{"id":10897,"date":"2024-01-03T20:22:07","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T20:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emplifistg.wpenginepowered.com\/resources\/ways-to-check-if-your-brand-influencer-has-fake-followers\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T21:21:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T21:21:06","slug":"ways-to-check-if-your-brand-influencer-has-fake-followers","status":"publish","type":"resource_posts","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/resources\/ways-to-check-if-your-brand-influencer-has-fake-followers\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Check if Your Brand Influencer Has Fake Followers"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":10898,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"page-templates\/resource-blog.php","resource_topics_tax":[373,253],"resource_types_tax":[236],"resource_industries_tax":[237,238,240],"resource_visibility_tax":[],"class_list":["post-10897","resource_posts","type-resource_posts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_topics_tax-influencer-marketing-pt-br","resource_topics_tax-social-media-management-pt-br","resource_types_tax-blogs-pt-br","resource_industries_tax-consumer-packaged-goods-pt-br","resource_industries_tax-media-entertainment-pt-br","resource_industries_tax-retail-ecommerce-pt-br"],"acf":{"page_cta_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_cta":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text_left":"","section_text_right":"","section_button":{"title":"","url":"","target":"","0":""}},"awards_group":{"show_section":true,"use_global_awards_text":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text":"","use_global_awards":true,"awards":false},"resource_description":"See if an influencer (or any public user) has fake followers on Instagram or TikTok with these four simple steps.","hero_headline":"4 Ways to Check if Your Brand Influencer Has Fake Followers","content_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<h2>Key Points<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"81\" data-end=\"199\">\n<p data-start=\"83\" data-end=\"199\">Fake followers not only waste marketing spend but also <strong>risk damaging your brand\u2019s credibility<\/strong> with real audiences.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"81\" data-end=\"199\">\n<p data-start=\"83\" data-end=\"199\">When evaluating influencers, <strong>focus on authentic engagement and meaningful interactions<\/strong> rather than just follower numbers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"81\" data-end=\"199\">\n<p data-start=\"83\" data-end=\"199\"><strong>Using audit tools and analyzing follower growth patterns<\/strong> can help confirm whether an influencer\u2019s audience is genuine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"line","add_line":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<p>Love them or hate them, influencers are brilliant at what they do \u2013 and <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/influencer-marketing-strategy-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">influencer marketing<\/a> could be the key to taking your brand to the next level. Whether you&#8217;re looking to expand your audience, create engaging user-generated content (UGC), or strengthen your relationship with your customers, these content creators can do it all.<\/p>\n<p>However, many influencers are now resorting to buying followers. But why? And how do you buy followers in the first place?<\/p>\n<p>Well, you may be surprised to learn that buying followers is actually a very common practice, even among some of social media\u2019s <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fasthosts.co.uk\/the-biggest-fake-influencers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">biggest stars<\/a>. And it\u2019s incredibly easy, with hundreds of websites offering you the chance to buy Instagram likes and followers quickly and cheaply.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all because an influencer\u2019s value is almost solely based on the size of their following, and the more followers they have, the higher the price they can demand. By artificially boosting their profiles with fake followers, they can appear more influential than they actually are.<\/p>\n<p>This means that brands have to be extra careful when choosing who to collaborate with and ensure any potential partner is thoroughly vetted beforehand. It\u2019s important to remember that fewer genuine followers entail less engagement and less value for your brand.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to work with influencers on Instagram and TikTok, checking for fake followers has become a crucial <a title=\"\" href=\"#Entry-2VUjyKokJcxHIzRG3RNMAs\">social media management<\/a> practice.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Look at an account for telltale signs of bought followers<\/h2>\n<p>Before reaching out to a potential brand influencer, look through their account to see if they have any obvious fake followers. Identifying fake profiles is easier than you might think.<\/p>\n<p>Look for these red flags:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Followers with no photos and\/or posts: <\/strong>If an influencer is followed by users who don\u2019t have a profile picture or have never posted, you can typically assume that these followers are fake. Brands should also look out for influencers who have followings with tons of private accounts and\/or \u201cspammy\u201d usernames.