In 2018, a study by Points North Group showed that brands like Ritz-Carlton (%78), Aquaphor (52%), and Pampers (%32) had the highest percentage of fake followers in their sponsored influencer Instagram posts.
With audiences quick to spotting suspicious followings and bots, it is important brands prioritize quality over vanity metrics. After all, inflated numbers can backfire, leading to poor ROI and losing audience credibility. These fake followers are often inactive accounts or bots that inflate an influencer's apparent reach but don't engage genuinely. This not only misleads brands about the influencer's actual influence but also leads to wasted marketing budgets, as campaigns reach fewer real potential customers than anticipated
How can you avoid this? By learning to spot the signs, from engagement rates to follower growth patterns, and using specialized tools that analyze follower authenticity and behavior.
Identifying fake followers is easy. Here are 10 key ways brands and marketers can spot fake followers in platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and provide authenticity to their influencer partnerships:
Engagement rates typically range from 1% to 5% for authentic accounts.
Significantly lower engagement rates suggest fake followers.
Discrepancies between follower count and engagement (likes, comments, shares).
Steady and consistent over time.
Sudden, inexplicable spikes in follower count.
Use Influencer Hero Fake Follower check tool and engagement rate calculator tools for Instagram & Tiktok to track follower growth and engagement rates over time.
The Free Influencer Audit Chrome Extension is a very useful tool for quickly analyzing influencers’ profiles while browsing the web for not only choosing influencers who have good quality followers but also an audience whose demographic aligns with your brand’s.
This Influencer Hero analysis shows, among other metrics, the influencer’s ER and Audience Credibility - very useful while choosing an influencer to work with.
Specifically for when analyzing fake followers, the Free Instagram Influencer Fake Follower Checker & Scanner Tool is the fastest way to do it by just typing the influencer’s handle.
Along with Influencer Hero, HypeAuditor also provides detailed reports on follower quality, engagement rates, and audience demographics.
Generic comments like "Nice pic!" from multiple accounts.
Look for repetitive and unnatural comment patterns.
Disproportionate likes compared to comments.
Specific and meaningful comments from real followers.
Frequent, automated-like comments or unusually high like-to-comment ratios.
On TikTok, a healthy engagement pattern includes comment threads and shares, not just likes.
Extremely high ratios (many followers but following very few).
Genuine influencers usually have a reasonable follower-to-following ratio.
Offers comprehensive analysis of follower authenticity like fake followers % for instagram, tiktok and Youtube, audience growth, engagement rates, audience demographics & location
Offers comprehensive analysis of follower authenticity.
Tracks growth patterns and engagement rates.
These tools help in analyzing follower authenticity and detecting unusual patterns.
63% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budget .
Partnering with influencers who have fake followers can waste marketing resources and damage brand reputation.
Micro-influencers generally have higher engagement rates
Easier to spot discrepancies in larger accounts with lower engagement rates.
Typically more specific and related to the content.
Generic, repetitive, or irrelevant to the post content.
Identifying fake followers goes beyond just numbers; it's about ethical practices and genuine audience relationships. Brands should align with influencers who prioritize quality content, community engagement, and transparent growth strategies, especially since Instagram penalizes profiles with fake followers. This fosters long-term loyalty and trust among followers.
While avoiding fake followers is crucial, building an engaged audience is key to successful influencer marketing. Influencers who prioritize genuine interaction attract authentic followers. Partnering with influencers dedicated to fostering meaningful connections within their niche ensures ethical practices and sustainable growth.
Using comprehensive analytics tools provides deeper insights into an influencer's audience. These tools not only detect fake followers but also offer demographic breakdowns, geographic insights, and audience behavior trends. Armed with this data, brands can make informed decisions about influencer partnerships.
By considering these factors and using the mentioned tools, brands and marketers can more effectively identify accounts with fake followers and make informed decisions in their influencer marketing strategies. Remember, a combination of these indicators, rather than any single factor, provides the most reliable assessment of follower authenticity.
Fake followers are accounts that do not belong to real people. They are often created by bots or are inactive accounts purchased to inflate an influencer's follower count. These accounts do not engage with content meaningfully, making them misleading when assessing an influencer's true reach and engagement.
Identifying fake followers is crucial because they distort engagement metrics, mislead brands about an influencer's actual influence, and result in wasted marketing budgets. Campaigns targeting fake followers won't reach real, potential customers, reducing the effectiveness and credibility of influencer marketing efforts.
Some common signs include:
You can check the authenticity by:
There are several tools available to help detect fake followers, including:
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