Buying followers is quick and easy, but can come with a risk.
Buying Followers: To Buy or Not to Buy?
In today’s social media society, you are your follower count. Whether it’s a personal page or a business page, having a large following gives the illusion that you’re worth following. But, building an audience does not happen overnight. Most successful accounts grow their audiences organically, but when looking for a quick solution, buying your followers becomes an option. But, is it worth it? See the pros and cons below.
Pros
Increase in credibility. Building your followers can take time. When it comes to social media, most people tend to follow the crowd. Users are more likely to follow a page that has 1000 followers vs. 100 followers. So, for new accounts, buying followers can be very beneficial in helping to grow your audience. A larger number of followers, real or not, creates the illusion of popularity and credibility from a very surface level.
Better place in the algorithm. Instagram tends to clump together pages that are similar in content, follower demographics and general levels of popularity. The more followers you have, real or fake, the more likely Instagram is to feature your page in the explore section and push your content more frequently to your real followers feed.
Cons
Decrease in credibility. A bit contradictory to the pro of increased credibility, buying followers can quickly decrease your credibility if it becomes known. Once a user clicks on your followers list they may notice your followers are purchased. Most avid Instagram or Twitter users will be able to see through the odd robotic usernames, suspicious profile pictures and lack of posts. So, if you buy followers, be willing to take the risk of people sifting through your followers list and discovering your secret.
Low engagement. These purchased accounts are fake. There isn’t a person attached to them, therefore they have no way of interacting with your account. Your posts will continue to get 5-10 likes even though you have 1000 followers, which can look a bit odd to users. If you’re trying to get your audience to purchase your product, be aware that these fake followers will not be able to help with that goal.
Buying followers can be a good way to get started, but from there you must continue to build your brand, produce quality content and engage with your followers. The quick and easy solution will only get you so far.
Looking to build your following the organic way? We can help! RSO Consulting offers both organic and paid social media optimization services. Take a look.
