As an entrepreneurship consultant helping small businesses expand their digital presence, I often get asked if buying Instagram followers is an effective growth shortcut. Services like Buy More Fans promise instant vanity metrics, but the reality is purchasing followers causes more harm than good in the long run.
In this comprehensive buyer‘s guide, we‘ll analyze the drawbacks of services selling fake engagement and better ways to authentically grow your Instagram following.
Why Buying Followers Damages Your Brand Trust
Services like Buy More Fans might seem tempting for an instant vanity boost, but the vast majority of followers purchased are fake accounts or bots that do nothing to engage with your content or brand.
These inactive accounts don‘t provide any business value. They don‘t like or comment on posts, click links in bios, or convert into customers. They only serve to inflate follower numbers.
Additionally, research shows that real Instagram users tend to distrust accounts with a high number of fake or inactive followers:
- According to a recent survey by Hypeauditor, over 75% of users said a high amount of fake followers makes them less likely to buy from an brand.
- An analysis by SocialInsider found that 60% of users feel buying followers is misleading and damages brand trust.
Purchasing followers also poses risks related to Instagram‘s Terms of Service:
- Accounts caught buying followers may be banned or shadowbanned by Instagram.
- The platform‘s algorithm severely limits reach and discoverability for accounts using third-party services or showing inorganic growth patterns.
Essentially, buying followers provides no real business value, while jeopardizing vital brand trust and authentic reach.
How to Grow Your Instagram Following Organically
Instead of wasting money on fake followers, I recommend clients focus on these organic growth strategies:
Post High-Quality, Valuable Content
- Post at least once per day in your niche. Ideal frequency is 2-3 times per day.
- Leverage visual trends popular in your industry. User-Generated Content and interactive polls perform very well.
- Optimize hashtags so the right users discover your content. Tools like IGTagGenerator help identify relevant hashtags.
- Respond to all comments and questions – this level of engagement builds loyal followers.
Leverage Nano and Micro-Influencers
- Identify influencers with 5K – 100K genuinely engaged followers in your niche.
- Offer free product or commissions for sponsored posts and story takeovers.
- Require influencers to disclose sponsorship and incentivize audience to follow your brand.
Run Contests and Giveaways
- Require users to follow your account and tag friends to enter. Maximize reach.
- Offer desirable prizes that capture attention – gift cards, your products, etc.
- Incentivize additional entries for sharing the giveaway post or Story.
Advertise Strategically
- Run Instagram and Facebook ads targeted to your ideal buyer demographics and interests
- Retarget engaged visitors or existing followers with special offers
- Track ROI and optimize campaign creative, targeting and bid strategy
Analyze Performance
- Review Instagram Insights at least once per week, including top posts, follower growth trends and engagement metrics.
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Identify which types of content gets the most reach and engagement. Then make those types the priority for your content strategy.
For example, if IGTV videos tend to do best for your business, aim for at least 2 IGTV videos per week. - Use UTM campaign tags to track conversions driven specifically by Instagram traffic and optimize accordingly.
By consistently providing value to the right target users, you can build an audience that genuinely cares about your brand over time. There are no legitimate shortcuts – artificial vanity metrics ultimately damage trust and stunt authentic growth.
Focus on high quality content, strategic influencer partnerships, smart contests and advertising instead of wasting money on fake followers.
If you have any other questions on growing your Instagram following sustainably, don‘t hesitate to reach out! I‘m always happy to help break down the latest best practices.