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Irrelevant and\/or spam comments:<\/strong> If an influencer has lots of comments on their posts, it\u2019s easy to assume that their followers are active. Look through a few photos and scan the comments. If the comments are clearly irrelevant or gibberish, then they\u2019re likely fakes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Following\/followed by \u201cfan buying\u201d services:<\/strong> If you look through both their followers and their following, you might see one or two fan-buying accounts. These are huge red flags and strongly suggest that the influencer is buying fake followers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Check follower engagement<\/h2>\n<p>Engagement rates tend to be proportional to follower count \u2013 unless, of course, the account holder in question is buying followers. Brands can figure this out by <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oberlo.com\/statistics\/average-engagement-rate-on-instagram\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comparing the number of followers to the number of likes and comments<\/a>. Instagram or TikTok accounts with many followers and very low engagement rates likely have a bunch of fake followers.<\/p>\n<p>You can calculate engagement rates yourself by dividing the total number of likes and comments by the total number of followers. Take the user\u2019s last 10 photos and average the total number of comments and likes, then divide by the number of followers and multiply by 10 to get the average engagement rate. If you don\u2019t want to do the math yourself, try this <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/hypeauditor.com\/free-tools\/instagram-engagement-calculator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">engagement calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even if the social media engagement checks out, make sure you look through their comments to confirm they sound un-bot-like and legit.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta","cta_image":{"ID":17050,"id":17050,"title":"ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2","filename":"ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2.png","filesize":988504,"url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2.png","link":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-2\/","alt":"People in office, working at laptops and mastering the art of social selling","author":"45","description":"","caption":"","name":"ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2025-09-17 12:08:25","modified":"2025-09-17 12:08:44","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1200,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-300x150.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-768x384.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":384,"large":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-1024x512.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":512,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2.png","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2.png","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":600,"fullscreen":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2.png","fullscreen-width":1200,"fullscreen-height":600,"menu-24x24":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-24x12.png","menu-24x24-width":24,"menu-24x24-height":12,"menu-36x36":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-36x18.png","menu-36x36-width":36,"menu-36x36-height":18,"menu-48x48":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ab9c170d-d91c-4efd-a35f-ac3d17902aa2-48x24.png","menu-48x48-width":48,"menu-48x48-height":24}},"cta_headline":"Double your engagement with Emplifi's social media marketing tool","cta_text":"","cta_button":{"title":"Talk to an expert ","url":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/talk-to-an-expert\/","target":"_blank"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg_background_color":"white","wysiwyg":"<h2>3. Use an automated tool<\/h2>\n<p>If searching through Instagram followers and comparing engagement rates manually isn\u2019t the right fit, there are some tools available to help determine whether an influencer\u2019s followers are fake.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fakecheck.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FakeCheck<\/a> provides a snapshot of an account\u2019s followers. The tool scans social media profiles to determine the number of fake followers it has versus real ones. It points out the most suspicious followers and can even be helpful for verifying legitimate accounts. If a legitimate account realizes several fake followers have latched on, they can go in and block or remove those users. FakeCheck works best on accounts with a larger number of followers, and it isn\u2019t 100% accurate, but it can give a big-picture view of an account\u2019s follower breakdown.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.socialauditpro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Audit Pro<\/a> is a paid service that provides a follower review for requested Instagram accounts. The platform carries out a full audit of a profile\u2019s followers and presents useful analytics to help you decide if the influencer is right for your brand. There are different paid levels depending on how large an account is \u2013 ranging from $5 for accounts with 5,000 followers to $20 for accounts with 20,000 followers. The payments are a one-time fee, reasonable even for brands with small budgets.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.influencer-hero.com\/resources\/free-instagram-influencer-fake-follower-scanner#:~:text=Influencer%20Hero%20Metrics%20for%20Detecting%20Fake%20Followers%20on%20Instagram%20Profiles&amp;text=Provides%20a%20percentage%20or%20score,followers%20on%20an%20Instagram%20account.&amp;text=Analyzes%20the%20quality%20of%20followers,and%20other%20indicators%20of%20authenticity.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Influencer Hero Fake Follower check tool<\/a> can confirm whether or not your influencer has indeed been buying followers. This tool analyzes the likelihood of fake followers appearing on an account and provides a representative score based on the quality of the overall following.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Look out for irregular growth patterns<\/h2>\n<p>A good sign that an influencer\u2019s account is growing authentically is if their following increases at a consistent rate. The user will build followers naturally through their posts, sharing content, and various other collaborations.