Brands can adopt several strategies to detect fake followers during influencer discovery:

1. Engagement Rate Analysis: A genuine influencer should have a solid engagement rate (1-5%). Low engagement suggests many followers might not be real.

2. Audience Quality Check: Apart from the number of followers and engagement rate, the audience’s quality is important. Brands can do this by reviewing some of the audience members’ profiles.

3. Sudden Follower Increase: A sudden rise in follower count can indicate purchased followers. Check the influencers’ follower growth history for this.

4. Follower to Following Ratio: Genuine influencers will generally have a far larger number of followers than the accounts they follow.

5. Use Technology: Tools like Flinque provide a detailed analytics report to spot unusual patterns that can indicate fake followers.

Remember, different platforms have different features. For example, some platforms provide a detailed audience quality score, while others might excel at other features. Selecting a platform should be based on your specific needs.

Please note that no method is foolproof. Fake followers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but brands that are diligent about follower quality can mitigate their risks.