How to Spot Fake Influencers in 2024
Influencers have all the power. They’re here to stay. But no one likes the wool getting pulled over their eyes…unless you’re into that sort of thing. Here’s how to spot a fake.
Influencer marketing has never been bigger. According to a poll on X (we’re still getting used to that, too…or maybe we’re not and we’re just over it? TBD), 49% of people say they rely on influencer recommendations when they make purchase decisions. On top of that, 40% of people say they’ve bought items recommended by influencers (source).
The punchline to all this? We’re all swayed by the wind. The big, gusty, influencer wind.
Everyone from micro, to nano, to mega-influencers are making a big impact in company sales in 2024. According to Forbes, consumers trust micro-influencers even more than mega-influencers today because they appear more authentic and transparent (source). But has that stopped giant corporations from throwing bag after bag at the Kardashians and Charli D’Amelios of the world? Of course not! Money is being thrown; people are getting rich. And frankly, the marketing world is turning.
So, what does that mean for you? Well, if you’re still creating static image product ads on Instagram…you might just want to overhaul your thinking. People (including you) are on social media for entertainment and education – not to see a picture of your product.
When talking about your brand and product (which should not be all you talk about) your goal MUST be to excite people about the thing you made, inform them about the issue it solves, and teach them about how your product will improve their lives (and entertain them while you do it). Easy peasy. Most importantly, they need to TRUST you. To that end, you may want to consider influencers as part of your marketing efforts. When you kick off influencer marketing and carve out a budget for the influencer(s) that fit your niche, the needle will begin to move.
Important note: whether you go with Taylor Swift or the “cool tech dad” with 3k followers…you need to hire the right influencer(s) for your market…The catch? Fake influencers are everywhere, and we don’t want you lighting your budget on fire.
WHAT even is a fake influencer, you ask?? It could be many things, but generally, a fake influencer seems to have a big following and high engagement, but their audience is either all bought or bots. This means no real humans care what that “influencer” has to say, and therefore, won't convert a dime. So, here are some tips from us experts on how to detect fake influencers:
Check out the follower/following ratio.
If an influencer is following as many people as they’re followed by, it’s very likely they’re fake. The old tactic of trying to increase followers is to follow people and then unfollow them once they follow back. This tactic was already outdated before we wrote it.Check the Reels views.
“Like” counts are not visible on all social media platforms anymore. However, Reels can still be viewed. Check to see how many reel views are amassing. If the influencer has 50K followers but only has Reel views of 200 or 300, it’s likely they bought followers. Thanks, but no thanks.Check out their comment sections.
Ok, so your influencer has a good follower/following ratio, and their reel views are looking good, but they’re getting zero comments, it’s quite likely that they’re still fake. Also, make sure those comments don’t look like “DM me for xxxx” or “Are you ready to make big $$$$ by working from home???” They should be authentic and engaging and really comment about the posted content. You know, like people would.
Watch out for the sudden follower surge.
A sudden follower surge can also mean bought followers. When you find a good influencer to collaborate with, note their follower count when you first found them. If they suddenly jump from 3K followers to 10K, you might want to double-check before you decide to collaborate.
The moral of the story?
We don’t want you to waste money. We want every dollar of your budget to do exactly where it’s meant to do: make you revenue and let your business succeed. You know what’s not part of that equation? An influencer who’s a big, fat phony.
Need an expert’s help on this and any other aspect of marketing? You know where to find us.