post about, and go back to posts from two years ago and compare their words and images. Are they similar?  

Too many are depending on Instagram, in particular, but all social media overall to get the vote out in every campaign.  However, America became great by quality education that included researching and understanding details and proven facts, hard work and patriotism.

Finally, how many voters do you know are not on Instagram like grandparents, professionals or those who just don’t want to open an account and never have? Or how many fear that a cyberattack on our social media would cut off communications?

It’s much harder to convince a person to vote, than to spend hours a day on their phone acting like everyone is their best friend.

Let’s win because we have the issues on our side and voters see dedicated candidates who are “right” for America.

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Cindy Grosz is an award-winning media personality, brand ambassador and Jewish activist. She is the host of “The Jewess Patriot” radio show on WGBB Radio and through Jewish Podcasts out of Jerusalem. She ran for Congress in 2020 and was a Jewish advisor for the National Coalition for Trump.