Fake followers a.k.a. ‘bots are a big problem, when it comes to certain social media platforms.
While Instagram and Twitter do their best to clean out “applications that perform automated tasks” (a.k.a. ’bots) there are hundreds of companies that supply fake followers to social media users for the cost of a few dirhams.
Therefore, it’s tough for any social network to efficiently clear out all fake followers from their respect platform – but that’s not going to stop the social media giants from trying.
According to TechCrunch “Twitter suspended as many as 70 million accounts between May and June of this year, with no signs of slowing down in July.”
Instagram has also conducted its own ‘bot bust in the past few years, riding its platform of thousands of fake accounts.
While it’s good news to hear that platforms are taking a proactive stance in the battle against the ‘bots, influencers can also accumulate fake followers without realizing it.
That’s right, influencers. Even if you’ve never bought followers, there’s a high chance that a small percentage of your following isn’t “real”.
But don’t worry, it’s easy to spot a ‘bot and remove them from your following.
Here are three easy tips to spotting fake social media accounts, and a simple way to remove them from your following.
How To Spot A Fake Follower
Check the Profile
Fact: fake accounts don’t have stellar bios.
If an account lacks a profile picture, written bio, location, etc. it’s probably a ‘bot.
While not every social media user has the time to create an amazing profile and come up with a witty username if the account doesn’t seem like it’s run by an actual person it probably wasn’t.
Another tip-off is if the account has very few genuine posts and/or has its settings set to private.
Look at the “Numbers” and “Actions”
‘Bots are notorious for following hundreds and thousands of people in a day, only to stop the next day. Their following count will be high, with few followers in return.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub “Genuine accounts tend to have similar patterns when it comes to numbers of followers, people followed, and levels of engagement. Although everybody operates their accounts differently, and some “newbies” don’t run their accounts like seasoned Instagrammers, you can still easily spot outliers.”
If an account’s growth (or lack of) seems odd, it probably isn’t a legitimate user.
Watch the Comments
If an account is leaving odd comments, sharing a string of emojis, or posting the same phrase under multiple photos (or on multiple accounts) it’s probably a ‘bot.
If you go through your comments and read the ones written by verified humans (i.e, your friends and family), you’ll notice a big difference in tone when compared to a “dodgy” follower.
How To Get Rid Of Fake Followers
But the simplest way to remove a fake follower or ‘bot from your audience is to block them. Easy peasy.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.