How to Spot Fake Followers: A Complete Guide

Introduction

It is good for one’s self image to have a lot of followers on social media, but the question remains- how many of those followers are actually real? The existence of bots, inactive accounts and purchased followers can lead to loss in engagement, credibility, and reach- this is termed as fake followers.

This guide will explain how to effectively spot fake followers, and why having a high number accompanied by low engagement is bad is effect for your social media presence.

1. Why Fake Followers Are a Problem

Fake followers rarely apper to be a problem, but they can thwart your social media growth through several means:

Low Engagement Rates: More fake followers contribute to lower engagement because fewer people interact with your social media.

Damaged Reputation: Brands or prospective followers will look at the ratio of followers to the amount of engagement a user gets, if it’s too high- a user loses credibility and trust.

Algorithm Penalties: Social platforms like instagram and twitter have tools and systems in place to flag accounts with large numbers of fake followers and often significantly cut their reach or even suspend their account.

No Real Value: Bots do not purchase products, do not like or share posts, therefore fake followers serve no purpose apart from inflating numbers.

Pro Tip: It is always better to have a smaller, genuinely engaged audience than suffering from low engagement rates and sitting on a large follower number!

2. Signs of Fake Followers on Social Media

Do you want to check if someone’s followers are real or fake? Here are a few of the biggest warning signs:

A. Low or No Engagement

Very Few Interactions: If someone's account has thousands of followers but not a single like or comment, it is highly suspicious.

Fake or Bot Comments: Bots often post general comments on multiple posts, including “Great post” or “Nice Pic,” which are no different from the above.

Measure Engagement Rate: Compute the likes and comments altogether, divide it by the total followers, and multiply it by 100. A low number indicates suspicious activity.

B. Strange or Incomplete Profiles

Lack of Profile Picture: Many accounts which are deemed untrustworthy do not put an effort to add a picture to thier profile.

Strange or Odd Names: Such accounts have some combination of letters or numbers that are unidentifiable as words, such as @user12399rw.

Absence of Bio or Posts: We, as users, usually seem to have some details to tell and at least one or two posts to flaunt or share with the world.

Pro Tip: If a user follows a lot of people and has a small number of followers, there is a very high chance that the user is fake.

C. Abrupt and Uncharacteristic Growth of Followers

Extremely Huge Increase in Followers Within a Very Short Period of Time: True growth happens organically and is gradual. It is very concerning if a user adds 10,000 followers in a sole day.

Followers Received From Unusual Places: When a user has a big bulk of followers from irrelevant and peculiar locations, there is a high chance that such followers are bought.

Make use of applications such as Social Blade or HypeAuditor in order to see followers increase over a period of time.

3. How to Remove Fake Followers

If your account is being bombarded with fake followers, here is how to block them:

A. Manually Remove Fake Followers

Check the list of people who follow you.

Search for those suspicious accounts (no profile pic, random usernames, no posts).

Hit the "Remove" tab.

Other users can not be notified once you remove the follower while using Instagram.

B. Block and Report Accounts that are Bots.

If an account which is bothering you endlessly, Report such accounts on the Platform.

Once you block someone, they will not be able to access your account anymore.

C. Take Advantage Of Other Tools

• Follower checks such as HypeAuditor, FollowerAudit or IG Audit can detect fraudulent accounts among your followers.

Be sure to eliminate false followers periodically so that your engagement rate remains optimal!

4. Steps For Gaining Authentic Followers Instead

Redirect your attention from purchasing phony followers to strategies that promote growth:

• Brand Content and Post Frequently – Posting quality content consistently will help attract followers who are interested.
• Interact With Your Followers – Respond to comments, engage with their content, and talk to them.
• Incorporate Appropriate Hashtags – Assists genuine users in discovering your content.
• Work with Influencers – Gain access to real, active audiences who will utilize your brand.
• Host Contest and Offering Giveaways – Foster sincere interactions and attract new followers.

Pro Tip: Quality of followers is much more important and engagement should be evaluated not solely on quantity!

Final Thoughts

Having fake followers will only provide short term benefits. Identification and removal of fake followers leads to a positive change within engagement, credibility and algorithm reach.

Important Points:

• Fake followers can be identified through their inexplicably low engagement, odd profiles, and sudden follower increases.
• Blocking, account cleaning, and manual removal provide an adequate solution.
• Strategies that organically promote real interactions on content should be prioritized for wider audience reach.

Building a brand and marketing it in the focus of genuine followers and user engagement will help create a strong and trustworthy brand.

Looking to genuinely enhance your social media growth? Engageways provides the best social media services with real users engaging with your platforms. We use zero bots or fake engagement.🚀