5 Ways to Spot Fake Social Media Influencers

5 Ways to Spot Fake Social Media InfluencersCredit Georgejmclittle/Shutterstock Social media influencers can do wonders for your small business. These individuals have a large and engaging following on social media. If you find the right influencers, they can legitimize your company, increase brand recognition and boost sales.Social media influencers include bloggers, experts in their fields, celebrities and more, said Justin Lavelle, chief communications director of Been Verified. Influencers write about your products or brand and are typically compensated with money or samples.However, not all social media influencers are genuine. Ratherbeibei than organically building a trusting following, some influencers buy followers, comments and likes. Business News Daily talked to social media experts about social media influencers and how to spot a fake. Heres what they said.Whats a social media influencer?From popular food bloggers to reality TV stars, it seems anyone can be a social media influencer. But the best influencers have a large following of people who care about what they say, use and recommend.Editors note Need social media managementfor your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you with free information.A social media influencer is someone who has amassed a following via creative content and storytelling and can influence consumers through social platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc., often with the intention of affecting and influencing various purchasing decisions, said Beca Alexander, founder and president of influencer casting agency Socialyte.Brands pay social media influencers to create content and endorse their products or services. Social media influencers basically verify your credibility within your target demographic, said Lavelle. Traditional advertising doesnt build trust like social media influencers do, especially when talking to millennials.The most effec tive social media influencers are very active in their community, said Shellie Wass, social media account manager for Slice Communications and social media influencer for her dog, Oliver the Love Pug.Influencers are engaging with their commenters, they are participating in discussions around their endorsements, and they have their own personal aesthetics that can leverage a brand, she said. Companies should be seeking out influencers with a dedicated community that will help to expand their reach.How to spot fake social media influencersJust because an account has a lot of followers doesnt mean it has an influence over itsaudience. Unfortunately, fake social media influencers are on the rise and if you do business with a fake influencer, it could seriously damage your brand.A fake social media influencer is someone who acquires their followers and/or comments and likes in an inorganic manner (e.g., via purchase, loop giveaways, comment pods, etc.), thus lacking a genuine influence over their audience, Alexander told Business News Daily.Thankfully, there are ways to spot fake influencers from those with a genuine following. Heres how.Look for sudden spikes in followers or engagement. You can identify a fake influencer by observing a major spike in following/engagement, particularly overnight or within a short period of time, said Alexander.Is the influencer active on other social media platforms? Genuine social media influencers are visible across several social media platforms YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc., Lavelle told Business News Daily.Look at engagement. You can identify an influencer who buys his or her engagement by observing an excessive amount of non-engaging or redundant comments (e.g., emojis, comments from the same person, etc.) on most photos, Alexander told Business News Daily.Calculate the influencers engagement rate. Calculate their engagement rates this refers to the percentage of likes, comments or shares received on posts compared to the total number of followers, said Lavelle. Fake influencers pay for followers many whom are bots. These followers usually dont engage with content, and if they do, it looks like spam. Fake followers cannot have real engagement, so their comments look like spam, he said.Check for earned media. Check to see if they have any earned media, said Wass. Earned media shows that they have a large reach and not just a large follower count. Saige Driver Saige received her Bachelors degree in Journalism and Telecommunications from Ball State University. She is the social media strategist for Business.com and Business News Daily. She also writes reviews and articles about social media. She loves reading and her beagle mix, Millie. Start Your Business Business Ideas Business Plans Startup Basics Startup Funding konzessionsverkauf Success Stories Entrepreneurs Grow Your Business Sales absatzwirtschaft Finances Your Team Technology Social Media Security Build Your Career Get the Job Get Ahead Office Life Work-Life Balance Home Office Lead Your Team Leadership Women in Business Managing Strategy Personal Growth Find A Solution HR Solutions Financial Solutions Marketing Solutions Security Solutions Retail Solutions SMB Solutions About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap 200 Fifth Avenue, Second FloorWaltham, MA 02451infobusinessnewsdaily.com Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All Rights Reserved. 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