<\/p>\n<p>However, if there is a sudden spike in their following that appears out of the blue, then it\u2019s more than likely that they have recently bought a batch of fake followers. This can, of course, happen on multiple occasions. Look out for a suspiciously round number like 2,500 or 5,000 followers.<\/p>\n<h2>A final word on influencers and fake followers<\/h2>\n<p>Many Instagram and TikTok users have found that padding their followings with paid accounts can help them earn money and attention, but this clearly undermines their authenticity and influence.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s absolutely crucial for brands, therefore, to manually check their followers, likes, and comments to separate the real from the fake. Some legitimate accounts may be followed by spam accounts or fan-buying services, but if a potential influencer has massive amounts of fake followers, brands should think twice before starting any new partnership.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding how to tell if someone is buying followers or how to see if someone has bought followers is essential for successful influencer marketing campaigns. By using the methods outlined in this article, you can ensure that your brand partnerships are based on genuine influence and audience demographics, leading to better influencer performance and overall campaign success in the content creator market.<\/p>\n<p>Discover the right influencer for your brand with Emplifi&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/product\/influencer-management\/\">influencer relationship management software<\/a>, and experience an average increase of 105% in conversions.<\/p>\n"}],"sidebar_type":"sticky","sidebar_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"table_of_contents","title":"TABLE OF CONTENTS","type":"automatic","links":false}],"resource_feed_group":{"show_section":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"Insights from Emplifi","section_text":"<p>Explore our latest blogs and comprehensive guides designed to help you master customer experience strategies and drive growth.<\/p>\n","feed_type":"resources","use_recent_resources":true,"topic_filter":373,"resources":false,"custom_links":false},"remove_gtm":false,"custom_card_title":"","hero_hide_subhead":false,"left_sidebar_add_cta":false,"faqs_group":{"show_section":true,"section_subhead":"","section_headline":"","section_text":"","faqs":[{"title":"How can I check if an Instagram account has fake followers?","content":"<p>You can spot fake followers by looking for suspicious profiles (no photos, no posts, odd usernames) and by checking the quality of engagement on the account\u2019s posts. If likes and comments seem low compared to follower numbers, or if comments are generic and spammy, that\u2019s a red flag. For a deeper check, use <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/social-media-audit\/\">audit tools<\/a> and review follower growth patterns to see if the audience is authentic or artificially inflated.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How do you know if a TikTok account is fake?","content":"<p>You can check for fake TikTok accounts by examining the quality of their followers and engagement \u2014 look for profiles with no videos, generic usernames, or suspicious activity. Pay attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/social-media-engagement\/\">engagement rates<\/a>: if an account has millions of followers but very few likes or low-quality comments, it\u2019s likely inflated. Using audit tools and monitoring sudden spikes in follower growth can also help confirm whether the audience is genuine or artificially boosted.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How can you find out who is behind a fake Instagram account?","content":"<p>Finding the person behind a fake Instagram account can be tricky, but there are some methods to investigate. Start by looking for clues in their posts, bio, username, and linked accounts\u2014sometimes patterns or repeated content can reveal connections to real identities. You can also check mutual followers, comments, or tagged photos, and if necessary, report the account to Instagram, which may take action if it violates policies.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"Can you trust accounts with bought followers?","content":"<p>Accounts that buy followers often have inflated numbers but low genuine engagement. Even if they appear popular, these followers usually won\u2019t interact meaningfully with content, which makes campaigns less effective and can harm your brand credibility. Always prioritize authentic engagement over follower count when evaluating accounts.<\/p>\n"},{"title":"How can I protect my brand from fake followers?","content":"<p>Use audit tools to evaluate influencer accounts before partnerships, monitor engagement rates carefully, and track follower growth for unusual spikes. Focus on building relationships with verified and genuinely engaged audiences. Regular checks and <a href=\"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/resources\/blog\/social-listening-guide\/\">social listening<\/a> also help maintain a healthy, trustworthy online presence.<\/p>\n"}],"disclaimer_text":"","add_additional_sections":false,"additional_faq_sections":false},"hero_read_time":"15"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts\/10897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource_posts"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource_topics_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_topics_tax?post=10897"},{"taxonomy":"resource_types_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_types_tax?post=10897"},{"taxonomy":"resource_industries_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_industries_tax?post=10897"},{"taxonomy":"resource_visibility_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emplifi.io\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_visibility_tax?post=10897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}