How to detect fake followers on tikTok

Detecting fake followers on TikTok is essential for understanding the genuine engagement and reach of an account, whether you're assessing the value of a potential collaboration or seeking to clean up your own follower list. Here are the top ways to identify fake followers on TikTok:

1. Analyzing Engagement Rates

Compare the number of followers to the average engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) of videos. A low engagement rate can be a sign of fake followers since these accounts typically do not interact with posted content.

2. Check for Sudden Spikes in Followers

Legitimate follower growth tends to be gradual or directly correlated to viral content or shoutouts. A sudden, unexplained increase in followers could be due to purchased fake followers.

3. Profile Examination

Look at the profiles of some followers. Signs of fake accounts include no or few videos posted, a profile picture that looks generic or is missing, and little to no bio information.

4. Quality of Comments

Evaluate the comments on the videos. Short, generic comments like "Nice video" or a string of emojis may be from bots. Genuine followers tend to leave more personalized, relevant comments.

5. Follower-to-Engagement Ratio

Even if an account has a huge follower count, a low engagement or interaction rate is suspicious. Genuine followers will likely interact with content more than fake ones.

6. Using Third-Party Analytic Tools

Several third-party apps and online tools like Influencer Hero, Hype Auditor or Heepsy are designed to provide insights into TikTok accounts, including estimates on the authenticity of an account's followers. These tools analyze engagement rates and follower growth patterns to identify potential red flags.

7. Inconsistency in Video Views

Look for inconsistencies in the number of views per video. An account with genuine followers will typically show some variation, but videos should have a relatively consistent number of views correlating to the follower count. Dramatic swings without explanation (e.g., the content going viral) might indicate fake engagement or followers.

8. Activity Analysis

Fake accounts often have little to no activity, or their activity might be repetitive and spam-like. Reviewing the interactions (likes, comments) of followers can identify accounts with bot-like behavior.

9. Unusual Follower Demographics

If an account's follower demographics do not match its content or expected audience (e.g., a local content creator with a significant number of international followers with no genuine connection to the content), this discrepancy can suggest the followers are not genuine.

10. Check for Engagement Pods

While not necessarily "fake" followers, be wary of engagement from pods—groups that artificially inflate video stats by mutually engaging with content. This can be spotted through suspiciously consistent engagement from the same set of users who do not appear to be genuine fans of the content. With Influencer Hero you can automatically detect both fake followers (bots) as well as engagement pods and accounts with large following which would be difficult to reach.

What percentage of TikTok followers are fake?

It's challenging to provide an exact percentage of fake TikTok followers as the platform's algorithms and metrics are continuously evolving. Additionally, the definition of "fake" followers can vary, including inactive accounts, bots, or accounts that engage in fraudulent behavior.

However, various studies and analyses have suggested that a significant portion of social media followers, including those on TikTok, could be fake or inactive. Estimates range from around 10% to 20% of followers being potentially fake or of low quality.

To determine the authenticity of TikTok followers, brands and influencers can use various tools and methods, such as engagement rate analysis, follower growth patterns, and third-party services such as Influencer Hero specializing in detecting fake followers. Regularly auditing followers and monitoring engagement metrics can help identify and mitigate the impact of fake followers on TikTok accounts.

How Influencer Hero guarantees authentic influencer partnerships

Influencer Hero's search and discovery tool allows you access detailed reports of each TikTok influencer analysing the % fake followers as well as mass followers. As an influencer marketer it is crucial to understand the real audience an influencer could reach through a brand partnership. Beside fake followers we also analyse mass followers which are account which follow >1500 accounts. These people are difficult to reach due to the large number of account they follow and should also be taken into consideration when forecasting reach.