Behind the Curtain: What I’ve Learned About Fake Followers and Art Platforms!

Why follower counts can be a big fat lie

Let’s start with the obvious: follower inflation.

I see accounts with tens of thousands of followers and a comment section that sounds like a fridge at 3 a.m. Quiet, cold, slightly suspicious.

In a space that should be about sincerity and connection, that silence feels wrong. Like elevator music at a jazz bar. Off key, out of place. Ugh!

"I curate art. The algorithm curates me. It’s complicated."

Why does it happen? Because buying followers is quicker than building relationships.

Push button, look shiny. And shiny attracts the usual suspects: artists craving exposure, brands craving reach, collectors craving the next it account.

Moths, meet flame. Pfft.

Let’s talk about hidden likes

People love to be dramatic here.
Yes, hidden likes could definitely be a red flag.

Some accounts hide likes to cover weak engagement, but hellooo, we see you!

Context matters though.

At Munchies Art Club, we hide likes deliberately. Because likes are not the main act. Or at least, they should not be. Not in the art world.
(Or should they? Getting a wee bit confused here between what I want and what is good for me.)

We most certainly care about the spark and the conversation.

The saves, shares, and comments are the pulse.

Check the rhythm: are people talking, saving, passing it along, or is it just pretty wallpaper?

Hidden likes are not proof of deceit.
Hidden conversation is, though.

The real cost of faking it

Here is the inconvenient truth: fake followers hurt real artists. Like, a mega ouch.

They skew what success looks like, they clog the feed, they erode trust. And yes, the machines notice.

Algorithms and search systems sniff out the mismatch between big numbers and tiny responses, then quietly send that account to the digital basement.

Fewer impressions, less reach, almost no chance of Explore or search.
Big balloon, tiny pop.

Sometimes those hollow accounts get a brief sugar high. Then the ratio dips, the fall is brutal, and suddenly authenticity has to shout just to be heard. Which is exhausting. For everyone.

How to tell who is real and who is faking it

If something feels off, it usually is. Do a tiny audit.

Huge follower counts, no comments. Likes hidden and the thread below is a ghost town. Content that feels recycled or thirsty in a way you can smell.
Overnight spikes that make no sense for the vibe.

Another tell is inconsistency.

When a platform posts everything from brilliant to barely there, with no curatorial thread, that is not range. That is business.

If anyone can buy a spot, a feature becomes a receipt, not a community.

Digital wallpaper, paid by the roll. Oh wait, did someone else say the same thing last week to you?
Probably. I mean, I hope so, because it happens.

You know it when you feel it. That tiny click in the brain.

Artists, do a quick scroll check before you engage.

Three minutes now beats months in a glossy ghost town. Future you says thank you.

What I am rooting for

Real community takes time. Boring answer, correct answer.

Patience, context, care. At Munchies Art Club, we choose that path. Some other platforms do too, each in their lane, and I love them for it.

Numbers still matter, of course. We track them. We learn from them. They are tools, not targets. Our growth stays organic, which is slower, which is fine, which is also harder on my nerves sometimes.

Coffee helps. And yes, I would like trillions of followers. Preferably by Thursday. 😇

The platforms that matter use metrics to serve the work.

They curate, credit, converse.

They know this simple thing that I will keep repeating until someone cross stitch it for my wall: reach without resonance is noise.

Final thoughts:

Visibility is not the same as value.

I stay curious. I look closer.
I back the people who keep art about art, about passion and dream and calling. I also laugh when the internet tries to gaslight my eyeballs, then I get back to work.

“Reach without resonance is noise.”
Pin it, print it, whisper it to your phone when the numbers try to seduce you.

Follower counts can create visibility for artists without galleries, yes, but the art world still runs on connection, trust, and authenticity that refuses to be faked.

That old truth survives every new update.

Old truths, new channels

Instagram opened doors that did not exist.

It has been a strange kind of magic for artists, part stage, part slot machine, but sometimes, it works.

We have seen real stories blossom right in front of our feed, artists who found collectors, galleries, whole communities through one post.

It can be brilliant, even moving, when the noise clears for a second and something true shines through.

When numbers grow organically, they signal real resonance. Used with care, a feed becomes a bridge from screen to studio, from post to practice. Old truths, new channels, same heartbeat.

At Catapult, the new Munchies Art Club, that is the work.

Dominique - Lost in Translation.
New series every Tuesday.
If nothing breaks, burns, or beeps.

Unless the art world implodes, my Wi-Fi breaks, or I get distracted by another idea. So… probably Tuesday-ish. 🙃

Catapult - Art - Uncensored