--- title: How to Tell if an Instagram Influencer Bought Followers description: How can you tell if an Instagram influencer bought followers? Here are four ways to sleuth it out and not waste your $$ on fake influencers. image: https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/HAW%20blog%20-%202023-09-08T162231.989%20(1).png --- [Skip to the main content.](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/how-to-tell-if-an-instagram-influencer-bought-followers#main-content) [![Untitled design (90)](https://www.hireawriter.us/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(90).png?width=500&height=500&name=Untitled%20design%20(90).png "Untitled design (90)")](http://hireawriter.us) [![Untitled design (90)](https://www.hireawriter.us/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(90).png?width=500&height=500&name=Untitled%20design%20(90).png "Untitled design (90)")](http://hireawriter.us) - [FOR BUSINESSES](https://www.hireawriter.us/for-businesses) - [SEO COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/seo-copywriting) - [SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT](https://www.hireawriter.us/social-media-services) - [WEBSITE COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/website-copywriting) - [LEAD GEN COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/lead-generation-copywriting) - [MARKETING STRATEGY](https://www.hireawriter.us/marketing-strategy) - [FOR AGENCIES](https://www.hireawriter.us/agency-partnership) - [WHITE LABELED COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/white-labeled-copywriting) - [FRACTIONAL SEO LEADERSHIP](https://www.hireawriter.us/fractional-seo-leadership) - [TECHNICAL SEO](https://www.hireawriter.us/technical-seo) - [TRAINING](https://www.hireawriter.us/training) - [ABOUT HAW](https://www.hireawriter.us/about) - [JOBS](https://www.hireawriter.us/hire-a-writer-jobs) - [LEARN](https://www.hireawriter.us/learn) - [LEARN SEO](https://www.hireawriter.us/seo) - [LEARN BUSINESS CONTENT](https://www.hireawriter.us/business) - [LEARN SOCIAL MEDIA](https://www.hireawriter.us/social) - [LEARN STORYTELLING](https://www.hireawriter.us/storytelling) - [LEARN CREATIVE WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/creative) - [LEARN TECHNICAL WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/technical-content) - [LEARN FREELANCE WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/freelance) - [CONTACT](https://www.hireawriter.us/contact) Search Toggle Menu Search Toggle Menu - [FOR BUSINESSES](https://www.hireawriter.us/for-businesses) - [SEO COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/seo-copywriting) - [SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT](https://www.hireawriter.us/social-media-services) - [WEBSITE COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/website-copywriting) - [LEAD GEN COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/lead-generation-copywriting) - [MARKETING STRATEGY](https://www.hireawriter.us/marketing-strategy) - [FOR AGENCIES](https://www.hireawriter.us/agency-partnership) - [WHITE LABELED COPYWRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/white-labeled-copywriting) - [FRACTIONAL SEO LEADERSHIP](https://www.hireawriter.us/fractional-seo-leadership) - [TECHNICAL SEO](https://www.hireawriter.us/technical-seo) - [TRAINING](https://www.hireawriter.us/training) - [ABOUT HAW](https://www.hireawriter.us/about) - [JOBS](https://www.hireawriter.us/hire-a-writer-jobs) - [LEARN](https://www.hireawriter.us/learn) - [LEARN SEO](https://www.hireawriter.us/seo) - [LEARN BUSINESS CONTENT](https://www.hireawriter.us/business) - [LEARN SOCIAL MEDIA](https://www.hireawriter.us/social) - [LEARN STORYTELLING](https://www.hireawriter.us/storytelling) - [LEARN CREATIVE WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/creative) - [LEARN TECHNICAL WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/technical-content) - [LEARN FREELANCE WRITING](https://www.hireawriter.us/freelance) - [CONTACT](https://www.hireawriter.us/contact) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Hireawriteronline) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/joywriteryouell/) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hireawriter/) [X](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/how-to-tell-if-an-instagram-influencer-bought-followers#0) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8sZOTANgCCjtn29m4J0Z6A) [Medium](https://medium.com/hireawriter) [Tiktok](https://www.tiktok.com/@joyyouell) [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/joyfromhireawriter/) 2 min read # How to Tell if an Instagram Influencer Bought Followers [![Picture of Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png) Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/author/writing-team) : Sep 8, 2023, 4:22:52 PM [Social Media](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/social-media) [Marketing](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/marketing) [Research](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/research) ![How to Tell if an Instagram Influencer Bought Followers](https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/HAW%20blog%20-%202023-09-08T162231.989%20(1).png) In 2022, [49% of influencers bought followers](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1250681/share-of-instagram-influencers-involved-in-fraud-worldwide/). Yes, for real. While a substantial follower count may attract brands for influencer marketing collaborations, it's vital to recognize that quantity doesn't always translate to success or credibility, especially when those numbers are artificially inflated.  