12% of UK Instagram influencers are still buying fake followers

Despite surging popularity in the emerging marketing channel, it seems a large chunk of influencers still refuses to play by the book in order to make a quick buck. A study by independent campaign measurement firm CampaignDeus found 12% of UK influencers to have bought fake Instagram followers in the first six months of 2018. The findings were based on analysis of nearly 700,000 posts, identifying ‘bot-buyers’ by those with low UK followings, inexplicable jumps in follower count and subpar engagement rates. A substantial base of fake followers can be bought for as little as a couple of hundred pounds, and many brands recruiting for a wide pool of relevant influencers - if not exercising some due diligence - can be easily duped into investing in accounts with faux follower counts.