How to detect fake followers

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1. Background

This article draws upon insights from 64 interviews with pigmentation artists specializing in services like powder brows, microblading, hairstrokes, and lip blush. These interviews and online search tests were conducted as part of research projects from 2021 to 2024, many of which are ongoing. Among the artists who participated, 51 were from countries within the European Union, 8 from the UK, and 5 from the US. The findings from these interviews, combined with data from actual accounts, were analyzed with the expertise and data analytics skills of two executive digital marketing specialists from powderbrows.io, the digital marketing arm of the Powderbrows.com Research Center.

The primary aim of this article is to offer practical advice on understanding and detecting fake followers on Instagram. It leverages the experiences of professionals deeply involved in the beauty industry, particularly those offering semi-permanent makeup services. By integrating their real-world insights with the analytical prowess of digital marketing specialists, the article seeks to provide a comprehensive guide to identifying inauthentic follower engagement on Instagram. This is crucial for artists and businesses alike to ensure their online presence's authenticity and gauge the genuine reach and impact of their social media marketing efforts.

2. Unmasking Instagram Illusions

Spotting Fake Followers and Paid Likes

The quest to appear more popular and influential has led some Instagram users to employ sophisticated and less sophisticated methods to disguise the fact that they have purchased followers or likes. This practice not only distorts the perceived popularity of an account but also often renders such accounts useless from the marketing perspective. As a result of reading this article, one should be able to navigate the world of Instagram accounts better and quickly evaluate which accounts have fake followers.

Understanding the Engagement Rate

A fundamental concept in this context is the “Engagement Rate,” a critical metric on Instagram. This rate indicates how engaged a user's audience is relative to the size of their follower base. To calculate the engagement rate, one sums the total number of likes and comments received by post, divides this total by the account's number of followers, and then multiplies the result by 100 to express it as a percentage. While the formula may seem straightforward, the insights it yields are invaluable. A healthy engagement rate typically signifies an active and authentic audience, whereas discrepancies in this metric can signal the presence of fake followers or artificially inflated engagement.

Understanding and analyzing the engagement rate goes beyond mere numbers; it involves examining audience behavior and interaction patterns. For instance, an account with many followers but low engagement rates might indicate that many followers are not genuine. Similarly, an unusually high engagement rate might suggest using paid likes and comments, especially if it does not align with the content's quality or the account's niche.

For smaller accounts, particularly those with 5-10k followers, a 5-10% engagement rate is often regarded as very good. This high rate reflects smaller accounts' closer, more personal connection with their audience. In this range, followers are more likely to interact with the content, demonstrating a high level of engagement.

As we move to medium-sized accounts with 10-50k followers, achieving an engagement rate of around 5% is considered excellent. It's noteworthy, however, that within this category, the engagement rate usually begins to taper off as the follower count approaches the upper limit. This decline underscores the increasing difficulty of engaging a larger audience at the same intimate level as smaller accounts.

For larger accounts with 50-100k followers, an engagement rate of 2-3% is often the norm. Despite the broad reach, the percentage of active engagement diminishes at this scale, reflecting the dilution of personal interaction as the audience size expands.

When it comes to accounts that boast hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers, maintaining an engagement rate of around 1% is considered acceptable. This lower rate is indicative of the vast scale of the audience, where even a small percentage represents a significant number of interactions.

Changing metrics

Thus, Instagram's "good" engagement rate varies inversely with the account size. For small to medium accounts (5-10k to 10-50k followers), a 5-10% engagement rate is highly commendable. As the account grows larger (50-100k followers), a 2-3% rate is typical, and for huge accounts, 1% engagement is still considered satisfactory. These benchmarks guide gauging the health and effectiveness of an account's engagement strategy, emphasizing the importance of adapting engagement expectations as accounts grow.

3. Paid Likes

Next, let us analyze concrete ways to tell if an account's audience is authentic.

Paid Likes

The challenge of sustaining a genuine engagement rate becomes formidable for accounts inflated with fake followers. These followers, being inauthentic, do not interact with the content, compelling the account holder to purchase likes. This strategy artificially inflates engagement metrics, presenting an illusion of popularity and interaction. However, this illusion is far from perfect and can be uncovered with some examination.

Scrutinizing Likes

Instagram's algorithm, designed to foster engaging and personalized content experiences, selectively displays the likers of a post, favoring connections and relevance over sheer numbers. While enhancing user experience, this mechanism also inadvertently provides a tool for detecting inauthentic engagement. Accounts that have bolstered their follower count through purchases may display a list of likers that, at first glance, appear legitimate, masking the true nature of their engagement.

