The Risks of Buying Instagram Followers

Back in 2014, Instagram conducted a huge purge of inactive users and fake accounts.

This left many with a stunted following – and celebrities were no exception. Many Instagram users learned the hard way that purchasing fake followers is not the best way to rise to the top on this platform.

Purchasing fake followers for cheap can bite you back if you’re not careful. Instagram makes continual efforts to clean their network of fake followers, and only time can tell when they will conduct another purge. If you’re considering buying fake followers from the next provider who offers you 10,000 for $5, you better think twice.

Just as there are shady providers out there, there are also Instagram follower providers that are worth trusting. Reputable providers make use of real social media marketing techniques to help you increase your followers. These providers will not compromise your credibility and can help you survive the next purge unscathed.

Below, we go over some of the biggest risks in purchasing fake followers. Consider this our warning!

Dangers of Fake Followers

Your name is on the line

Purchasing fake followers can take a toll on your credibility online. Fake followers are not hard to spot and Instagram users can smell them from a mile away.

Most users are easily turned off by fake followers – purchasing them by the truckloads is a fast way to get on a potential follower’s bad side. This can be especially damaging to businesses looking to gain more recognition online, as it would seem you are manipulating your popularity on the platform.

High quality followers bought from a reputable provider will not hurt your credibility. These followers look and behave like authentic users – and most of the time, they are authentic. Although they come off as a more expensive alternative, it will all be worth it.

You risk losing them to another purge

As mentioned earlier, fake followers are not hard to spot and Instagram is on the hunt for them. Know that if you opt to purchase fake followers, you risk losing them all, potentially wasting your money, as soon as Instagram decides it’s time for another purge.

Not only is this a waste of time, it’s also a fast way to ruin your reputation. If followers think you have a solid fan base, losing a ton of them to a purge will definitely make them think otherwise.

You’ll end up paying more

Fake followers come cheap because they don’t take much to create. These fake followers also offer little to no engagement at all.

Engagement costs extra and oftentimes, the engagement you get is in the form of irrelevant comments that are just a spammy nuisance on your post.

Providers of fake followers will advertise their incredibly low rates, but what they don’t tell you is all the hidden charges. If you want likes and comments to go with your new army of fake followers, you have to shell out more money. There are also some instances where keeping these followers around can cost you more over time.

A reputable provider should be upfront with all of the fees associated with their services and offer retention guarantees. You should not pay more to keep the followers you’ve purchased in the first place so be very cautious and be sure to read the fine print before signing up with a provider.

You’ll be spammed

Like we said, you can’t expect real engagement to come with your cheap fake followers. They’ll most likely leave spammy and irrelevant comments on your posts, rather than thoughtful, valuable additions to your feed.

Remember that little thump in your heart when you see that someone has left a comment on your post? That feeling will soon be followed by disappointment, because if you bought cheap followers the comment is most likely unrelated, uninteresting, and maybe unintelligible.

Your fake followers’ spamming behavior can raise red flags. In a thread on Quora, Instagram’s Community Evangelist Jessica Zollman said that they take rigid anti-spam measures to ensure a high quality user experience.

You risk being flagged

Instagram users now have the power to flag individual comments as spam. So if your fake followers begin leaving irrelevant comments, know that the spam police could be on their way.

Many people on Instagram will flag fake accounts without hesitation. Your newly purchased fake followers won’t survive for long if there are watchful users keeping an eye on who is posting what.

You won’t always be blamed for having fake followers, of course. Anyone can follow anyone else with a public account. If you have a lot of these followers, however, this can raise red flags.

Your fake followers won't get you on the popular page

If you think purchasing fake followers is the fast way to get on the popular page, that’s just not true.

Hashtags are the best way for you to get there and get noticed by even more people, so purchasing fake followers who won’t engage appropriately is just a waste of your time and money.

Avoid Fake Followers – Go for High Quality

If the reasons above aren’t enough to turn you off from purchasing fake followers, we don’t know what will.

There’s more to increasing your following than just going with the cheapest provider. You should put a lot of thought and research in every move you make online – especially if you’re working on building your reputation.

Check out as many providers as you can, and take a look at our reviewed list of trusted sites. We’ve researched and tested many of them to help you steer clear of shady providers who are only after your money.

Before recommending a provider to you, we put them to the test and make sure they won’t run away with your money. From customer service to delivery and guarantees – we evaluate each provider according to our high standards to help you make the best choice.

There is a smart way to increase your followers, and going with the cheapest alternative is not it. Keep it real and keep it safe.

Date: December 2, 2016 / Categories: Buy Instagram Followers, Marketing, Tips, / Author: Mariko