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Fake follower checker: Strategies for identifying real vs. fake followers

by | Nov 22, 2023 | Marketing Tips

With over 250 million active influencers, finding the perfect one is tricky.

That’s why a fake follower checker is a must. A fake follower checker is like having a superpower to see past the smoke and mirrors of inflated follower counts. 

With influencers becoming a major part of our digital marketing playbook, ensuring they have real, engaged followers is more important than ever.

At Click Analytic, we’ll dive into how this nifty tool keeps your influencer strategy genuine and effective, one real follower at a time.

A woman is holding a magnifying glass while another woman is holding a microphone.

What are fake followers?

Fake followers are social media profiles that look real but are about as active and genuine as a storefront mannequin.

These are essentially ghost accounts or bots that inflate an influencer’s follower count. 

They’re like the cardboard cutouts in a crowd, making things look bustling when it’s really just for show.

Why are they everywhere?

Well, it’s a shortcut to fame.

Some influencers or brands buy these faux followers to appear more popular or influential than they actually are. 

It’s a bit like padding your resume but for social media.

And with the digital world emphasising numbers, the temptation to boost those stats artificially is strong. 

But here’s the catch – while they boost numbers, they bring zero real engagement or value. They’re all about quantity, not quality.

Why is a fake follower checker a must?

Why use fake follower checker?.

Having a fake follower checker is like having a trusty digital marketing sidekick. 

Why?

Because it’s all about keeping it real – literally

Fake followers can make your engagement stats look good on paper, but they’re pretty much a facade. 

There are no likes, comments, or real buzz – just empty numbers.

Imagine pitching your brand to an influencer, only to find out their followers are mostly fakes. Ouch! 

That’s a hit to your wallet and a blow to your brand’s rep.

You want your message to reach authentic users and an engaged audience.

You’re aiming for a home run in your marketing efforts, not to fill the stands with cardboard fans. 

In fact, At Click Analytic, we found some scary statistics about why a fake follower checker is a must:

⚠️ In 2019, fake influencer follower fraud was estimated to cost companies $1.3 billion.

⚠️ 50% of marketers identified spotting fake followers as a critical challenge in influencer marketing.

⚠️ 63% of marketers and brands admitted to having personal experiences with influencer fraud in past campaigns.

⚠️ Up to 20% of mid-level influencers (those with 50,000 to 100,000 followers) are likely fraudulent.

⚠️ About 38% of influencers use tactics that artificially inflate their posts’ comment numbers.

👉 Real engagement leads to real results, and that’s where the ROI magic happens. 

A fake follower checker keeps your strategy authentic, ensuring you connect with influencers with a genuinely engaged audience.

It’s about making every marketing dollar count and safeguarding your brand’s integrity.

How to perform fake follower checks: 4 Common methods

How to spot fake followers.

Checking for fake followers manually?

Brace yourself; it’s like finding a needle in a digital haystack.

Let’s break down some signs you’re dealing with fakes:

❌ Engagement rates vs follower counts

This is a big red flag. Imagine an account with 100,000 followers but only a handful of likes or comments per post.

That’s like throwing a huge party where no one talks to each other – pretty odd, right? Real followers typically engage with content by liking, commenting, and sharing.

When the engagement doesn’t match the follower count, it’s often a sign that many followers might just be for show.

❌ The Follower-to-following ratio

It’s all about balance.

If an account follows thousands but only has a few hundred followers, it’s a bit like someone shouting into the void.

Real accounts usually have a more balanced ratio of followers to followings.

Accounts that follow en masse often try to game the system – follow to get followed.

❌ Quality of comments

Let’s talk about those comments that are as generic as a pre-recorded message.

Comments like “Great post!” or “Nice pic!” on every photo, especially when they don’t quite relate to the content, are typical of bots.

Fake follower bots are programmed for basic interaction, not meaningful engagement.

❌ Sudden follower spikes

Authentic growth is like climbing a hill, not teleporting to the top.

If an account’s followers jump dramatically overnight without a viral post or some celebrity shoutout, it’s fishy.