Recognizing Fake Likers

Identifying fake accounts among a post's likes involves noticing specific patterns and characteristics. These accounts may lack personalization, such as real names or relevant profile pictures, and often exhibit an unbalanced follower-to-following ratio, skewing heavily towards following many accounts. Additionally, their contribution to the platform is minimal, characterized by sparse, if any, posts, generic or irrelevant comments, and a lack of coherent geographical activity. These signs are rather obvious evidence indicating that the likes may have been purchased rather than organically earned.

4. Likes/Comments/Views Unbalance

A key indicator of authentic engagement is the balance between likes, comments, and views. Anomalies in these ratios often signal manipulated engagement, where specific metrics are artificially inflated.

Likes/Comments Ratio

A common tactic to artificially boost an account's appearance of popularity is purchasing “hidden” fake likes. While these likes can superficially increase an account's engagement rate, they typically don't correspond with a proportional increase in comments. Under normal circumstances, a healthy engagement environment will show a comments-to-likes ratio of approximately 1 to 10. This means for every 10 likes, there should be at least one comment. A deviation from this ratio, such as a post with thousands of likes but scant comments, strongly suggests manipulated engagement. Authentic engagement varies with content and context, but a significant disparity here is a clear red flag.

Dissecting the Quality of Comments

Beyond the numerical balance, the nature of the comments offers insights into their authenticity. Genuine comments usually reflect genuine engagement, containing personal, relevant responses to the content. In contrast, a prevalence of generic emojis or comments that seem irrelevant or repetitive may indicate that these interactions are not genuine. While it's relatively more straightforward for accounts to inflate their likes, fabricating meaningful comments is more challenging. Thus, a disparity between the number and quality of likes and comments often hints at a more sophisticated strategy to fake engagement.

The Video Views Discrepancy

The evaluation of authenticity extends to video content as well. A discrepancy between the number of video views and likes can reveal inconsistencies in engagement. For instance, an account with a large follower count but disproportionately low video views may employ tactics to boost its perceived popularity artificially. Authentic engagement typically results in video views that align closely with the account's follower count and likes on other posts.

An assessment of an Instagram account's engagement requires scrutiny of likes, comments, and video views, individually and about one another. These metrics' discrepancies can uncover attempts to enhance an account's engagement and popularity artificially. Genuine engagement is characterized by a balanced and proportional relationship between likes, comments, and views and meaningful interactions that reflect the content's impact on its audience.

5. Suspicious Posting Activity

Unraveling the complexities of Instagram's social fabric reveals various strategies to project an inflated sense of popularity and influence. Among these strategies, the activity- or rather, the lack thereof - of posting content emerges as a critical indicator of authenticity. This brings us to another red flag: suspicious posting activity.

Unveiling the Third Red Flag

An intriguing paradox exists within specific Instagram accounts that boast extensive follower counts, often exceeding 50,000. These accounts present a facade of professionalism and meticulous curation, seemingly adhering to the best practices of social media management. Yet, beneath this polished exterior, a different reality lurks - one where a significant portion of followers originate from countries known for supplying fake engagement, such as India, Brazil, and various African nations. The prevalence of such followers is well-documented, highlighted by numerous paid analyses. However, discerning this deception solely through freely available tools poses a formidable challenge.

The Power of Common Sense

Despite these obstacles, we possess common sense- a potent tool in our arsenal. An account with a substantial following, which appears to be expertly managed and visually impeccable, would logically be expected to employ an aggressive content posting strategy. Regular and frequent updates are fundamental to nurturing and expanding an engaged audience. Yet, it's not uncommon to encounter such "professionally" managed accounts adopting a surprisingly passive approach to content creation, with as few as 3-5 posts per month.

This anomaly raises a critical question: why would an account, purportedly popular, opt for a strategy that inherently limits engagement and organic growth? A passive posting regimen signals a disinterest in leveraging the account's reach and influence, a contradiction for any social media entity aiming to maximize its visibility and impact.

Deciphering the Discrepancy

The rationale behind this paradox is revealing. By minimizing their posting frequency, these accounts can more easily manage the illusion of engagement without drawing undue attention to the inauthentic nature of their follower base. This strategy starkly contrasts with genuinely popular users' efforts to engage their audience with daily updates, demonstrating a commitment to their followers and content.

