Pretend followers and bots on social media will make it difficult for brands to assess influencer accounts for collaborations accurately.
According to a report from advertising and marketing company Sortlist, social media accounts of some of the biggest global stars may actually have pretend followers, running into millions. Similarly, the report reveals that the wider the variety of followers, the bigger the variety of fake followers.
While it is difficult for accounts with a sizeable social media following to restrict the variety of pretend followers, brands must take note of the issue of fake followers. Especially while paying social media influencers for paid brand collaborations.
Pretend followers may distort the actual reach influencers have on social media platforms. The issue of fake followers is crucial, given that Sortlist has noted a 38% improvement in firms seeking social media specialists on its platform.
[3 minute read]