Meghan Markle's highly anticipated return to Instagram with her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, has been met with both excitement and criticism. While the Duchess of Sussex has amassed an impressive following of nearly 600,000 users, including notable celebrities like Mindy Kaling, recent research has revealed that a significant portion of these followers may not be genuine.
Stacey Wong, a PR expert from the digital marketing agency Own Your Space, conducted an analysis of Meghan's new Instagram account and found that 13.77 percent of her followers could be classified as "fake." Among these inauthentic accounts, 7.25 percent were identified as "suspicious mass followers," while 6.52 percent were deemed "likely bots or fake accounts."
"The presence of a 13.77 percent 'fake follower' metric reveals a common challenge in digital brand management," Wong explained. "Navigating this landscape requires strategic engagement and authentic content to maintain and enhance brand integrity."
While the presence of bot accounts is a widespread issue on Instagram, with estimates suggesting that there could be as many as 95 million such accounts on the platform, the high percentage of fake followers on Meghan's page has raised concerns about the potential impact on her credibility and ability to effectively communicate with her genuine followers.
"With the rise of influencer marketing and the increasing emphasis on genuine connections with audiences, the presence of fake followers can tarnish Markle's credibility and hinder her ability to effectively communicate with her genuine followers," Wong cautioned.
Despite the challenges posed by inauthentic engagement, Wong also highlighted the potential of Meghan's brand audience on Instagram. The analytics revealed that her followers predominantly consist of females within the 25-34 age range, presenting a highly targeted market segment that could be leveraged through tailored marketing strategies.
However, the criticism surrounding the presence of fake followers on Meghan's account has not gone unnoticed. Various social media users have taken to platforms like Marca to express their disapproval, further fueling the debate about the impact of bot accounts on the authenticity and credibility of high-profile figures on social media.
While Instagram does offer some tools to limit the presence of bot accounts, such as the ability to filter out certain words or phrases in the "Hidden Words" section of the app's privacy settings, completely eliminating these inauthentic followers remains a daunting task. Even if Instagram were to identify a significant issue with the accounts following Meghan's page, the platform's shadowbanning practices could potentially limit the visibility of her content.
As Meghan Markle navigates her return to Instagram and the launch of her new lifestyle brand, the presence of fake followers serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against inauthentic engagement on social media platforms. The research conducted by Stacey Wong underscores the importance of authenticity and genuine connections in building and maintaining a strong brand reputation in the digital space.
While the criticism surrounding the presence of fake followers on Meghan's account may be disheartening, it is essential to recognize that this issue is not unique to her and is a common challenge faced by many high-profile individuals and brands on social media. As the Duchess of Sussex moves forward with her new venture, it will be crucial for her to focus on creating authentic content and fostering genuine engagement with her audience, regardless of the presence of bot accounts.
