Gaining engaged Instagram followers and growing your loyal community is no easy feat, and it could take you long months, in some cases even years, to get to the follower count you dream of. That’s why so many people wonder if it’s possible to speed the process up and if there’s a shortcut to Instagram success.
Is there?
In my personal opinion, the only shortcut that works is to take part in some kind of reality show/entertaining show to gain extremely big exposure in a short time. Or make friends with Kim Kardashian.
And that’s where the most effective possibilities end.
Just kidding! The topic is much more complex, so today, we’ll discuss one of the most popular shortcuts people think there is – buying fake followers. Of course, every Instagram creator and biz owner wants to be the next Gary Vee — but hey, would you buy your way to get there? Is it worth it? Let’s investigate!
Is it illegal to buy Instagram followers?
Will buying Instagram followers get you into legal trouble?
Most probably – no.
Can you pay for Instagram followers legally? Yup. It’s completely legal to buy Instagram followers; there are no laws in any country I know that say you can’t buy Instagram followers.
However – and that’s the first red flag we’ll discuss – buying followers is against Instagram’s community guidelines.
Can Instagram ban you for buying fake followers?
Yes and no. Instagram won’t ban you for buying fake followers, but you may face really serious penalties. If Instagram detects a lot of questionable activity on your account, your account could be suspended or removed, so the risk is really high.
How can you spot Instagram influencers and businesses that buy fake followers?
“It’s depressing, and you feel like you don’t want to live on this planet anymore. You think these beautiful influencers are famous and trending because they work for it until you realize that it’s all bought and fake”
That’s one of the confessions I’ve read on the quite popular marketing forum.
A lot of content creators buy followers to try and game the Instagram journey and the collabs they might be getting at the expense of the community’s trust. But is there any justification for the loathed but widespread practice? Is it even beneficial for Instagram entrepreneurs?
I think it’s a question we need to answer individually.
Dale Janee, an LA-based blogger, confessed that she and her friends felt enormous pressure to have followings as large as those of the huge influencers and Instagram coaches who earn millions of dollars each year from their profiles and all the sponsorships and collabs they run.
“I think I can understand the urge to purchase followers, particularly for new, aspiring creators. Everyone has considered it at some time during their lives “Janee stated. “There’s a lot of pressure to obtain as many followers as possible and make your posts seem flawless. To get that engagement. I went back and forth until I looked at the original creators who have been growing their ‘Gram profiles for years, such as Cupcakes and Cashmere or the famous Atlantic Pacific, and you instantly know they are honest and authentic. There’s a certain kind of admiration that comes with letting your Instagram profile grow organically. Plus, if others find out, you would lose all credibility, which is not worth it.“
How to spot influencers or businesses that are guilty of buying fake followers?
There is a wide range of websites that will analyze your profile (some of them are free) for fake followers and fake engagement. This is especially useful for brand deals, and actually, we constantly double-check influencer metrics to ensure that they aren’t overestimated.
How do you gain real Instagram followers organically?
I know the temptation grows stronger when you consider how simple it is to buy followers (with just a few clicks!) and how little it costs.
Putting ethics aside, buying Instagram followers raises the question that every Instagram user seems to have: Do numbers really matter? Should we care about vanity metrics?
The follower count itself isn’t what matters the most—your engagement matters.
Trust me, you can achieve success on Instagram more fairly.
Here’s what you can do to speed the process up (but organically, of course!)
1. Instead of wasting money and buying fake followers, invest in a good Instagram analytics and hashtag research tool. If you’re looking for a way to improve your Instagram strategy and take your ‘Gram to new heights by analyzing your audience and tracking your growth, I’d say tools like IQ Hashtags are the way to go. With IQ, you’ll get access to various helpful resources and in-depth metrics so that you can level up your Instagram strategy and increase your engagement – ORGANICALLY. I can’t stress this enough, haha.
2. Attract your target audience with targeted hashtags. By using relevant hashtags that are niched-down, you can reach people who are genuinely interested in your content and willing to engage with it – and that’s the goal, right? Hashtag research tool (IQ Hashtags also included this feature, so you don’t have to invest in 10 tools, you can actually invest in all in one), displays analytics and insights into the hashtags you’ve picked to complement your posts. It also provides a list of trending hashtags to help you gain more traction.
3. Cross-promote and attract traffic from other profiles similar to yours. Collabs with other creators are a good thing, and shh, I will elaborate on that in the upcoming guide!
The bottom line
Buying Instagram followers is never a wise practice. Instagram has tools to detect fake follower growth and can even restrict your account if you are caught! I’ve heard many real-life stories like this. It’s just not worth it – let’s focus on organic growth!