There’s no denying the power of influencer marketing, and with brands able to use it to have such a significant impact, it’s understandable why more and more businesses are exploring influencer marketing.

But because there is now such a big market for it, there are a growing number of ‘fake’ influencers out there and you need to know how to separate the real ones from those manipulating their follower figures.

An article for Entrepreneur recently offered some tips on how to check whether someone is the real deal. The first place to begin is with a look at a person’s follower list. Low followers (or numbers of people they’re following) are a sign they’re not an influencer. Something as simple as not having an image for their display picture is also a red flag.

Check their follower to engagement ratio too. If someone has thousands of followers but is only able to get a few likes on each post, that’s a sign they’re not the real deal. 

Before you start working with an influencer, ask them to share their engagement statistics with you – if they’re genuine they’ll not only have no problem with this, but could also share valuable insights that can help your marketing.

The rise of fake influencers on platforms like Instagram is leading some savvy brands to turn to nano influencers. The key difference here is that they’re not famous, but are just regular people sharing something new with friends. You’ll find lots of examples on our nano influencer marketing platform. 

Last month, an article for Forbes suggested that nano influencers, who have a strong connection to their followers and know many of them personally, are the next step in the evolution of influencer marketing. Will you be on board?