https://www.instagram.com/p/C36FQONNyDg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I will be analyzing the claim made by this sponsored post on Instagram. By using the SIFT method to verify this claim I hope to verify the claim as true or false and explain why it is important to analyze potentially false or misleading information.
Stop
The first step in the SIFT method for verifying information is stop and think about whether the information sounds too good, bad, or weird to be true or uses emotionally loaded language. Claims that sound too good to be true most likely are, and persuasive-language techniques are used to influence. I highlighted in the image below the loaded language and terms I noticed being used. The quotations around words indicate criticism or skepticism and convey a negative attitude toward what other people supposedly have to do in order to be successful as Airbnb business owners. The use of other loaded language and terminology like, corporate slaves, tons of debt (or credit) are also loaded words with negative connotation. Not to mention the claim that you can make an exorbitant amount of money as an Airbnb business owner without purchasing rental property sounds too good to be true.
Investigate the Source
The second step in the SIFT method is to investigate the source. If the source is not familiar, then investigating it will often provide the necessary information to verify the truthfulness of a claim. The source of this post is an Instagram profile strwealthacademy which has 25.5K followers and 302 posts. The account was made in May 2016 and has been active for almost eight years which does make the source seem potentially credible. The claim on their bio “We help 9-5’ers replace their income using Airbnb w/o owning property” does not sound too good to be true and states the purpose of the content with a link to a FREE Masterclass.
Find Better Coverage
The third step in the SIFT method is to see how many other sources are covering the same thing, or in this case, offering the same content with the same claims. If other sources are covering or offering the same content, then the claim is more likely to be verifiable. The course that is being offered is not one that is being offered by a lot of different sources. The use of loaded language and claims that seem too good to be true are what make this course seem like a get rich quick scheme. There is another suggested profile to follow, biggerpockets who is also offering freebies and information on real estate investment. The profile has more posts, followers, and has been on Instagram for longer. There are no claims on the bio that sound too good to be true, or misleading other than the offer of a free membership. This is the only account suggested to follow with similar content.
Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to the Original Context
The final step in the SIFT method if to trace the claim to the original context or source. The link to the masterclass offered by strwealthacademy took me to the landing page in the image below. Something about the landing page that seems untrustworthy is that there is no menu bar with an option to navigate to the site’s menu or learn more about the course or its founders. I deleted the end of the URL to see if https://strwealthacademy.com/ would take me from the landing page to the site’s main page which it did. However, it is not laid out well and there is no information about the course or its founders. Only the same unvaried promise of making over 1,000,000 as an Airbnb business owner without owning any Airbnb’s.
After analyzing this claim using the SIFT method, I was unable to verify it. With the only option being to sign up for the free masterclass to get more information on what is being offered, there is no way to verify the validity of it. Having an Instagram account with posts and followers does not make the source trustworthy, and the original source I traces the account back to, the website leads to nowhere.
