If you’re addicted to Instagram (or just someone who uses it every day), you’ve probably creeped your friend’s profile at least once or twice to sneak a peek at their follower/following count. If you haven’t, then congrats – you’re not as shallow as me! But let’s be real, it’s hard not to pay attention to someone’s follower/following count when it’s the first thing you see on a profile. Even when their account is private.
Having a large number of followers gives you influence online. More people will tag you in posts, hoping to get a shout out. More people will interact with your posts as they pop up on the featured page. Basically, you’re getting a huge chunk of free advertising space that will get you even more followers.
As you can see, having some followers on Instagram has its benefits. But how you grow your followers? Post amazing content? Spam your posts with popular hashtags? Engage with the followers you already have?
Or… you just buy some followers.
Buying followers
When you buy followers, you’re essentially paying for Instagram accounts that exist just to be bought. A lot of them look really spammy. They usually have a bunch of random numbers in their username, and maybe two posts saying, “GET FREE FOLLOWERS TODAY!!!” And then there are other accounts that look more regular, have a few normal-looking posts and maybe even some followers.
Is buying followers a scam?
Well, it is. But it also isn’t.
If you’re looking to grow your business’ online presence, getting a jumpstart on Instagram by purchasing followers can help your business seem more legitimate. Or if you’re someone who wants to look like they’re Instagram famous, then sure: buy a ton of followers. But the most important thing is to make sure that you’re buying your followers from a trusted source. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your money.
If you manage to build a large following that looks legit, then even if they’re mostly fake, your profile will gain enough social proof to give you credibility and boost your organic growth (with real people this time).
