Put your wallet away. Although paying for followers might seem like a quick fix, it can do more harm than good. We know it might be tempting, but trust us! It’s not a replacement for genuine interest and engagement, and the risks far outweigh the rewards.
It Hurts Your Engagement
When you buy followers, you aren’t getting users who are going to engage with you – you’re merely buying numbers. And more often than not, a good chunk of those followers are fake accounts. Worse yet, if your engagement rate starts dropping because of these fake followers, Instagram’s algorithm will be less and less likely to push your content to the top of your real followers feed. Ouch.
Fake Followers Aren’t Buying what You’re Selling
Fake followers don’t buy products, and they don’t promote your brand. Those empty shells of accounts aren’t going to pay attention to your content and share it with their own networks. They aren’t going to do anything other than sit in your Follower count. Sure, you might think big follower numbers will build credibility in the eyes of your potential customers, but the reality is, people aren’t as easy to fool as you might think and more often than not, they’re going to see right through your sneaky ways.
It Could Damage Your Reputation
One big problem with this tactic? It’s very easy to see through. Let’s say you come across a profile with 100,000 followers. You go through their photos and find that every post has less than 50 likes. Red flag! The Followers to Likes ratio is a dead giveaway – and this lack of authenticity can easily put a bad taste in your real followers and potential customers’ mouths.
You Could Lose Your Account…Forever
Automation is not something Instagram looks at in a favorable light. So it’s no surprise that the social network takes a no-nonsense approach when it comes to fake followers. Not only does Instagram constantly weed out fake followers from accounts, but you also run the risk of losing access to your account if you’re caught. Buying followers violates Instagram’s Terms of Service, and the platform won’t hesitate to suspend your account for good.
Paying for followers might seem like a quick fix, but it can do more harm than good. Click To TweetYou can’t buy your way to Instagram success. If you have a budget to put toward your social media efforts, advertise! It’s a much more effective and authentic way to grow your account without any of that risky business. Remember: it’s better to have a small, loyal, and active following than a bunch of fake users that do nothing for your brand.
