If you’re a major brand, it’s understandably tempting to hire an influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers to promote your product. But if a majority of those followers are bots, then that investment is nothing but a waste of money.
The issue of fake followers isn’t new. Ever since social media clout became a barometer of influence, users have benefited from bots. But now that Instagram is cracking down, it may come as a surprise to find that plenty of brands are still paying for social media influencers with inflated followings.
According to a study conducted by Points North Group, Ritz-Carlton and Aquaphor had the highest percentage of fake followers for their sponsored posts.
The unfortunate reality is that brands…
