Whether you like it or not, where everything's just a click away, influencers hold a lot of sway over what we buy and how we think.

And let’s be real, you

1. Either have started influencer marketing, or…

2. want to do it at some point.

Because, it would be rather stupid not to, right?

But with all the hype around influencer marketing comes a sneaky problem:

Influencer scams. These scams don't just mess with brands and buyers, they also throw shade on the whole influencer scene.

And Knowing the ins and outs of these scams is a must for any brand diving into influencer marketing. And that’s what we are going to speak about in today’s issue.

What we are covering on today’s issue:

1. How (certain) Influencers scam you

2. How to Spot fake followers

3. How to execute authentic Influencer collaborations

A Quick Message from Team Spreadd 🙌

Hi, We are Spreadd, a content-first company.

We help new-age brands get their dream online distribution through REAL and authentic ways.

How?

🎥 hand-crafted content, 🌟 relevant creators and 💪 owned distribution.

If you are looking to explore new ideas to get your brand the right online distribution and get more customers, we would love to speak with you,

We are waiting for you on the other side,

Team Spreadd.

The Lucrative World of Follower Buying 🤑

Whether we like it or not, buying followers isn't exactly a new trend.

When we were doing some research for this newsletter, trying to figure out how people buy Instagram followers, and let us tell you, Google was spitting out links left and right, offering to sell followers from various websites, some free and some you gotta pay for!

Back in 2021 when Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone hit the headlines? It was reported that these actresses were among the top 10 celebs with the most fake followers.

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance dropped a bombshell, claiming that nearly half of Deepika’s followers were bots, and Priyanka wasn't far behind, with 46% of her Instagram followers reported to be fake.

Buying followers has become a whole industry in itself, so much so that it contributes to a whopping 30% of Bangladesh's GDP! And the kicker? It's dirt cheap! So, it's no surprise that most influencers are jumping on the bandwagon.

But what’s the problem?👀

You might think, their profile, their money, their (fake) followers, what’s the problem then?

Well not really.

This space of fake followers is making brands lose money on their influencer collaborations.

Let’s take an Influencer and Brand. Brand likes the content Influencer can create so they decide to collaborate.

Brand pays 1 Lakh Rupees to Influencer to promote their product to their 100K+ audience.

But little do they know that about 60% of the audience of Influencer is FAKE. Which means that the company, lost at least 60,000 rupees if not more.

This is becoming a BIG issue in the influencer space and causing brands to trust influencers less.

And unfortunately, many agencies, knowing very well about the same, do not come clean to their client brands.

Spotting Fake Followers🧐

Well, Spotting fake followers can be tricky but there are a few tell-tale signs.

1. Following-Follower Ratio

Ever noticed an influencer following thousands of accounts but only getting a trickle of followers in return? That's a red flag. Bots often play the follow-for-follow game, boosting their own counts by following as many users as possible. Typically, genuine influencers have way more followers than accounts they follow, which is what gives them their sway.

2. Weird Profile Names

Here's a quick trick: Check out an influencer's followers list. If you spot a bunch of odd-sounding profile names with zero followers themselves, chances are those are fake accounts.

3. Engagement per Post

So, when you're scoping out potential influencers, keep an eye on their engagement to follower ratio. If you see a ton of likes or comments compared to their number of followers, it could be a sign of something fishy. Some influencers are buying up engagement to make themselves more appealing to brands. 

4. Comment Response

Here's another clue: Scroll through the comments on their posts. If all you see are a bunch of generic statements like "❤️❤️❤️" or "amazing, fantastic, great," chances are they're coming from fake bots or influencer bots.

What are influencer bots, you ask? It's basically a gang of influencers propping each other up, creating this illusion of engagement. Talk about living in an echo chamber!

How to Stay Safe as a brand👷

1. Audit Follower Quality:

To deal with scammers, it's essential to assess the quality of an influencer's followers. For example, Spreadd has sophisticated analytics systems to help brands distinguish between influencers with genuine, active followers and those with a high percentage of fake or inactive accounts. By analyzing metrics such as activity levels, engagement rates, and audience authenticity, brands can make informed decisions about potential collaborations.

2. Scrutinize Content Quality and Consistency:

Genuine influencers are all about delivering top-notch content consistently. Scammers, on the other hand, often fall short in this department. They might lack the skills or resources to create content that truly connects with a real audience. So, when you're checking out an influencer, take a good look at their content. Is it original? Is it relevant? And does it keep people engaged over time? These are the things that matter and can help you figure out if they're the real deal or not.

3. Demand Transparency and Detailed Analytics:

Now, when it comes to working with influencers, transparency is key. Legit influencers should be more than happy to share detailed analytics about their audience demographics, engagement rates, and the impact of their past campaigns. This kind of transparency lets brands see if the influencer is a good fit for their target audience and marketing goals. If an influencer is dodgy about sharing this kind of data, it's a big ol' red flag. Time to reconsider that collaboration.

Wrapping up

Remember, in the world of influencer marketing, vigilance is key to building authentic and successful collaborations.

Do the most authentic and Transparent brand collaborations with Spreadd 🙌

We at Spreadd have spent over 2 years to solve this problem and making brand collaborations as transparent and real as possible.

Thats why we are trusted by brands all over India.

If you are looking to grow your brand’s the right online distribution, we would love to have a conversation with you

We are waiting for you on the other side,

Team Spreadd.

Thanks for reading this issue of The Brand Advocate, we are bringing you hand-crafted marketing insights from the world of startups and businesses and delivering them straight to your inbox, every Tuesday.

See you next week,

Team Spreadd