Alexis Kestler
Hey there! Have you ever wondered if that Instagram influencer you admire bought fake followers? I‘ve got your back. As a social media expert, I‘m going to walk you through how to spot fake followers and engagement so you don‘t get fooled.
In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn:
- What exactly fake followers and engagement are
- 4 proven ways to detect if someone bought followers
- Dangers of buying followers for your own account
- Legit growth strategies recommended by the pros
- Bonus tips to build your own authentic following
Let‘s get started!
What Are Fake Followers?
Fake followers are bot or spam accounts used to inflate someone‘s follower count and engagement on Instagram. You can buy packages of fake followers from shady online services. Prices range from $10 for 1,000 followers to $1,000 for 100,000 followers.
People buy fake followers to seem more popular and influential than they really are. In the high-stakes world of influencer marketing, high follower counts equal credibility. But fake followers don‘t actually care about your content. They only serve to artificially boost your vanity metrics.
Why Do People Buy Fake Followers?
There are a few motivations that drive people to buy fake Instagram followers:
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Appearing more influential: More followers generally means you can charge more money for brand sponsorships as an influencer. Fake followers make small accounts seem bigger.
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Ego: People want the clout and sense of popularity that a huge follower count provides. But real growth takes time.
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Impressing others: Teens often buy followers to seem cool to classmates. Wannabe influencers do it to look established in their niche.
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Money: Influencers with 100k+ followers can earn thousands from brand sponsorships. Some take unethical shortcuts to hit that milestone faster.
But there are serious downsides to buying fake followers, which I‘ll explain shortly. First, let‘s get into how to detect fake followers…
4 Ways to Spot Fake Instagram Followers
Don‘t be fooled by artificially inflated counts. Here are the top signs someone bought fake followers:
1. No Profile Picture
My first tip is to look for followers with blank or default profile photos. Bot accounts often lack any personalization.
To check, visit the user‘s profile and click “Followers”. Scan to see what portion have no identifiable profile photo:
[Insert image of Instagram profile with no photo]Seeing some followers with a default avatar is normal. But if most of their followers lack a personal photo, it‘s likely they bought a bulk package of fake accounts.
According to research by SocialPros, over 93% of fake follower accounts have no photo. Only 7% of real users lack a profile picture.
2. Usernames Are Jumbled Gibberish
Next, pay attention to usernames. Fake accounts tend to have random strings of numbers, letters, and words for their handle.
Ask yourself these questions as you scan their followers list:
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Does the username make logical sense? Real people don‘t have handles like @fjehc63849.
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Is it just a random combination of numbers, letters, and symbols? If so, likely a fake account.
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Are there weird spellings or repeat characters? For example annaggggg67.
Usernames should represent a real person or brand identity. Illogical handles signal an account was mass generated to inflate followers.
According to SocialPros, 87% of fake Instagram accounts have random character mashup usernames vs only 3% of real accounts.
3. No Posts or Engagement
Next, look deeper at their followers’ accounts. Do they have any posts or engage with content?
Fake profiles are often recently created shells without any actual posts. After all, bots don‘t have lives to document! They just sit idle.
Data from SocialPros shows 70% of fake accounts have zero posts compared to only 2% of real accounts.
Even if fake followers have posts, they rarely get engagement. A supposed "active" account with no likes or comments is a dead giveaway.
4. Wildly Abnormal Engagement
Now let‘s analyze the engagement on the profile you‘re auditing. Do they have unusually high or low engagement rates?
Fake followers don‘t engage with posts. So if someone bought followers, their overall engagement rate will be extremely low compared to peers with similar follower counts.
However, things get tricky if they also bought fake likes and comments. Watch for dramatic peaks and valleys in engagement that signal bots. One post might get 50 likes while the next gets 5,000 likes overnight.
According to research by SocialPros, engagement rate benchmarks by follower count are:
| Followers | Normal Engagement % |
| 1,000 | 8-15% |
| 10,000 | 3.5-6.5% |
| 100,000 | 1.5-2.5% |
| 1 million | 0.5-1% |
If someone‘s rates are way outside these benchmarks, it likely means fake engagement.