Despite its seemingly flawless presentation, an account characterized by minimal activity sometimes harbors a predominantly artificial follower base. Such a scenario suggests the involvement of professional agencies skilled in crafting sophisticated façades of popularity, far beyond the capabilities of average users purchasing fake followers.

6. Mass Followers: A Dual Perspective

When analyzing the following of an account, one should also be critical regarding the actual quality of followers - separating authentic target demographics and mass followers.

The term "mass followers" refers to individuals who, while human, follow a vast number of accounts with little to no discernment. This behavior can be categorized into two main types: controlled mass following entities and spontaneous mass likers.

Controlled mass following entities are typically organized groups of individuals, often in large-scale operations in countries with lower living standards, such as some African nations and India. These entities are part of a service that sells the promise of real, living followers to boost an account's following count. On the other hand, spontaneous mass likers are highly active users who indiscriminately follow accounts and participate in various online activities, driven by the prospect of winning contests or gaining some form of reward. Despite their human origin, both categories contribute to a form of engagement that, from a qualitative standpoint, is as detrimental as that generated by bots.

The Illusion of Authentic Engagement

The allure of mass followers lies in their presentation as genuine, active users, differentiating them from the more readily identifiable bots. Some agencies, reputed within the industry, capitalize on this perception by selling mass followers under the guise of providing authentic engagement. These agencies often orchestrate campaigns to direct these mass followers to subscribe to their client's accounts, thereby inflating follower numbers under the pretense of successful marketing efforts.

This manipulation extends to the execution of cover-up campaigns on the artist's or brand'’ social media pages, misleading them into believing in the organic success of these initiatives. As a result, the artist or brand will likely view the campaign as highly effective, leading to satisfaction with the perceived influx of "real" followers and, subsequently, the payment of agency fees without a complete understanding of the tactics employed.

Navigating the Challenge

The presence of mass followers poses a significant challenge for artists and brands striving for genuine engagement on Instagram. While these followers are human, their indiscriminate following behavior results in a diluted engagement quality, rendering them virtually as ineffective as bots in contributing to meaningful interaction or audience growth. Recognizing the nuances of mass follower engagement and the strategies agencies employ to sell this following is essential. Awareness and vigilance are critical in distinguishing between authentic growth and artificially inflated metrics.

Ultimately, the goal is cultivating an engaged, genuinely interested audience that resonates with the content and contributes to a vibrant, interactive community. Understanding the intricacies of mass followers and the mechanisms behind their proliferation can empower artists and brands to make informed decisions in their social media strategies, focusing on quality engagement over mere quantitative boosts. So far, we have seen that the best way to get a better idea of follower authenticity regarding mass followers, in addition to common sense and tactics mentioned in the article, is to use the paid accounts of sophisticated platforms, such as HypeAuditor and other reputable ones.

7. Conclusions

As an artist, it's crucial to discern the authenticity of your Instagram followers to ensure your online presence genuinely reflects your reach and impact. Here are direct advisories and statements based on the insights from the article.

Evaluate Engagement Rates Carefully. Understand that a healthy engagement rate varies inversely with account size. For smaller accounts (5-10k followers), aim for a 5-10% engagement rate; for larger accounts (50-100k followers), a 2-3% rate is average. This serves as a guide to assess your account's engagement health effectively.
Scrutinize Likes and Comments. Be wary of accounts with many likes but disproportionately low comments. A significant disparity between likes and comments can indicate the use of "hidden" fake likes, undermining the authenticity of engagement.
Analyze the Quality of Comments. Genuine engagement is often reflected in personalized, relevant responses. A prevalence of generic emojis or irrelevant comments may suggest inauthentic interactions.
Inspect Posting Activity. Regular and frequent updates are fundamental for nurturing an engaged audience. Accounts that adopt a passive content creation strategy posting merely 3-5 times per month, may employ tactics to maintain an illusion of engagement without revealing a lack of authentic followers.
Beware of Mass Followers. Distinguish between authentic and mass followers, including controlled entities and spontaneous mass likers. Recognize that both types, despite being human, contribute to a qualitative dilution of engagement, similar to bots.
Use Sophisticated Analytics Tools. Employ reputable platforms like HypeAuditor to gain deeper insights into follower authenticity. These tools can offer a more nuanced understanding of your audience beyond what's possible with free resources.
Apply Common Sense. Trust your instincts when assessing an account's authenticity. An impeccably curated account with a massive following but minimal engagement or content might indicate purchased followers or engagement.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can navigate the complex landscape of social media with a critical eye, enhancing the authenticity and effectiveness of your Instagram marketing efforts.

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