Many people looking to grow their Instagram presence quickly consider purchasing cheap followers as a shortcut to boost their numbers. While buying followers might seem like an easy way to gain social proof and appear popular, it comes with significant risks and drawbacks. Here’s a detailed explanation of what you need to know before purchasing Instagram followers, especially cheap ones.
Why Do People Buy Instagram Followers?
The main motivation behind buying followers is to increase social proof. A higher follower count can attract organic followers, improve credibility, and potentially help with brand deals or influencer marketing opportunities. Some businesses or individuals believe that a big follower number makes their profile look more successful and trustworthy.
What Are “Cheap” Followers?
Cheap followers typically come from third-party services selling large quantities of followers at low prices. These followers are often:
-
Fake accounts: Bots or automated profiles created just to inflate numbers.
-
Inactive users: Real accounts that don’t engage with your content.
-
Low-quality profiles: Accounts with no real interest in your niche or brand.
Because they don’t represent real, engaged people, these followers usually don’t contribute to meaningful growth.
Risks of Buying Cheap Followers
-
Low Engagement Rates:
Since these followers are often fake or inactive, they won’t like, comment, or share your posts. This leads to a low engagement rate, which is a crucial factor Instagram’s algorithm uses to decide how widely to show your content. -
Damage to Reputation:
Experienced Instagram users and brands can often spot profiles with a disproportionate number of followers compared to engagement. This can harm your credibility and make real followers suspicious of your authenticity. -
Violation of Instagram’s Terms:
Buying followers violates Instagram’s community guidelines. The platform actively removes fake accounts and may penalize or even ban accounts caught using such services. -
Wasted Money:
Because fake followers don’t convert into customers or fans, your investment won’t generate real business value. If your goal is to grow an authentic audience, purchased followers won’t help you achieve that.
Alternatives to Buying Cheap Followers
-
Create Quality Content: Post consistently with content that resonates with your target audience.
-
Engage with Your Community: Reply to comments, like and comment on others’ posts, and build genuine connections.
-
Use Hashtags and Trends: Increase your organic reach by using relevant hashtags and participating in trending topics.
-
Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers in your niche can bring authentic followers.
-
Run Ads: Instagram ads allow you to target specific audiences and grow followers who are genuinely interested.
If You Still Decide to Buy Followers
If you decide to purchase followers despite the risks, do thorough research:
-
Choose reputable services with positive reviews.
-
Avoid packages offering thousands of followers for just a few dollars, as they are almost always fake.
-
Look for providers that offer some form of retention guarantee to minimize sudden drops in follower numbers.
In summary, purchasing cheap Instagram followers is generally not recommended. While it might give a quick boost in numbers, the long-term damage to your engagement, reputation, and account safety outweighs the short-term benefits. Building an authentic following through quality content and engagement is far more effective and sustainable for meaningful growth on Instagram.
