Wednesday 27 February 2019

Instagram Fraud - Where Do We Draw The Line?

Instagram Fraud - Where Do We Draw The Line?

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The topic of Instagram fraud seems to be popping up in the blogosphere more and more lately, not least earlier this month, when an explosive article was published (and subsequently began doing the rounds on Twitter), accusing several well known influencers of faking their following. The article produced Social Blade stats to support this claim, suggesting that the activity they illustrated was inorganic and indicated the use of aggressive follow/unfollow tactics, bot activity and the buying of followers and engagement. Just hours later, it was deleted, presumably due to legal concerns regarding the public naming and shaming. But lots of people had seen it and lots of people were talking about it, and we can be sure that it won't be the last we're going to hear on the subject. The ensuing discussions got me thinking about Instagram and my own activity on the platform, and I have to ask the question, where do we draw the line on Instagram fraud? Because - and this might be an unpopular opinion -  I think that line is actually pretty blurred.

The Importance of Instagram For Influencers


There is no question that Instagram is important if you want to earn money as an influencer. I have been told by more than one PR company that I do not deserve to get paid for blog posts because I have fewer than 10,000 Instagram followers. Yes, you read that right. Those PR companies were seeking actual blog posts (you know, to be published on my actual blog) and could not have cared less about my actual blog traffic. All they cared about was how many Instagram followers I had. This wasn't the case when I first started blogging, and I'll admit it sometimes makes me wonder if I should bother continuing to write here at all, and whether my energies would be better spent focussing on creating purely visual content for the social media platform. 

Beige outfit trend for 2019

So with brands and PRs placing increasing importance on Instagram, and with the algorithm seemingly trying to thwart us at every turn by prioritising posts from those who already have bigger followings, is it any wonder that so many of us are becoming frustrated with the whole thing? Is it any wonder that we're spending more and more time trying to figure out how on earth we can possibly grow on the platform? While I don't want to cheat, I do want to do everything I can to grow my Instagram following, and lots of other people feel the same.

What Constitutes Instagram Fraud?


In the aftermath of the above-mentioned drama, I got thinking about Instagram in general, my own experience of the platform and the experiences of my fellow bloggers (it is, after all, a subject we discuss a lot!) I also came across this article on influencer marketing fraud, which is well worth a read. Not only does it stress just how serious Instagram fraud is, it also suggests that fraud could include more than just bot activity and fake engagement. In fact, it even names an activity that I and many of my fellow bloggers regularly engage in on the platform as potentially fraudulent. Shocking, I know. I'll come to that in due course.

There is some behaviour on Instagram that is, without question, downright wrong, such as paying for fake profiles to be added to your follower count. The same goes for paying for fake likes and comments to make your posts appear more popular than they really are. One would like to think it's so obviously wrong that no one would have the barefaced cheek to actually do it. Although, as we all know, plenty of people do. 

Outfit with off the shoulder jumper

Then we have the issue of using bots to like, comment and follow/unfollow a bunch of other accounts, in the hope that the owners of said accounts will like what they see and choose to follow you as a result. Following someone only to unfollow them as soon as they have followed you back is, in my opinion, incredibly rude. I hate it when other people do it to me (happens all the time!) and it's not something I have ever considered. There is also nothing worse than seeing automated comments like "Ooh, love the outfit!" on someone's heartfelt post about their grandmother's death. 

But what about liking? I spend a lot of time liking posts on Instagram anyway, in the hope that it will draw people's attention to my account, so would it really make that much difference if I paid a bot to do it to save myself some time? Of course, a bot would be able to reach more accounts than a human being within a given period of time, so that is an unfair advantage, but if someone has more free time to spend manually liking photos on Instagram than I do, is that just my tough luck? If I can afford to promote a post (legitimate, because the money goes to Instagram) and someone else can't, is that not also an unfair advantage? 

Just to be clear, I have never used a bot and have no intention of ever doing so, (for one thing, third party activity is forbidden by Instagram so it is simply not worth the risk of getting caught), but I do think it could be argued that they only do what a lot of people are doing manually anyway. As for the scale on which they're doing it, we know that Instagram places limits on how many actions you can take within a certain period of time. So if that isn't exceeded, then what is the issue? 

