Instagram growth can be tricky to navigate, especially when you’re trying to figure out if someone’s following is authentic or artificially inflated. Let me walk you through some telltale signs that can help you spot purchased followers.
Engagement Doesn’t Match Follower Count
The most obvious red flag is when someone has thousands of followers but their posts only get a handful of likes and comments. Think about it – if someone has 50,000 followers but only gets 50 likes per post, something’s definitely fishy. Typically, healthy engagement rates on Instagram hover around 1-3% of total followers, so do the quick math to spot inconsistencies.
Follower Growth Patterns
Natural Instagram growth tends to be gradual. If you notice someone jumped from 1,000 to 20,000 followers overnight in 2025, they’ve likely purchased followers. You can use tools like Social Blade to check historical follower counts and spot unusual spikes that don’t align with viral moments or press coverage.
The Quality of Followers Tells a Story
Take a peek at their followers list. Do you see lots of accounts with:
– No profile pictures
– Random strings of numbers in usernames
– Zero or very few posts
– No bio information
– Accounts that appear to be from random countries
These are classic signs of bought followers, as they’re often bot accounts created in bulk.
Comment Quality Check
Here’s something I always look for: the quality of comments on their posts. Bought engagement often results in generic comments like “nice pic” or random emoji strings. Real followers tend to leave more specific, contextual comments that actually relate to the post content.
Follower to Following Ratio
I’ve noticed that accounts with purchased followers often have a dramatically skewed ratio – like 100,000 followers but only following 100 people. While some major influencers and celebrities naturally have this kind of ratio, it’s unusual for smaller accounts or businesses.
Activity Patterns
Watch their posting schedule and engagement timing. Real followers typically engage with content within the first few hours of posting, with engagement gradually tapering off. If you notice instant likes and comments that suddenly stop, that’s often a sign of automated engagement from fake followers.
Remember, while these signs can indicate purchased followers, they’re not definitive proof. Some legitimate accounts might show one or two of these characteristics for various reasons. The key is looking at the overall picture and using your best judgment. If you’re considering partnering with an influencer or analyzing competitors, these insights can help you make more informed decisions about who’s really built an authentic following.