Dangers of Buying Fake Instagram Followers
Now that you can spot fake followers, let‘s talk about why you should never buy them yourself. Here are the biggest risks you face:
1. No Engagement from Fake Followers
Services selling Instagram followers lure you in with claims like "Gain 10k followers for $10!". But reviews reveal the disappointing truth:
"I gained 200 followers overnight. But I could tell they were all fake accounts unrelated to my niche. They all disappeared as soon as the trial ended. They don‘t give you any real followers actually interested in your content."
Without authentic engagement, fake followers are useless vanity metrics. They don‘t actually care about your brand or content. Your engagement rate will tank if you buy followers.
One study by Points North Group found influencer accounts with fake followers had 60% lower engagement rates on average.
2. You Could Lose Your Instagram Account
Buying fake engagement violates Instagram‘s Terms of Service. If caught, Instagram can delete your account without warning. It‘s simply not worth the risk.
And thanks to regular algorithm updates, Instagram is getting better at detecting and removing inauthentic activity anyway.
Social media lawyer Jeff Epstein warns: "If you buy fake followers, it‘s only a matter of time before you receive a notice from Instagram threatening to suspend your account."
3. Most Follower Selling Services Are Scams
Beyond delivering fake engagement, many services scam their customers once they have your money. They lure people in with free trials only to make canceling or getting a refund impossible.
Here‘s one review that sums it up:
"I purchased 750 followers and lost almost half after 3 days. I‘ve made multiple attempts contacting them for a refund with no response. They‘re quick to take your money but can‘t answer emails or provide real service."
The entire industry around selling social media followers is shady, unreliable, and not worth your time or money. Don‘t fall for their false promises.
Smarter Instagram Growth Strategies
Rather than buying fake engagement, I recommend focusing your effort on organic community-building strategies. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Engage in Comment Pods
Comment pods involve a small group of accounts agreeing to regularly like and comment on each others‘ content. This boosts your visibility in the Instagram algorithm through engagement.
To start your own pod, reach out to 5-10 creators in your niche with similar account sizes. Agree to actively engage with each others‘ newest posts for say 1-2 weeks. Be sure to also engage with their followers.
According to SocialPros, comments have one of the highest impacts on reaching new users organically.
2. Join Engagement Groups
Engagement groups are similar to comment pods, but on a larger scale. You can cross-promote your account with hundreds of relevant creators in your niche.
The key is finding an active engagement group related to your content vertical. Search popular hashtags in your niche + "engagement group" to find options.
This Global Influence report found engagement groups drove a 64% average increase in organic reach for members‘ posts.
3. Optimize Hashtags
Research relevant hashtags in your niche that have high posting volume but low competition. This helps maximize your discoverability.
Analytics tools like IGDiscover and Hashtagify allow you to search hashtags and sort by volume and engagement. Look for tags under 100k posts.
Posting with a mix of 2-4 popular hashtags and 15-20 niche hashtags balances visibility with relevance.
4. Run Contests and Giveaways
Contests excite your current audience and help you gain relevant new followers. Require entries to follow you, tag friends, etc.
Promote the contest through Stories, posts, and your bio link. Offer prizes your audience would enjoy like gift cards, merchandise, or your own products.
According to Rival IQ, Instagram contests convert followers 2-4x better than other call-to-action campaigns.
5. Post Consistently
Post high-quality, engaging content at least once daily. Consistency keeps you top of mind so the IG algorithm recommends your account.
Track analytics with IG Insights to find your followers‘ most active times. Schedule posts during peak hours for maximum visibility.
HubSpot found brands posting 1-3 times per day saw 150% more engagement than those posting only once weekly.
6. Engage With Your Audience
Always reply to comments, ask questions in captions, and interact with other accounts. Building relationships leads to real, loyal followers.
Respond to any positive comments with a simple thank you. Show extra love for comments that tag friends or are very complimentary.
Simply Measured found top brands reply to Instagram comments 10x more than average users. Show your community some love!
Wrap Up: Grow Your Instagram Following the Right Way
Well, there you have it! I hope this guide gave you a strong grasp on how to detect bought followers and engagement on Instagram.
Remember: real growth takes time and commitment. But investing in organic community-building will pay dividends.
If you found this helpful, be sure to check out my other posts on optimizing your Instagram strategy. And feel free to reach out with any questions!
