Tool #1: GRIN
The first tool is Grin.
Grin has a free Chrome extension that lets you quickly check an Instagram account’s follower count, engagement rate, average likes, and average comments.
Those numbers give you a good starting point, but I never stop there. I also go through their content manually.
I check how their Reels are performing, how many likes and comments they usually get, and whether the engagement looks consistent. If some Reels are getting hundreds of thousands of views, you have a better idea of what kind of reach the creator is capable of.
The next thing I look at is the comments. This is something many people overlook.
I’ve heard of engagement groups where people simply comment on each other’s posts to increase engagement. There are even services where people pay for fake engagement.
That’s why I don’t just count the comments. I actually read them.
If people are leaving specific comments about the content, the product, or something they actually saw in the video, that’s usually a good sign, but if you keep seeing the same generic comments like “I love this,” “Amazing,” or other repeated responses that don’t relate to the content, I would definitely have a second thought.
HY Tip: After choosing the right influencer, the next step is creating content that performs. Read our guide, Instagram Marketing: The Reels Strategy Behind 1K Engagement and 16.9K Impressions!, to learn how we increased engagement by 278% using a strategic Reels approach.
Tool #2: Social Blade
The second tool I use is Social Blade.
Social Blade lets you check follower growth, posting frequency, rankings, and engagement across different platforms.
One of the first things I check is how their followers have grown over time. Instead of only looking at today’s follower count, you can see whether the account has been growing consistently over the last month and how many followers they’re gaining each day.
I also compare the engagement rate shown in Social Blade with what I see in Grin. If both tools show similar results and the comments look genuine, that’s usually a much better sign.
Don’t stop with Instagram, either. Most influencers don’t post on only one platform. They usually repurpose their content for TikTok, YouTube, and other channels.
Looking at multiple platforms gives you a better understanding of their credibility instead of judging them based on a single account.
HY Tip: Finding the right influencer is just the beginning. A successful campaign also depends on having the right content and social media strategy. Check out Strategic Insights into Global Social Media Marketing: Learning from NUSE’s Success for practical insights on building a stronger global presence.
Tool #3: Metricool
The third tool is Metricool.
Metricool has a Competitors feature that lets you add Instagram accounts and view their performance in more detail. The free version allows you to add up to five competitors, while the paid version lets you track more.
Once you’ve added an account, you can open More Stats to see detailed performance data. You can compare posts and Reels, filter by likes, comments, and interactions, and review which content performs best.
If Reels consistently receive higher engagement than regular posts, that gives you a better idea of which content format is more likely to work for your brand.
You can also check their TikTok and YouTube performance while using Social Blade to monitor follower growth and upload frequency.
Don’t Skip the Manual Review
No matter what the tools show, I always do one final manual review.
If an account has 200K followers but only gets a few dozen likes, that’s something I would question. If every post has almost exactly the same number of likes, comments, and interactions, I would question that too.
Real engagement usually isn’t that predictable.
Finally, go back to the comments. Read through them.
Are people actually responding to the content? Or are they leaving the same generic responses over and over again? That simple check can tell you a lot.
The tools help you verify the numbers, but taking a few minutes to review the account yourself helps you decide whether the influencer is actually legitimate.
Otherwise, you might end up paying for numbers that don’t translate into real results.
At HY Marketing, we help brands grow where growth is hardest — entering and scaling in Korea and Japan, and turning global marketing into predictable ROI. Whether you’re launching into a new market or optimizing funnels that already convert, our senior-led team works as your embedded task force, from analysis to execution.
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