Mid season coat

So we've established that I don't use bots. I am, however, a member of a comment pod. And  according to the article linked above, this too could be classed as fraud, because the engagement it generates has been prearranged and is therefore not genuine. Now, I have an issue with this. I can't speak for other pods, but the one I belong to has become a close-knit group. We are always chatting on Twitter and genuinely want to support each other. So by liking and commenting on each other's posts, are we not being authentic? There are other bloggers I have become close to who are not in the pod. I actively seek out their posts whenever I can to like and comment on because, again, I want to support them and they do the same for me. This is surely the case for everyone out there with an Instagram account. Isn't building a community part of influencing/blogging? We all, also, have varying numbers of friends and family members who like and comment on our content just because it's ours.  Who is to say where support ends and fraud begins?

Blurred Lines


In an ideal world we would all be able to focus on creating quality content for our Instagram feeds and get rewarded by a steady growth in followers and engagement, but the reality is very far from that. While I absolutely believe that no amount of cheating will result in a large genuine following unless your content is good, I also know from experience that a certain amount of hustling is necessary on Instagram in order to get anyone at all to actually see your posts. 

I mentioned before that I like and comment on a lot of pictures in order to drive people to my own account. If this is the reason I'm doing it, is it fraud? While I would never like a photo I really don't like, or leave a comment I really don't mean, would I do it as often as I do if I wasn't trying to promote my own account? Would I be following as many people? The honest answer is no. Before I started my blog I had a personal Instagram page, set to private. Do you want to know how many pictures I liked with that account? None. I just looked at those that interested me. My behaviour on Instagram as a blogger is vastly different to what it used to be as a consumer, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.

Instagram Fraud - Where Do We Draw The Line?

We all tend to think of Instagram as a place where our potential audience is just hanging around looking for influencers to follow. Well, they may be out there somewhere, probably with their accounts set to private, enjoying posts from the handful of influencers they have already decided they like. They aren't bothered about finding me and would probably rather I didn't thrust my content in their face. What Instagram is full of, however, is other people just like me who want me to follow them and consume their content. 

Something I hear a lot from fellow small bloggers is: "Well, my following  may be small, but at least they are all genuine followers who really love my content!" 

Are they? I wish I could say that all of my current 4,000 followers are 100% genuine, but I can't. I might not have bought them or lured them to my profile by means of an automated like, but I have my fair share of wannabe bikini models, hairdressers based in Tennessee and people selling Arbonne products who are blatantly not interested in my content and only following until they realise I haven't followed them back. I am also being followed by dozens of bloggers who may or may not like my content, but whose chief reason for following me is because I am following them. So if a brand or PR company were to be interested in working with me on a sponsored Instagram post (lol), would I really be justified in telling them that all of my following is genuinely interested in my content? Can any of us really say that?

Outfit with suede mini skirt

Shop The Look (AD)



Dog Eat Dog


I think a lot of people are sick to the back teeth of Instagram and the circus it's become. Every single day, I experience being followed and then immediately unfollowed by at least 2 to 3 people, being followed by people who are obviously not interested in my content and coming across accounts with poorer quality photos than mine who have upwards of 10,000 followers. It's absolutely maddening. But while it would be wonderful if there was some way of levelling the playing field, I don't think it's going to happen any time soon. The problem is a lot more complicated and runs a lot deeper than a few people cheating the system. It's a dog eat dog world on Instagram, and just by the very fact that so many of us are "trying" to grow a following there - in itself is a totally legitimate ambition - it makes the whole issue of what exactly constitutes Instagram fraud somewhat murky. 

What are your thoughts on Instagram fraud? Where do you think the line should be drawn?

Kate x
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39 comments

  1. I really like this look with the boots!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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  2. I don't think pods are fraud because chances are you are friends with the other members and would be commenting on their posts anyway. Some people use lots of pods and then when their following is big enough, stop using them saying that they don't help engagement but, of course, that's after they've grown their following. Some people pick a particular hashtag and comment on lots of photos under that tag, then move on to another and then another - all of these things are to grow a following so I don't get the snobbery towards pods. I'm getting to tired of all of the 'shoutouts' on stories - people say it's the only way to grow but if you don't like a person's posts, why follow them just so they can 'hit their next target'? I find Instagram quite boring because it's so competitive but also because I prefer blogs. You learn nothing about a product just by seeing a photo or video of it, particularly skincare products which is where my main interest lies.

    As for the PR not wanting to pay you because you have less than 10k Insta followers? That's crazy!!!