It often indicates a purchase of bulk followers – a quick fix to make an account seem more popular than it is.

❌ Location

Finally, you must consider the geographic location of your followers.

If your influencer is based in France, but the majority of their audience is from India, you may not get the results you want.

👉 Each of these signs individually might not confirm the presence of fake followers, but together, they start to paint a clearer picture.

Checking for fake followers is a bit like detective work, requiring a keen eye and patience. 

And let’s be honest – who has the time for that in the fast-paced world of digital marketing?

Our fake follower checker: Vetting Influencers with Click Analytic

A woman in a business suit with the words vetted influencers with click analytics.

So, you’ve decided to ditch the manual process for a clever fake follower checker?

Smart move! 😉

But where do you start?

Enter Click Analytic, where vetting influencers is a breeze, not a chore.

Here’s how it works:

💡Instant, comprehensive analytics

Click Analytic empowers you to certify any Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok creator within seconds.

This isn’t just about counting followers; it’s about diving deep into their audience demographics and performance metrics, giving you a 360-degree view of their influence.

💡Beyond guesswork

With more than 35 audience and performance metrics at your disposal, Click Analytic ensures you’re not guessing who’s the right fit for your brand.

This tool provides concrete data, from engagement rates to audience authenticity, helping you make informed decisions about potential influencer partnerships​.

💡Audience overlap analysis

One of Click Analytic’s unique features is its ability to verify audience overlap.

This means you can see whether your audience aligns with the influencers you’re considering or if there’s overlap with competitors.

This insight is invaluable in strategising how and with whom to collaborate, ensuring optimal reach and engagement across platforms​.

💡Evaluating past collaborations

Another critical feature is the ability to review an influencer’s past collaborations.

By examining their previous campaigns, including those with potential competitors or other brands, you gain insight into their campaign performance and suitability for your brand.

This analysis helps in understanding the real impact an influencer can bring to your campaign.

👉 Think of Click Analytic as your digital detective, sifting through the noise to spotlight influencers with genuinely engaged audiences

You’ll spend less time questioning numbers and more time crafting winning campaigns. No fuss, no muss – just solid, reliable influencer metrics at your fingertips.

Pro tip: Learn how to find influencers then start using Click Analytic for free.

The benefits of choosing genuine influencers

Benefits of genuine influencers.

So, why should you care about working with genuine influencers?

Choosing authentic influencers is like picking a winning team based on skill, not just reputation.

Here’s why we believe they’re your MVPs in the influencer marketing game:

👉 Authentic engagement

Genuine influencers have followers who listen, interact, and engage. This means when they talk about your product, people aren’t just hearing it; they’re paying attention.

👉 Trust and credibility

Authentic influencers build trust. Their followers believe in their recommendations because they’ve earned that trust over time.

Partnering with such influencers lends your brand the same credibility, creating a ripple effect of trustworthiness.

👉 Targeted reach

Real influencers know their audience well. They can help your brand reach the right people with the right message. It’s not just about casting a wide net; it’s about fishing in the right waters.

👉 Quality over quantity

Numbers can be deceiving. An influencer with fewer but engaged followers is worth more than one with thousands of disengaged or fake followers.

It’s about the quality of interactions, not just the quantity of followers.

👉 Sustainable relationships

Building long-term relationships with genuine influencers can be a strategic asset. They become brand advocates, not just one-time advertisers, creating lasting value for your brand.

Genuine influencers are the key to reaching and resonating with your audience. 

They bring authenticity, engagement, and credibility, turning your campaigns into conversations and followers into fans.

⚠️ Remember, in influencer marketing, the real deal is always worth more.

A girl is taking a selfie on a pink background.

Conclusion

As we wrap up, remember this: authenticity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

Whether you’re a seasoned brand manager or a budding social media strategist, incorporating a fake follower checker into your strategy is more than a savvy move—it’s necessary.

Tools like our influencer vetting platform are changing the game, making it easier than ever to connect with genuine influencers.

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