Want to buy Instagram followers? What you need to know

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It seems like everyone buys Instagram followers.

In August 2019, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance carried out an audit on the Instagram accounts of several celebrities, and it turns out that all of them have a high rate of fake subscribers, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Taylor Swift or even Kylian Mbappé (49 %, 46% and 45% respectively for the accounts mentioned).

Taylor Swift’s Instagram account audited by IG Audit. Results show an estimated 46% estimated real followers

Source: IG Audit

Granted, Taylor Swift probably isn’t buying her Instagram followers herself. Many bots follow celebrities to attract other users (normally real ones this time) and to appear more legitimate (if they have no subscribers, it’s something fishy). Instagram usually suggests the most popular accounts to new users, since the platform does not yet know their preferences.

physical vending machine for insta followers

In 48 hours, I got more or less two batches of 1,000 Instagram followers.

Subscribers to StormLikes, which is the cheapest service, came in steadily to eventually reach a total of 1,052. A week later, that number had already dropped to 973.

Mr. Insta followers meanwhile delivered faster, but I only got 944 (down to 882 the following week…I’m already drafting a letter to the Better Business Bureau).

akaprincessrosebud Instagram profile with 1,052 fake followers

So Rosie finally gets all the attention she deserves. Except, in fact, that’s not really the case.

4 reasons NOT to buy Instagram followers

Fake Followers Don’t Engage

None of my Instagram accounts received a single like or comment, despite their new followers.

How can anyone resist Rosie’s droopy ears? None of my fake followers seemed to care.

Of course, it is normal that buying followers does not lead to an increase in engagement. You also have to pay for it.

If that’s not possible, you can always try the new ‘hack’: Instagram engagement pods (we’ve tried them, but to no avail).

Fake followers are obviously…fake

Anyone who takes a look at my ratio can guess that my followers are fake. Unless you’re Beyoncé or Adele, following one or two accounts won’t get you many followers in return.

If users look at my subscriber list, their suspicions will be confirmed. My new followers often have names that look like they were typed randomly on a keyboard (lots of nonsense numbers and letters), they usually only have a few posts, their photos are random, and they hardly ever post Stories .

You must therefore ask yourself if you prefer to have a substantial number of subscribers or keep your dignity (official brands choose the second option).

Brands will blacklist you

Rosie won’t last long as an influencer if potential partners review her account with just the simplest Instagram verification tool.

akaprincessrosebud Instagram profile audit showing 19% estimated real followers

I was rather surprised by the results of this tool. Frankly, I should get a score of 1%, not 19%.

The IG Audit tool was designed by a NASA scientist and could analyze 200 subscribers based on well-defined criteria (before its tragic disappearance at the end of 2019). So we know that about 40 of my fake subscribers appear to be true at the bare minimum, for this software anyway. Anyway, for a potential partner, this result will not be convincing.

Instagram may suspend your account

Instagram has a vested interest in making users want to spend time on its platform, but an army of fraudulent accounts won’t make it more human or more engaging. Consequently, Instagram has taken many steps to minimize unwanted behavior on its platform.

Fake accounts are thus regularly deleted, which means that your followers can disappear at any time.

In late 2018, an Instagram spokesperson also told TechCrunch that accounts associated with these third-party follower-boosting apps might even lose access to certain Instagram features .

Finally, never forget that buying followers violates Instagram’s terms of service, so you run the risk of having your account suspended altogether.

What You Can Do Instead of Buying Instagram Followers

First off, don’t immediately go join an Instagram pod after reading all this. There are far better ways to grow your Instagram following and engagement for real long-term benefits.

Offer original and authentic content to users

Our interview with Laura Izumikawa, a lifestyle photographer who went from 0 to 600,000 Instagram followers without resorting to shortcuts, might give you some ideas.

Her number one tip for Instagram marketers: “Find what you care most about sharing. Draw on what excites you, on your talents, and make it the subject of your photos and videos”. Check out the rest of @lauraiz’s tips here .

Save time editing photos and download your free pack of 10 customizable Instagram presets now .

Instagram is constantly rolling out new features, and the brands that use them first can outpace their competitors. Shopping posts and the latest stickers may be on the rise, but it’s equally great to discover relevant accounts that represent your values in your News Feed and Stories.

Follow this year’s key Instagram trends .

Convert your Instagram account to a business account if you haven’t already. Business accounts benefit from tools that personal accounts don’t have that are essential when building your Instagram marketing strategy .

A/B test your ads

If you have the budget to buy followers, you have the budget to create Instagram ads .

To increase your subscriber base, choose an appropriate advertising campaign objective, such as Brand Awareness or Reach, to get in front of people who haven’t heard of you before but might be interested in you.