    Loved this post, Kate! xx


    Beautylymin | Pat McGrath Mini Lip Gloss Trio Giveaway

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    1. Thanks for reading Siobhan, glad you enjoyed! I agree with you about the informative value of blogs compared with Instagram, particularly when it comes to beauty content, but it seems that a lot of PRs don't agree, which I guess means that a lot of customers don't either. A lot of successful influencers whose blogs I used to love are essentially just youtubers and instagrammers now - it feels like that's the way things are going. x

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  3. I participate in 4 pods and I met some amazing women through these pods, we chat, I listen to their problems and issues and I try to help, we laugh, we care for each other. And yes, we support each other through liking and commenting. Nothing wrong with that. I got refused by so many brands the last two years because I didn't meet their 10k+ follower requirements. My blog didn't matter to them at all, it's only social media and followers they are interested these days. Which is absolutely fine but it gets tiring to see the same bloggers and influencers get all the PR products to try and promote. Beautiful post!! xx

    Yiota
    pinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com

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    1. Glad you enjoyed Yiota! I'm impressed that you're in 4 pods, I sometimes struggle finding the time for 1! I wouldn't be without it though as it has become a really friendly group, just as you describe yours. The whole 10k benchmark is really becoming a thing with PRs! x

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  4. I can usually tell when someone buys followers. But if I don't notice within the 2 weeks of them doing it, Social Blade is no help for me. I used to love looking up accounts on there. Everyone does have bots and there's nothing that can be done about that. I've been slowly going through my followers deleting bots and inactive accounts.

    Jennifer
    Effortlessly Sophisticated

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    1. Yes, there are definitely some accounts where you can absolutely tell! I've been getting into deleting fake accounts too, but it can be quite a long-winded process trawling through my followers to find them! x

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  5. Without the comment pod I would never have found you, and I comment follow Nd like because I genuinely love you girls, the threads, the chats, the advice on life I would not be without. So I don't think ours is fraud, it's like having family support.

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    1. I completely agree Debbie. I definitely wouldn't be without our pod! x

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  6. I am with you there: Instagram seems to be much more important than any other platform to PR, and the things we do to generate a following there are sometimes sat in the grey area. I tried a comment pod, but left afte a few weeks. Not because I felt guilty, but simply because it took up more time than I currently have to be an active and engaged member. As for my following - I am pretty sure many of them don´t follow me for my content, and I admit I don´t follow everyone in my timeline because of theirs either. I often follow people I like for the person they appear to be rather than the Pictures they post, like keeping in touch with friends. I don´t "follow back" though, which is my feed is pretty manageable.
    Basically I have given up on Instagram as a platform where I will be successful.

    Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca

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    1. It is so hard isn't it? It really feels like quality just doesn't count sometimes, it's just all about the numbers.

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  7. Instagram used to be my favourite social media outlet, but lately it is so hard to get noticed or be seen. A few years back, when I had even less followers, I would actually get more likes and comments on my photos - everything was way more transparent and I did not have to scroll through endless ads in my feed. I hope they change something about it! Also, how sad that not that many PR companies understand the importance of actual website traffic versus IG followers.

    Naya
    www.nayatilly.com

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    1. Yep! At least when the feed was chronological we had a fighting chance. And you're right, it is sad that it's all starting to come down to Instagram followers. x

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  8. I am in love with your outfit. I love Instagram and I see it as a powerful tool. I try to concentrate on my feed and my work rather than what others are doing. I love my followers and I have met amazing people there. I actually became friends with so many of my followers that I call friends not followers, many are artists and people who I definitely identify with. The most important is to enjoy your gallery, create amazing content and keep doing what you love. Your blog is amazing keep writing and enjoy! Have a lovely day xoxo Cris
    http://photosbycris.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-ruby-collection-luxury-holiday.html

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    1. I know I don't sound like Instagram's biggest fan, but believe it or not I do still love the creative, aesthetic side of it. I agree that the best thing to do is focus on creating your own quality content, it's just a shame that others aren't prepared to do the same, and choose to cheat instead. I used to wonder why so many accounts with content no better than mine had tens of thousands of followers while mine is stuck well below 5k, but run some of those accounts through Social Blade and you find the evidence of bought followers. I just hope brands cotton on to this behaviour soon because it's very unfair on those of us who are trying to promote our work honestly.

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  9. This is such a brilliant write up, Kate and I thoroughly enjoy reading it. Instagram has gone absolutely crazy and I noticed that almost everyone wants to know my following on that platform, not so much about the blog anymore. I have a very small follower count and almost impossible to grow but I do my best. You raised a valid point about followers too, I honestly don't know how many are real followers depite the fact I never use a bot or buy likes/followers. Like you I have so many online marketers and wannebe bikini models following me.