But how can you spot the fakes? Read on to find out. ## Can You Buy Instagram Followers? Yes, you can indeed buy [Instagram followers](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/deciphering-instagrams-ranking-system), but it doesn't mean you should. Why not? Purchasing Instagram followers essentially means paying for a number, resulting in a majority of your "followers" being bots or inactive accounts that may either spam your posts or never engage with them. ## Why Buying Instagram Followers Is a Bad Idea Spoiler alert: Instagram followers do not equate to Instagram success. For both budding and established influencers, buying Instagram followers can have detrimental consequences, including: 1. Compromising their integrity 2. Hindering their growth 3. Resulting in mismatched engagement and spam-like, bot-driven followers 4. Risking the suspension of their accounts due to Instagram's community guidelines violation On the flip side, brands that collaborate with such accounts face partnerships that yield no returns and wasted resources. ## 4 Signs An Influencer Might've Bought Instagram Followers Think you've encountered an influencer who has purchased Instagram followers? Here are four indicators to help identify the fakes: ### Low Engagement Rate Engagement is paramount when evaluating potential influencer marketing partners. While a low engagement rate doesn't necessarily confirm that an influencer has bought followers (engagement has evolved since the early 2010s), it warrants further investigation. Examine the influencer's likes, comments, and shares. How does their engagement compare to accounts of similar size? According to [recent data](https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/#toc-49), engagement rates range from 0.95% for accounts with over 100K followers to 4.21% for those with fewer than 5K followers. Use this as a rough benchmark; if their engagement significantly lags, proceed to tip #2. ### Solely Spam-like Comments One of the simplest ways to determine if an influencer has purchased Instagram followers is by scrutinizing the comments section. If the comments are inundated with generic, irrelevant, or spammy responses, such as emoji strings, it raises a substantial red flag. However, if you remain uncertain, we recommend investigating the profiles of these commenters (as explained below). CREATOR TIP: Eliminate bots and fake followers by auditing your following *list and blocking accounts that post spam in your comments.* *[![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/24409333/ea25f9d3-0373-4303-a2d9-b50bef135a41.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/24409333/ea25f9d3-0373-4303-a2d9-b50bef135a41)* ### Inactive or Empty Follower Profiles If you inspect the profiles of an influencer's followers and discover that a majority are "ghost" profiles with no posts, very few followers, and little to no activity, it's a clear indicator of fake followers. If there isn't much happening on these profiles, you've cracked the code. ### Inconsistent Follower Demographics & Niches Some fake Instagram followers can appear deceptively genuine, so it's prudent to dig deeper if you have suspicions. Our suggestion? Peruse the bios and content (if any) of these profiles. If a substantial portion of them indicates unrelated locations or conflicting demographics (or niches), the possibility of purchased followers becomes more plausible. ## IG Influencer Buy Followers... But You Shouldn't Genuine engagement and active follower profiles are indispensable for a successful [influencer marketing](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-marketing-for-social-media) partnership. So, the next time you're dazzled by an influencer's follower count, remember the age-old adage: not all that glitters is gold.  - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![Influencer Contracts: Stay Legal, Stay Cool](https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/HAW%20blog%20(75)%20(1).png)](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-contracts-stay-legal-stay-cool) 1 min read #### [Influencer Contracts: Stay Legal, Stay Cool](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-contracts-stay-legal-stay-cool) ![Picture of Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/hs-fs/hubfs/HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png?width=30&name=HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png) [Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/author/writing-team) : Aug 1, 2023, 4:22:12 PM Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for brands to connect with their target audience authentically. [Social Media](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/social-media) [Press](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/press) [Influencers](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/influencers) [Legal](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/legal) [Read More](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-contracts-stay-legal-stay-cool) [![Influencer Marketing for Social Media](https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/HAW%20blog%20(74)%20(1).png)](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-marketing-for-social-media) 2 min read #### [Influencer Marketing for Social Media](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-marketing-for-social-media) ![Picture of Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/hs-fs/hubfs/HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png?width=30&name=HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png) [Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/author/writing-team) : Aug 1, 2023, 4:15:02 PM Influencer marketing has become an integral part of social media strategies, offering brands a powerful way to reach their target audience... [Social Media](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/social-media) [Content Strategy](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/content-strategy) [Marketing](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/marketing) [Influencers](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/tag/influencers) [Read More](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/influencer-marketing-for-social-media) [![Why Influencer Marketing Needs to Be On Your Radar in 2024](https://www.hireawriter.us/hubfs/5-Apr-13-2024-12-15-42-3969-AM.png)](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/why-influencer-marketing-needs-to-be-on-your-radar-in-2024) 1 min read #### [Why Influencer Marketing Needs to Be On Your Radar in 2024](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/why-influencer-marketing-needs-to-be-on-your-radar-in-2024) ![Picture of Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/hs-fs/hubfs/HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png?width=30&name=HAW%20Logo%20T%20%26%20White%20square-3.png) [Writing Team](https://www.hireawriter.us/social/author/writing-team) : Apr 12, 2024, 8:18:03 PM If you're still sleeping on influencer marketing, it's time to wake up. 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