How brands can safeguard their influencer investments against fake engagement

In the dynamic realm of influencer marketing, brands are continuously striving to devise effective strategies to engage with their target audiences. However, amid the appeal of influencer partnerships, a looming threat presents a substantial challenge: fake engagement. This deceitful practice, frequently utilised by influencers to artificially boost their metrics, can steer brands towards a costly journey of wasted resources and reduced returns.

According to insights from KlugKlug Founder Kalyan Kumar, a staggering 36% of influencer marketing budgets are wasted due to fake followers and engagement. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for brands to adopt proactive measures to safeguard their investments and ensure the authenticity of their influencer collaborations.

In recent years, India has emerged as a prominent hub for the purchase of fake likes and comments, with 57–60% of Indian influencers suspected of harbouring fake followers, as per KlugKlug’s data.  Recognising the prevalence of this phenomenon, brands are increasingly vigilant in their approach to selecting influencers for partnerships.

So, how can brands distinguish genuine influencers from those who engage in fraudulent practices? Here are some key indicators to watch out for:

Detecting engagement rate anomalies

Social media algorithms tend to favour specific types of content, such as bright, high-quality images featuring faces, babies, and dogs, which often receive high views and engagement.

However, if an influencer's posts consistently garner the same level of engagement regardless of their quality or content type, suspicions may arise regarding the authenticity of the engagement.

A very low engagement rate, below 1%, could indicate fake followers or disinterested audiences, potentially undermining the effectiveness of brand collaborations.

Identifying repetitive comments

Quality comments, typically from real users, are conversational and reflective of genuine engagement. In contrast, repetitive comments consisting of generic, short phrases, such as "love this look," may signal spam or bot activity. Brands can verify the authenticity of comments by checking the profiles of individuals leaving them, particularly if they feature stock images or exhibit suspicious posting patterns indicative of bot activity.

Analysing engagement metrics

An influencer's engagement metrics should align proportionally with their audience size. Discrepancies between views, likes, and comments may suggest the presence of fake engagement or an uninterested audience. For instance, If there are lots of views but hardly any comments, it might mean they bought likes without real engagement. Similarly, an influencer with a large following but disproportionately low engagement may have acquired fake followers or fail to resonate with their audience.

Evaluating follower-to-following ratio

Authentic influencers typically have more followers than accounts they follow. Sudden spikes in follower count, especially if unrelated to viral content or organic growth, may signify the purchase of followers. Brands can conduct background checks to ascertain the legitimacy of an influencer's following and identify potential red flags indicative of fake engagement practices.

Apps to check for fake followers

Brands can leverage analytics tools such as SocialBlade, FakeCheck.co, and the Upfluence Chrome plugin to confirm suspicions of fake engagement. These tools provide insights into an influencer's audience demographics, engagement trends, and growth patterns, enabling brands to make informed decisions and safeguard their investments against fraudulent practices.