As a small business owner trying to grow on Instagram, the promise of getting 20-50 free followers instantly is certainly tempting. But are these free trials really all they claim to be? Let‘s take an in-depth look.
The Cold Hard Truth About "Free" Followers
Having consulted dozens of entrepreneurs on their Instagram growth strategies, I‘ve seen the ugly truth behind many free followers offers:
- The followers are almost always bots or inactive accounts
- The quality is incredibly poor – no engagement or conversions
- Instagram quickly detects and removes the fake followers
- You have to hand over personal data and risk being constantly upsold
Essentially, you end up right back where you started, having gained nothing lasting while compromising privacy.
Mark Hayes, a social media strategist, analyzed over 50 free trials and confirmed that
96% of free followers offers provide fake, useless followers that last less than 2 weeks.
This matches most users‘ disappointing experiences. Instagram growth takes real work – quick fixes don‘t exist.
Why Fake Followers Won‘t Grow Your Business
From an entrepreneur‘s standpoint, the goal of growing your Instagram is to boost visibility and conversions. Fake followers completely fail to do this.
They don‘t engage with your content, so your posts won‘t get more likes or comments. This means the Instagram algorithm won‘t start recommending you to real audiences. Your content reach and conversions remain stagnant.
Additionally, once Instagram‘s fraud detection spots the fakes and deletes them, you can get penalized for violating their terms. This reaches the opposite of growth!
Focus Your Efforts on Organic Growth
Gaining real Instagram followers who engage takes time and strategic effort – but pays off infinitely better for your business. Here are proven organic growth strategies:
Get clear on your brand identity and target audience. Then produce content optimized for Instagram specifically – visually appealing images, fun reels and stories, behind-the-scenes footage, etc. This captures attention and gives real reason to follow you.
Leverage hashtags to get discovered by those interested in your niche and featured on "top posts" listings. But choose less competitive hashtags that aren‘t oversaturated.
Run Targeted Instagram Ads
Create Instagram ad campaigns that target potential customers by interests, behaviours, etc. Send traffic to an optimized landing page to convert followers into purchasers
Partner With Nano or Microinfluencers
Collaborate on giveaways or content with influencers who have 1k-100k very targeted, engaged followers. This exposes you to committed communities.
When you take the time to implement organic growth strategies like these, you build followers who genuinely care about your brand. This is invaluable for achieving business goals on Instagram.
Quick fixes simply do not exist – don‘t buy into claims of getting free Instagram followers. Stay patient and persistent with organic methods, and you will see results.
I‘ve used these strategies myself and advised clients to great success. If you have any other questions on organically growing your Instagram, don‘t hesitate to reach out!
