The influencer marketing industry has been challenged by the presence of follower fraud. The Cheq report on the “Economic Cost of Bad Actors on the Internet, Ad Fraud 2020” cited that influencer fraud is predicted to cost brands $1.3 billion in 2020, reflecting its sizeable impact. This comes across as fake followers, bot-driven likes/comments, or inauthentic engagement, hampering the effectiveness of campaigns.

A popular platform that lets you analyze influencer authenticity is Social Blade. Social Blade offers an easy-to-understand grading system that helps brands distinguish genuine influencers from those with fraudulent followers.

Another is HypeAuditor that uses AI to provide insights into audience demographics, engagement metrics, and the authenticity of followers helping brands detect potential influencer fraud. Flinque, on the other hand, offers similar functionalities but distinguishes itself through its powerful ROI measurement tools utilized throughout the campaign lifecycle. It allows brands to track all aspects of campaign performance, ensuring every penny spent is accounted for.

Platforms like FollowerAudit, offer detailed analytics to track any sudden spikes in follower growth, which is a common indicator of fake followers or bots.

Lastly, Influencer marketing hub’s Instagram Fake Follower & Audience Credibility Checker is another tool useful for its ability to calculate the percentage of real followers an Instagram influencer has.

Choosing the right platform largely depends on the specific needs of your marketing team. Comprehending the level of follower fraud in the influencer marketing industry is crucial for brands and agencies to plan campaigns and understand their true ROI. It’s of paramount importance to use a marketing platform that offers analytics on audience authenticity for successful influencer collaboration.