If you receive an error message when creating an Overlaps Report in the IROIN® Influencer Marketing Suite or the report does not start, this is often due to a channel with hidden followers. The Overlaps module analyzes overlaps in the target audiences of different influencers, but it requires access to follower data to do so. If that data is not available, the report cannot be generated – a common issue that is easy to resolve once you understand the cause.
What does “hidden followers” mean?
Some Instagram profiles hide their follower lists for privacy reasons or due to individual settings. In such cases, only the influencer themselves can see the full number of followers and the exact composition of their audience – for example, how many are from Germany or which age groups dominate. For external tools like the Overlaps module, this data is not accessible. If even one of the channels in your selected group has hidden followers, the required information to calculate overlaps is missing, and the report cannot be created.
How can you identify hidden followers?
You can easily check whether a channel has hidden followers. Go to the influencer’s Instagram profile and click on their follower count to open the list. If you see a small gray info message at the top that says: “Only the account owner can see all followers,” then it is a profile with hidden followers. This setting is popular among some influencers to protect their privacy, but it blocks analyses like the Overlaps Report.
How do you solve the problem?
The solution is straightforward: Check all the channels in your Overlaps selection and remove those with hidden followers from the analysis. After that, you can generate the report for the remaining influencers without any issues and analyze the overlaps in their audiences.
If you are unsure or have questions, just reach out to us – we’ll be happy to help you select the right channels and create your report.