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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.
The Ripple Effect of Buying Followers
Buying followers damages your credibility and impacts the wider social media ecosystem.
When businesses or influencers inflate their numbers, it creates an unrealistic standard for others trying to grow their accounts authentically. Worse, brands that partner with fake-influencer accounts waste their advertising dollars, which affects the industry as a whole.
And let’s not forget the reputational risk. Imagine being called out publicly for buying followers. Your audience won’t just unfollow—they’ll lose trust in you completely.
A cautionary tale? Remember the influencer who promised to sell 36 t-shirts to their 2.6 million followers and failed? Turns out, fake followers don’t buy products. Ouch.
Instead of Buying Followers
There’s no shortcut to building a real, engaged audience, but the long game is worth it. Here’s what to focus on instead:
Create Consistent, Authentic Content: Share posts that resonate with your target audience. Think less about going viral and more about connecting with your core followers. For tips on creating educational content, check out Creating Educational Content for Social Media.
Run Thoughtful Ad Campaigns: Facebook and Instagram ads can help you find the right audience. Just be sure you’re monitoring campaigns to ensure your dollars are being spent wisely. Learn more about the importance of likes versus followers in Facebook Likes vs. Followers, What’s More Important?.
Engage Organically: Respond to comments, start conversations, and show up in your followers’ DMs (in a non-creepy way). Relationships build trust—and trust builds loyalty. Discover strategies for networking on social media in Networking on Social Media as a Small Business.
Learn From Success Stories: Follow influencers or businesses that grew their accounts authentically and see what strategies you can replicate.
The Anti-Hero Approach to Social Media Growth
Sure, buying followers might give your account a temporary ego boost. But in the long run, it’ll drag your social media strategy straight into the mud.
Dare to do it the right way. Yes, it’ll take longer. But when your audience is full of real people who care about your content, the payoff will be so much sweeter. Your future self—and your engagement rate—will thank you.
What’s your take? Ever considered buying followers or had success with paid ads? Let me know in the comments!
FAQs for the Incessently Curious
How do I identify fake followers on my account?
Spotting fake followers can save you from poor engagement rates and help maintain the integrity of your social media presence. Here are some telltale signs:
- Low Activity Levels: Check for accounts with very few or no posts, or profiles that only repost content without original posts.
- Generic or Spammy Profiles: Look for usernames filled with random numbers or letters, empty bios, or profiles that seem nonsensical.
- Unrealistic Follower Counts: If someone has thousands of followers but little to no engagement (likes, comments, or shares), it’s a red flag.
- Irrelevant Comments: Bots often leave generic comments like “Nice post!” or use emojis that don’t match the context of your content.
If you find fake followers, consider removing them to clean up your audience and improve your engagement metrics. Most platforms allow you to manually block or remove followers.
How can I tell if someone I’m working with has bought followers?
Whether you’re vetting an influencer, agency, or partner, here are the key ways to spot if someone has bought followers:
- Engagement Mismatch: Compare their follower count to their likes, comments, and shares. A high follower count with little engagement is a classic sign of fake followers.
- Sudden Follower Spikes: Use tools like Social Blade to analyze their growth over time. A massive, unexplained jump in followers is often the result of a purchase.
- Low-Quality Followers: Look at their followers. If many accounts have no profile pictures, strange usernames, or no posts, they’re likely fake.
- Generic or Repeated Comments: Fake followers often leave irrelevant or duplicated comments, like “Great post!” or a string of emojis. Authentic comments tend to be more specific and thoughtful.
- Ask Questions About Their Strategy: If you suspect foul play, ask about their growth strategy. If they can’t provide clear, actionable steps they’ve taken to grow their audience, it might be a red flag.
To avoid working with individuals or agencies that inflate their numbers, focus on partnerships where engagement quality and authentic audience connections take priority.
What Should I Do if My Previous Agency Bought Followers on My Accounts?
First off, take a deep breath—this situation isn’t ideal, but it’s fixable. Here’s what you can do to take control and repair your account:
- Assess the damage by analyzing your followers:
Use tools like HypeAuditor or Social Blade to identify fake accounts. These tools can flag suspicious activity, such as large numbers of inactive or bot followers. - Clean up your audience by manually removing fake followers:
Most social platforms let you remove followers. Start with profiles that look fake—those with no profile pictures, minimal posts, or spammy usernames. You’ll likely have to do this manually as most platforms prevent apps from doing this automatically due to past abuses. - Focus on rebuilding authentically
Start creating high-quality, authentic content to re-establish trust with your real audience.Consider explaining the situation to your audience (if appropriate). Transparency can rebuild credibility and show your commitment to doing things the right way.
