Just when I thought the world had realized how wrong it is to buy Fans for any social media profile someone else is asking me if they should do it. Seriously? I wrote my first post about buying Fans in 2012. Buying Likes, fans, followers, Pinners, shares, comments or anything else will do absolutely nothing for a small business. Let’s save you some heartbreak, dignity, and cash: don’t do it.
The allure is real—10,000 followers overnight? Your account looking like it’s dripping in social media clout? Sounds like the dream, right? But the reality? It’s more like a nightmare.
The Difference Between Buying Followers and Running Ads
First things first: buying followers is not the same as advertising to recruit followers.
Buying followers means you’re literally paying someone to give you thousands of followers—usually overnight. These are often fake accounts, bots, or inactive profiles created for the sole purpose of inflating numbers.
Advertising to recruit followers, on the other hand, involves running campaigns to connect with real people who might genuinely be interested in your content. You’re paying to reach actual humans, who can choose to engage with your content or follow your account.
Here’s a key difference: when you buy followers, you’re paying for numbers. When you run ads, you’re paying for potential relationships. And while some bots might sneak into your ad campaigns, the majority of your audience will be real. A study by Influencer Marketing Hub highlights how bought followers differ drastically in value from genuine audiences.
Why Buying Followers Is a Bad Idea
If you’re tempted by the promise of instant popularity, here’s what you’re really signing up for: a deluge of fake followers who obviously cannot engage with your content.
1. Engagement Death
Fake followers don’t like, comment, or share your content. So, while your follower count might look impressive, your engagement rate—likes, comments, and shares relative to your follower count—will plummet. A low engagement rate sends a clear signal to platforms like Instagram and Facebook: this content isn’t worth sharing.
To add further insult, because these fake profiles are not engaging with your content, Facebook will start to downgrade your Page. In effect, it will show your content to fewer and fewer people organically. This is a downward slide you do not want to start.
2. Algorithm Blues
Social media algorithms prioritize content that sparks meaningful interactions. If your posts aren’t getting engagement, platforms will stop showing them to your audience—even the real followers you worked hard to attract.
3. Trust Issues
Audiences and brands can sniff out fake followers faster than you can say “bot.” There are tools like HypeAuditor that can identify fake follower activity, and nothing screams “sketchy” louder than inflated numbers with zero engagement to back them up.
4. Account Jeopardy
Many social media platforms explicitly ban the practice of buying followers. If caught, you could face penalties ranging from reduced reach to outright account suspension. Fake followers aren’t worth risking the hard work you’ve put into your account.
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