The year is 2010, and Instagram is the new thing in the crowds. Every feed is filled with pictures of food and pouty selfies. And the world has become all about the number of likes, comments, and shares on a post.
In the race to do better than the next guy and gain online traction, people started buying Instagram followers of the fake and robotic variety.
While the online ads to buy fake Instagram followers and likes might seem very tempting, you are not to fall for the glitz and glam because there are many reasons – all of which will be covered in this article.
7 Reasons Why Buying Fake Instagram Followers Is A Bad Thing
Before we get to why you shouldn’t buy fake Instagram followers, let’s first talk about how hard it is to hide them once you have bought them.
The point of going through all the trouble of buying fake followers is to leave people with the impression that you have real followers that engage with you, but that’s hardly the case.
Not just that, but it is also relatively easy to spot them from a mile away.
Don’t believe us?
Well, you will in a minute.
Let us start with the basic ones:
1) No profile picture.
2) No actual posts.
3) Large following count.
4) Next to nothing, followers count.
Still not convinced?
It’s okay.
1) Large Following But No Engagement
The most you might be able to get out of them will be comments that look spammy, which will be the red flag your brands will notice to give up on you or your brand.
Moreover, the large number of followers will not help you get leads and sell your products, and if you’re a business, isn’t that why you started the page in the first place?
Let’s forget engagement; they won’t even see your posts.
No matter how much they avoid engaging in posts, your real followers will still at least see your content, and that counts for something!
2) No Match For Accounts With Real Following
You will have difficulty standing out from a sea of other accounts that worked hard to build a real following.
Whether we consider it in terms of engagement or anything else, you will find yourself falling behind.
Now, was buying fake Instagram followers such a good idea?
3) Inappropriate Bot Comments Are Just Going To Happen
Once you have bought the fake followers, you have set yourself up to receive questionable engagement on your account, specifically on your posts.
You would not be wrong to expect bot accounts to litter your posts with messages that look very spammy and in languages that you don’t even comprehend.
Sometimes, these comments could be inappropriate; other times, these comments could be repetitive – so basically, a different kind of spammy, but spammy nonetheless.
4) And The Spam Followers Will Follow
Sensing the spam engagement on your account, the spam accounts will make their way to you.
Now, sure, you will be able to gain more followers (yay?), but they will be of a spam variety that will nag you down more than lift you on Instagram.
Sometimes, these purchased followers will gain some followers themselves when your following ends up following them.
Eventually, they will find the true nature of these fake profiles and unfollow them, and you for betraying their trust in your credibility as an influencer or brand
5) Now Instagram Is Purging Fake Followers
Yikes! That’s not so good!
Instagram works hard to ensure all the profiles on the app are positive and honest people/businesses and eradicates any fake accounts it finds. It’s bright and knows what to spot to confirm the nature of the account.
Once you land on its radar, you can probably expect where that will lead you.
Cancelled.
Blocked.
Disabled.
Deactivated.
Okay, I think you get the picture now.
Like any other social media platform, Instagram has a set of rules to be firmly followed, or it has the right to suspend the profile or account being dishonest.
6) Your Influencer Credibility Is Gone
Cutting corners won’t help you in the long run.
So, take your time and grow naturally. If you’re a genuine, hard-working influencer, chances are you will be an increase in your followers and engagement over time – but slowly and steadily.
In the race we mentioned earlier, don’t lose yourself and the opportunity to work with brands – a goal that was probably why you made this account.
7) All That Money Down The Drain!
After buying fake Instagram followers, you will notice a lack of positive impact on your account.
There’s not much that the fake Instagram followers will have to offer you, anyway.
Instead, you can spend money on your campaigns and other aspects of your journey to help you grow better.
4 Ways To Naturally Build Your Account
Your Instagram fame doesn’t rely on fake followers. It can grow organically and quite simply too. Here are four easy ways that you can get started:
1) Share genuine content
The more accurate you are, the more chances you have of getting popular with people. So, don’t hold back anything that makes you real.
2) Post regularly
There’s nothing more attractive than consistency. If you’re consistent with your content and the number of times you post in a day/week, more and more people will be attracted to follow your brand.
3) Get shoutouts from other big accounts
Getting yourself mentioned on accounts with large followings can do the trick. A collaboration might bear even better fruits than a simple shoutout, so maybe you can try looking more into that option.
4) Consider utilizing Instagram ads
Ads, especially the smart ones that adapt according to their response and the response it thinks you want, are a blessing. They can be a great way of achieving your goals – be it gaining awareness, followers, or leads, and they can help in all cases.
5) Try Instagram Reels & Stories
Known to increase an account’s reach, reels and stories are more helpful than you’d imagine them to be. It will reach an audience beyond your account, and who knows, it might even bring in the engagement you’re looking for.
Remember to continue, even if you don’t see an immediate bump in followers. The key is staying consistent and monitoring what does well for you and what doesn’t.
6) Use Hashtags
Nothing works like a charm, like finding new audiences like hashtags. It is a great way for content to become categorized for users automatically; this way, they can get the latest updates by following the hashtag.
So even if they are not following you, you will still appear on their profile. Isn’t that sweet?
All you have to do is follow a hashtag strategy, targeting the right people, and you should be good to go!
7) Conduct Market Research
The help you can get from comprehensive market research is inexplicably monumental.
Basing your Instagram strategy on it instead of cushioning it by buying fake Instagram followers would give you an accurate idea of what your ideal customer resonates with.
Then notice how much your genuine followers increase organically.
Conclusion
To summarize: be better, be you, and don’t be tempted by the big numbers.
