With the holidays around the corner, brands are looking to influencer campaigns to boost sales + turn seasonal customers into regular customers. But, with follower fraud becoming more prevalent, it’s important to identify scams + make sure your campaign gets the traction you expect. Below are 6 ways to not fall victim to influencer follower fraud.
- Use Verification Tools – Websites like Social Blade show an influencer’s views, subscribers + engagement and can help you see if they’re buying likes or comments.
- Search for Spikes or Lows in Follower Count – If an influencer is relying on bots, you’ll notice their follower count drop drastically when social media sites crack down.
- Check for Low Engagement – Typically, 3.5 percent of an influencer’s followers should be interacting with their content. If they have a large number of followers with very low engagement, it’s likely they’re buying followers.
- Track the Quality of Posts – Authentic influencers create high-quality content that they know their followers will love. Watch out if the content contains stock photos + random items.
- Check the Location of Their Followers – If many of their followers are from the same area or do not disclose their location, it could be a sign that they’re fake.
- Audit the Quality of Their Engagement – Check who is engaging with the influencer’s posts. If comments + likes come from the same people, they may be a part of an Instagram pod. If the comments are gibberish or unrelated, it’s probably a case of bot followers.
- Share on
