How to know if an influencer or Instagram account has fake followers or bots?
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 5:17 am
For many content creators, buying followers may seem like a shortcut to fame. However, this approach, which lacks engagement and authentic interaction with audiences, eventually reveals the fragility of the deception. Surprisingly, the presence of fake followers is not exclusive to profiles with fewer followers, as even prominent personalities around the world have been affected by this deceptive practice.
A study revealed how well-known figures with millions of followers such as Beyoncé could have up to 25.66% of fake followers, while Selena Gomez, one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram, would have around 26.42% of fake users. This phenomenon extends to other stars such as Taylor Swift with 26.48%, Jennifer Lopez with 26.59%, and even Kylie Jenner, one of the most prominent influencers of recent times, with 26.80% of fake followers on Instagram.
Knowing the challenge for companies to detect the number of fake accounts of their collaborating influencers, we present some additional strategies to determine if an influencer or Instagram account has genuine followers or if something else is at play.
First, perform a manual follower analysis . Look at the quality of the profiles, making sure they have real profile pictures, posts, followers, and followings. Also, check the comments on the posts to identify possible bots that may indicate fake followers.
Another key indicator is follower growth . If you notice a sudden, disproportionate increase without an obvious cause, such as a major collaboration, it could be a red flag. Authenticity is reflected not only in the number of followers, but also in the quality of their interaction.
Don’t underestimate the power of audience analytics tools . Platforms like Kolsquare , Social Blade, or HypeAuditor offer detailed insights into audience activity, helping you identify potential fake followers and ensuring a more informed selection of contributors for your campaigns. Similarly, you can choose to employ a fake follower checker which is a tool that allows you to identify followers on an Instagram account that are not authentic. These tools analyze the list of followers for various indicators such as sudden growth or increase in users, empty or copied profiles, strange usernames, low engagement rate, and a large number of followers. By using a fake follower checker, you can extract followers that are not real, helping you create more trustworthy and better performing influencer marketing campaigns.
Also, check for consistency and authenticity in the influencer’s social media design directors managers email lists posts and interactions. A track record of successful campaigns and previous collaborations can be a strong indicator of integrity and authenticity.
What impact do fake followers have on a brand's reputation?
The presence of fake followers can have detrimental impacts on brands. On the one hand, the credibility of the brand and associated influencers is affected, breaking public trust when it is discovered that a significant part of the audience is artificial. As you well know, maintaining a good reputation is essential for the success of a company, and fake followers are a fraudulent practice that can negatively affect consumer trust, loyalty and brand perception.
You might be interested in: The impact of AI on influencer marketing and virtual influencers
But reputation isn’t the only thing that’s affected. Fake followers distort many metrics like engagement and participation rate, creating an inflated perception of the real impact of campaigns and misleading brands about the authenticity of interactions and the real reach to potential customers. Not only does this result in wasted marketing investments, but it can also lead to the loss of valuable opportunities to collaborate with influencers who don’t have a genuine audience.
Finally, the waste of financial resources is another direct consequence, since the purchase of fake followers involves an unnecessary expense that could be used for more effective strategies.
A study revealed how well-known figures with millions of followers such as Beyoncé could have up to 25.66% of fake followers, while Selena Gomez, one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram, would have around 26.42% of fake users. This phenomenon extends to other stars such as Taylor Swift with 26.48%, Jennifer Lopez with 26.59%, and even Kylie Jenner, one of the most prominent influencers of recent times, with 26.80% of fake followers on Instagram.
Knowing the challenge for companies to detect the number of fake accounts of their collaborating influencers, we present some additional strategies to determine if an influencer or Instagram account has genuine followers or if something else is at play.
First, perform a manual follower analysis . Look at the quality of the profiles, making sure they have real profile pictures, posts, followers, and followings. Also, check the comments on the posts to identify possible bots that may indicate fake followers.
Another key indicator is follower growth . If you notice a sudden, disproportionate increase without an obvious cause, such as a major collaboration, it could be a red flag. Authenticity is reflected not only in the number of followers, but also in the quality of their interaction.
Don’t underestimate the power of audience analytics tools . Platforms like Kolsquare , Social Blade, or HypeAuditor offer detailed insights into audience activity, helping you identify potential fake followers and ensuring a more informed selection of contributors for your campaigns. Similarly, you can choose to employ a fake follower checker which is a tool that allows you to identify followers on an Instagram account that are not authentic. These tools analyze the list of followers for various indicators such as sudden growth or increase in users, empty or copied profiles, strange usernames, low engagement rate, and a large number of followers. By using a fake follower checker, you can extract followers that are not real, helping you create more trustworthy and better performing influencer marketing campaigns.
Also, check for consistency and authenticity in the influencer’s social media design directors managers email lists posts and interactions. A track record of successful campaigns and previous collaborations can be a strong indicator of integrity and authenticity.
What impact do fake followers have on a brand's reputation?
The presence of fake followers can have detrimental impacts on brands. On the one hand, the credibility of the brand and associated influencers is affected, breaking public trust when it is discovered that a significant part of the audience is artificial. As you well know, maintaining a good reputation is essential for the success of a company, and fake followers are a fraudulent practice that can negatively affect consumer trust, loyalty and brand perception.
You might be interested in: The impact of AI on influencer marketing and virtual influencers
But reputation isn’t the only thing that’s affected. Fake followers distort many metrics like engagement and participation rate, creating an inflated perception of the real impact of campaigns and misleading brands about the authenticity of interactions and the real reach to potential customers. Not only does this result in wasted marketing investments, but it can also lead to the loss of valuable opportunities to collaborate with influencers who don’t have a genuine audience.
Finally, the waste of financial resources is another direct consequence, since the purchase of fake followers involves an unnecessary expense that could be used for more effective strategies.