How to detect fake subscribers on Youtube

Detecting fake subscribers on YouTube is important not only for channel owners who wish to maintain genuine engagement but also for advertisers, collaborators, and viewers who seek authentic interactions. Here are the top 10 best ways to identify fake subscribers on YouTube:

1. Analyzing Engagement Rates

A noticeable imbalance between the number of subscribers and the engagement (likes, comments, views) can indicate fake subscribers. Genuine subscribers tend to interact with the content to some degree.

2. Sudden Spikes in Subscriber Count

Watch for abrupt increases in subscribers without a correlating viral video or an external cause (e.g., shoutout by a popular channel, social media mention). Such spikes might be due to the purchase of fake subscribers.

3. Check the Quality of Comments

Generic, irrelevant, or spammy comments can be signs of fake engagement. Real subscribers and viewers are more likely to leave specific and meaningful comments related to the video content.

4. Low View-to-Subscriber Ratio

A channel with a high number of subscribers but significantly lower views per video may have a large number of inactive or fake subscribers.

5. Use of Analytics Tools

Employ third-party analytics tools designed for YouTube to get insights into the channel's growth and engagement patterns. Influencer Hero for example can help identify inconsistencies that suggest artificial inflation of subscriber counts.

6. Review Subscriber Profiles

While YouTube does not readily display detailed subscriber information to the public, channel owners can access some data about their subscribers. Signs of fake accounts include lack of profile pictures, no or few personal uploads, and generic profile names.

7. Unusual Engagement Patterns

Look for discrepancies in engagement across different videos. If the engagement does not correlate reasonably with the subscriber count or if there’s a pattern of suspect interactions, this may suggest manipulation.

8. Examine Channel Analytics for Geography Mismatch

Analyze the geographical data of viewers. A large number of subscribers from countries that are unlikely to be interested in your content based on language or relevancy might indicate fake subscribers. With Influencer Hero you can analyse the subscriber locations split to get a better understanding of potential fake subscribers.

9. Compare with Similar Channels

Benchmarking against similar channels can help. If your channel's engagement metrics significantly deviate from those of similar channels (having a similar subscriber count and content niche), it's worth investigating further.

10. Watch for Poor Retention Rates

Video retention rates (how long people watch your videos) can also provide insights. Fake subscribers typically do not watch videos, therefore if your retention rates are unusually low in relation to your subscriber count, this could be a red flag.