Although considered unethical by many in the social media industry there are still many people choosing to buy Instagram followers, industry insiders included. Why? Simply, there is just too much pressure for people to seem important on social media. With Instagram now being one of the largest social platforms many people continue to buy Instagram followers without realizing the consequences.
The more people who choose to socialize online the more online social interaction is expected from others. The people working in media and in the public eye have even a higher pressure of having a large online profile. This is pushing more people towards the trend of buying Instagram followers. An Instagram follower can be purchased for as little as a cup of coffee but are usually sold in packages starting at around $20. Being so affordable makes it more tempting to buy. However, there are consequences involved with buying Instagram followers that many are unaware of.
It Is Easily Spotted
Fake followers are easily spotted and can ruin your online image. Be careful when purchasing Instagram followers, as all that you are purchasing is a change in numbers. When it comes to online engagement you need real followers who are interested in what you have to share. Other ways of spotting if someone has bought followers are if their numbers has spiked and followers with either no profile picture or a generic image.
Losing Trust
Everyone knows that people cheat Instagram to look more popular. Once they understand what to look out for it is easy to spot fake followers. If your fans notice that your Instagram followers have been bought they may lose trust and interest in what you have to offer. With many professionals now days having their social media profile scanned before employment. Purchased followers may represent to a potential employer that you are not trustworthy. So think twice before you buy Instagram followers.
Suspended Account
As buying followers is against Instagram’s terms and conditions, they may suspend your account, if they discover that you have bought followers. This could mean anything from a temporary suspension to totally deleting your account. Not really worth losing all your connections and then having to explain to everyone why you’ve open a new account and have to re-follow them.
What’s The Point?
The purpose of having more followers on Instagram is to network and share a common interest. If most of your followers have been purchased and will not interact then what is the point? All you are doing is increasing a number and there are many other ways to do that rather then spending money that is wasted on purchasing followers. Usually if you follow someone they will follow you back. All you have to do is search for people within the same industry or network, who has a common interest and follow them. This is a guaranteed way of attaining more followers without spending a cent and increasing your online profile organically.