Leading the pack is Burnley, commanding the highest percentage of allegedly inauthentic followers, with a striking 36.86% out of their 691,900 followers potentially identified as not genuine. Notably, Burnley’s most celebrated post, dating back to April 25th, garnered an impressive 72,800 likes, commemorating their pivotal promotion to the Premier League.
Following closely in second place, Bournemouth boasts a considerable 799,400 followers on Instagram, among which an estimated 35.52% are believed to be fake. Noteworthy for the club is their recent league triumph, a momentous 2-1 victory against Burnley on October 28th.
Securing the third position in this scrutinized analysis is Fulham, with approximately 34.44% of their one million Instagram followers marked as potentially not genuine. Impressively, their posts accumulate an average of 17,400 likes per post, significantly exceeding Burnley’s average likes.
Crystal Palace claims the fourth spot with an estimated 33.62% fake followers out of their extensive 1.8 million Instagram followers. Their standout post, warmly welcoming goalkeeper Dean Henderson to the team, amassed a noteworthy 197,500 likes on August 31st.
Continuing down the list, West Ham United boasts the largest following among the top 10 teams, boasting four million Instagram followers, of which approximately 31.32% are presumed to be fake. Their captivating post, introducing Mohammed Kudus to the club, engaged the audience with 248,000 likes and 2,900 comments.
Everton closely trails in sixth place, with an estimated 30.04% of their 3 million followers classified as fake.
Brighton and Hove Albion secure the seventh spot, revealing a significant 29.32% presence of purported fake followers among their 1.7 million Instagram followers. Notably, they maintain the second-highest Instagram engagement rate among the top 10 Premier League teams.
Further down the rankings, Sheffield United and Brentford clinch the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, with 28.84% and 27.05% fake followers identified among their Instagram followers.
Aston Villa rounds off the top 10 with an estimated 26.63% of their extensive 3.5 million followers flagged as potentially fake.
In stark contrast, Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United occupy the bottom three positions, showcasing the highest percentage of verified genuine Instagram followers among Premier League teams.
“The Premier League’s colossal global following makes it an intriguing study to unveil which teams attract the most suspected fake followers on Instagram,” OLBG spokesperson Ryan Roberts said. “Despite Burnley topping this list, it’s remarkable to note the unwavering support the club maintains, considering its relatively modest town population of 94,700.”
Yamamoto further delved into discerning fake accounts, emphasizing the significance of scrutinizing profile details and content as pivotal indicators of authenticity in the digital sphere.