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it Shireen! It can be so disheartening when you check the profile of a new follower to find that they quite clearly have an agenda. And I agree, it is at the point where it's completely crazy. x

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  10. I can't relate to Instagram angst because after 3 years of blogging, I just opened an Instagram account, LOL. I did it just for me, really. I agree with Beautylymin's comment that Instagram is boring. I think blogging has true value. And it is totally yours and in your control.

    http://a-woman-of-a-certain-age.com/

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    1. I agree with that too, I just hope things turn back in their favour! x

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  11. such an interesting post on a very important subject nowadays. We can all agree that the Instagram fraud situation got many of us bloggers/ wanna-be-influencers thinking and in my opinion the whole problem is Instagram itself. So much pressure is put on influencers to perform, grow and boost their engagement. The pleasure of sharing with people and making new friends (the true vision behind Instagram if you ask me) is beeing remplaced by the fame hungry, which is sad.

    Sonia
    www.soniaaicha.com

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  12. I am part of many pods too before, but am now so busy to check. For me, one must still be paid for her influencer services no matter how many her followers are, just of course a smaller amount if the followers are low. It's still indeed like "work" because you did something for them, and you deserve the credit!

    Marie
    The Flower Duet

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    1. I completely agree with this. I always say that if a brand approaches you to work with them, then they obviously think you have at least some value, and therefore your work should be paid for, regardless of the size of your following. Of course the amount will be less than those with larger audiences, but we should still be paid. Unfortunately most brands now just don't want to pay, so we have a choice between accepting that or trying to grow our blogs using only products we pay for ourselves. x

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  13. Great photos dear! Amazing coat, you look very stylish!
    http://www.recklessdiary.ru/

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  14. Instagram is really hard to grow, I'm not a fan of the follow/unfollow game. Many companies put important of Instagram and Youtube which doesn't help. I'm slowly growing my account, and that's okay with me. As long as I'm still enjoying the platform, I'll work on growing it.

    Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty

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    1. I think as soon as we stop enjoying it, it goes from difficult to impossible! I do like Instagram for a lot of reasons, so I try to focus on those. x

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  15. This was so interesting to read. As for your outfit, love this neutral look.

    Nina's Style Blog

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    1. Glad you enjoyed Nina, thanks for reading! x

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  16. What I also don't understand when some bloggers have 50K etc on Instagram and then when you go onto their twitter they have only 500 followers too much fraud going on LOL!

    Loved this post Kate <3

    Serene XO

    http://www.surrealserene.com

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    1. Yes, that's a good point! Most people will do better on some platforms than others but that kind of discrepancy is pretty suspicious! x

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  17. LOVED reading this! I think it's soooo painfully obvious when someone has bought Instagram followers, yet a lot of huge brands and companies still choose to work with these people. I run into the same problem you have too with blogging. Lots of brands associate reach with Instagram followers (not even engagement rates) with other platforms? It just doesn't make sense to me. And don't even get me started on people who follow and unfollow hahahaha I get at least 20 of them a day and it's so frustrating to the point where I just block them now. Everyone is so obsessed with becoming Instagram/net famous now that you're right, those lines have definitely become blurred to the point of no one even caring enough to do anything about it.
    Thanks for such a great read!

    SHANNON VALLE
    life + style blog

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it Shannon! It seems so many of us are frustrated by the whole Instagram circus. x

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  18. Kate, this post is absolutely brilliant and hits the nail on the head. Instagram is so deceitful at the moment and after being in a position myself where I have been told that I don't have enough followers compared to XYZ who has clearly bought them but is now getting paid for content, I feel that the whole industry is a sham.

    Being told that comment pods are also fraud, well thats one point I don't agree with. I comment on my friends post daily and having a group chat so we don't miss each others post is totally fine in my eyes.

    Anoushka

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  19. Exactly. I couldn't agree more with you, because I understand perfectly what do you mean. I'm also prepping a very open article about my relationship with Instagram and all the dark sides that I have experienced. There are many of those who do the aggressive marketing, but I'm also not fond of it.

    I totally agree that follow/unfollow is rude. I would say it's better to like and comment other posts, this way it's less intrusive. I would personally never automate comments, because that is just not genuine. And you can easily spot those comments.

    By the way, I tried once pods too, but quit very fast. It just felt so strange and wrong to push yourself comment on photos that you didn't even like... It's just not for me. I honestly think that the true and genuine way out there is simply to create, share, interact, and...most importantly just be patient :) Because for some people it took 4, for some 6 years to gain a massive following.

    I also read an article from one famous brand how they did collaboration with a girl who had over 1 million followers and with one that had 100K. The sales from the girl with less following were huge and they were surprised. For selling, for sure, it's the quality that matters.

    Great read!

    Kisses.
    Bri | https://blog.brigitadaisy.com/

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