When it comes to Instagram, many feel tempted by the dark side. This is because it can be all too easy to buy fake followers and likes, which gives the appearance of a successful account. But, STAY AWAY! (please!)

There are several reasons why you should not buy Instagram followers – and spoilers, there are absolutely no reasons why you should.

Not only could buying fake followers hurt your credibility, but it can also distort your performance metrics. In addition, Instagram is getting better at identifying and purging fake accounts, so you’re actually more likely to see a decrease in your follower count if you decide to take this route.

There are much better ways to grow on Instagram – read on to find out more!

Why You Shouldn’t Buy Instagram Followers or Likes

When you buy followers and likes, what you’re essentially doing is paying for bots. These are accounts that have been created with the sole purpose of following or liking other accounts. They don’t actually engage with your content, and they certainly won’t be buying anything from you.

This can hurt your credibility because it makes it look like you’re not actually gaining any real followers. It can also distort your performance metrics, making it look like you’re doing better than you really are.

In addition, Instagram is getting better at identifying and purging fake accounts. So, if you buy followers or likes from a third-party service, there’s a good chance that Instagram will eventually find out and purge your followers. This could lead to a significant decrease in your follower count, which is definitely not what you want!

Focusing on this vanity metric does not relate to your account’s success. If you wish to invest money into actually growing your Instagram account, there are so many ways to genuinely grow, attract and engage with real people who are interested in buying from you.

Think of it this way, posting your content on an account filled with fake followers is like dropping your business flyers in a room of human cardboard cutouts…

Build Trust With Your Social Media Marketing

Most importantly, your Social Media accounts act as a trust-building pillar for your product/service. Many customers within their buying journey will explore your social profiles to get a feel for your business, the advocacy of your customers, level of service to expect; ultimately, helping them to make the decision to buy from you.

If they land on a profile with 0% engagement but thousands of followers, it’s a massive red flag of mistrust. Your credibility will be questioned, as it won’t take long for people to realise something is just not right!

Consider this: would you continue to follow an account if you discovered that the majority of its “loyal audience” were inactive accounts or bots? I’m guessing not. If a company has a large number of fake followers, it’s reasonable to believe that they’re buying followers or engaged with them in some way. It may appear deceptive, and you might assume that the brand couldn’t possibly obtain real followers through excellent content alone.

So, really, it’s easy, audiences follow and buy from authentic accounts.

Fake Followers + The Instagram Algorithm

Another reason to stay away from the dark side of Instagram is the way the algorithm works:

The Instagram algorithm determines a post as ‘worthy’ by the amount of interaction it receives. In fact, the algorithm takes into consideration a lot of data to determine if it is ‘worthy’ enough to be shown to others either at the top of their feeds, at the top of hashtags & locations or even better, in the explore feeds.

These can include but are not limited to:

• Relationship, how often you interact with the account
• Interest, how you typically engage with post types (ppsttt, this is why reels and videos do so well as we tend to spend more time watching them compared to images)
• Timeliness, how recently it was posted
• Frequency of Use, how often the user checks Instagram
• Following, how many people does the account follow
• Session time, how long the account spends on Instagram each day

SO, the main takeaway here is fake followers and bought likes will only harm your account’s reach. If your engagement rate is low, worked out by how many followers you have; this tells the algorithm, no one is engaging with this account so don’t show this account’s content to anyone else.

In fact, if you continue with these dark side practices, you can also be shadowbanned by Instagram…

How Can I Tell If I’m Shadowbanned?

Shadowbanning is when Instagram restricts your account from being seen by others. This means that your posts will not show up in hashtag or location searches, and not all your followers will not see your posts in their feeds.

It’s important to note that shadowbanning is different from having your account suspended or deleted. You are not informed when your account has been shadowbanned, your account still looks the same but no one can find you. With shadowbanning, you can still post content and use hashtags, but your content will not be seen by anyone other than some of your existing followers (which are *ahem*, not real anyway).

If you think you’ve been shadowbanned, there are a few ways to check

First, take a look at your recent posts and see if they’re receiving the same amount of engagement as usual. If you’re seeing a significant decrease in likes, comments, and views, it’s possible that you’ve been shadowbanned.

If you think you’ve been shadowbanned, the best thing to do is take a break from Instagram for a few days. Once you return, make sure to only use hashtags that are relevant to your niche and avoid using banned hashtags. In addition, try to post high-quality content that will spark engagement from your followers.

So, if your followers are fake, it means you can never authentically grow your account and you’re back to your original problem again, but this time Instagram has flagged your account, making it even harder than before to grow.

Personally, my advice is, if you’ve bought followers or likes, is just start a new account and you’ll be amazed at how much you were being punished and limited before. But, if those stats are really that important over reaching REAL people, enjoy your time-wasting practice!

There are Better Way to Grow on Instagram

There are much better ways to grow on Instagram than by buying fake followers and likes. Here are a few ideas:

– Focus on creating quality content that your followers will love

– Use relevant and popular hashtags to increase your reach

– Interact with other users on Instagram by liking and commenting on their posts

– Host a contest or giveaway for your followers

– Grow your account organically over time = grow takes time, don’t be impatient

– Consider the benefits of paid ads on the platform to help reach your marketing goals sooner

It takes hard work and dedication, but if you focus on building a real and engaged community, you’ll be much better off in the long run. So, don’t be tempted by the dark side of Instagram! Grow your account the right way, authentically!

Build An Authentic Instagram Following With Rebellion Marketing

If you want to grow your Instagram account the right way, you should avoid all of the shady tactics out there. From buying fake followers and likes to shadowbanning, these practices will only hurt your account in the long run.

So, what’s the best way to grow on Instagram? Experts say that organic growth is still the best way to go. This means that you should focus on creating quality content, using relevant hashtags, and interacting with other users on the platform. Over time, your followers will grow naturally as long as you continue to produce high-quality content.

If you’re struggling to grow your social media accounts, we can help! As part of our social media management, we will get to know your business so we can create engaging posts that your target audience will respond to. To show you how your social media strategy is progressing, we will produce regular reports to show you what’s working and what’s not, so we can make necessary adjustments to your strategy.

So, don’t be tempted by the dark side of Instagram – it’s not worth it! Instead, drop us a line and discover how we can help you grow with real followers!