Instagram has redefined the rules of the game in the world of influence, but behind the appearances lies a less flattering reality: buying followers. According to a recent study, nearly half of influencers resort to this practice to artificially inflate their numbers. While this may give the illusion of a massive audience, is it really effective?
Buying followers might seem tempting, but this strategy comes with many risks, both for the influencer and the brands. Discover the true consequences of this practice and learn how to spot accounts that engage in it.
Yes, it is possible to buy Instagram followers, but that doesn’t mean you should. Although tempting, it’s a risky and often counterproductive practice. Here’s a brief overview of how it works:
Online search
Services offer follower purchases with just a few clicks.
Choose the number
Select the number of followers you want to buy, with prices varying by quantity.
Payment
Usually done online, often by credit card.
Provide your account
Simply enter your username.
Wait
Followers are gradually added to your account.
However, this practice carries risks: loss of credibility, violation of Instagram’s rules, and even the possibility of having your account deleted. It’s always better to prioritize organic and authentic growth.
Having a large number of followers on Instagram does not guarantee an influencer’s success. In fact, buying followers can have harmful consequences, both for the influencer and the brands they collaborate with. On one hand, it can severely compromise the influencer’s integrity, leading to a loss of trust from their community and partners.
On the other hand, this practice hinders organic growth since purchased followers are often inactive accounts or bots that provide no real engagement. This distorts statistics and makes the influencer less relevant in the eyes of brands that seek genuine impact. Moreover, buying followers violates Instagram’s community guidelines, exposing the influencer to sanctions, including account suspension. Brands collaborating with influencers who use these practices also risk seeing their campaigns fail.
They invest time and resources into partnerships that offer little to no return on investment. Instead of reaching an engaged audience, they are faced with artificially inflated numbers, without authentic interaction or real marketing impact.
Engagement is a key indicator. A low engagement rate doesn’t always mean followers were bought, but it’s worth investigating. Compare likes, comments, and shares with similar accounts to ensure the audience’s quality. Typically, engagement rates range from 4.70% for accounts with 100,000 to 500,000 followers, to 6.89% for those with 10,000 to 100,000 followers. For businesses, the average engagement rate usually falls between 1% and 3.5%. However, if this rate is below 1%, it’s likely followers were purchased, as this could indicate an inactive or inauthentic audience.
A comment section filled with generic reactions or strings of emojis often indicates the influencer has bought followers. Check if the comments are actually relevant.
If most of an influencer’s followers have no profile photo or activity, it may suggest they are fake.
A sudden, massive increase in followers without any apparent reason can signal follower purchases. Genuine accounts typically experience more gradual growth.
In short, while it’s relatively easy to buy followers to give the illusion of a massive audience, this practice comes with significant risks and can undermine the real growth of your online presence. By following our recommendations or observing what these Quebec brands do, you can build an organic community without resorting to follower purchases.
For more tips, feel free to contact us!
