Why you shouldn't buy followers and how Filance AI can help you thrive risk-free
Avoid the risks of buying followers on social media. Discover safe, practical strategies to grow your following with Filance AI’s tools and insights.
Becoming an influencer and turning your hobby into a profitable career is a dream for many, especially Gen Z. Thriving on social media, however, can take considerable time and effort—unless you happen to go viral with your first post or video, which isn't the case for most creators. As you might know from our last article, where we discussed how you can start earning money as a creator with just 1,000 followers, reaching that milestone is not easy. This is why some creators are tempted to buy followers to grow their accounts quickly.
While some brands may still consider follower count when choosing influencers, this number means little if you don't have high engagement—likes, comments, and shares. Higher engagement builds trust with your audience and increases the likelihood that they'll act on your recommendations. Buying followers, however, usually results in gaining bots or inactive accounts that rarely interact with your content. This leads to a drop in your engagement rate, a critical metric for success on social media.
Lower engagement means fewer people will discover your content. This makes it even more challenging for your posts to appear in your audience's news feeds or on the Explore page. If these reasons haven’t already convinced you to avoid buying followers, here are eight additional reasons why purchasing followers can be harmful to your Instagram growth:
See all of them in detail below:
1. Violation of Social Media Platforms’ Terms of Service
Imagine buying followers to boost your chances of going viral, only to wake up the next day with an email saying your account has been suspended or banned. This can happen, and there's little you can do about it. Social media platforms are fully aware of this practice, and their algorithms are becoming more sophisticated at detecting and penalizing such behavior. It makes sense—these platforms are designed to promote quality content and encourage organic growth. Let's break down what the leading social media platforms say about buying followers:
Instagram: Buying followers violates Instagram’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. The platform actively removes fake accounts and penalizes those engaging in this practice by reducing their visibility or disabling them.
Facebook: According to Facebook’s Community Standards, purchasing followers or engagement is prohibited. The platform uses automated systems to detect and remove fake accounts, which can result in reduced reach or account suspension.
Twitter: Twitter's Platform Manipulation and Spam Policy strictly prohibits buying followers. Accounts engaging in this practice may be suspended or banned, and Twitter regularly conducts bot purges to remove fake followers.
TikTok: TikTok’s Community Guidelines explicitly ban buying followers, likes, or shares. Violating this policy can lead to reduced visibility, shadowbanning, or account suspension.
YouTube: Under YouTube’s Fake Engagement Policy, buying followers is forbidden. YouTube’s algorithms detect and remove fake engagement, with penalties including demonetization, reduced visibility, or suspension from the Partner Program.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn discourages buying followers in their Professional Community Policies. Manipulating follower counts can lead to account suspension or permanent removal.
Pinterest: Pinterest prohibits buying followers, as stated in their Community Guidelines. Engaging in inauthentic behavior can result in penalties, reduced visibility, or account suspension.
2. Risk of Legal Action from Platforms and Brands
Imagine landing the brand partnership of your dreams, with a contract based on their trust in your follower count and engagement metrics. Many contracts include clauses that impose penalties if you fail to deliver on your promises or if something goes wrong. Now, imagine being suspended or banned from social media because you bought followers—suddenly, you’re unable to fulfill your end of the deal. This not only jeopardizes the partnership but could also result in legal action from the brand, as you’ve violated the terms of your agreement. Platforms could also pursue legal action for breach of their terms of service, adding even more risk to an already precarious situation.
3. Damage to Your Reputation and Credibility
People follow others on social media for various reasons: lifestyle inspiration, career advice, shared values, or simply because they enjoy your content. These are all valid reasons for organic growth, where your followers genuinely engage with your posts through likes, comments, and shares. This kind of interaction reflects your progress and helps you build a robust and loyal community.
However, if you have hundreds or thousands of followers but only receive a handful of likes or generic comments, it can be glaringly apparent that something isn’t right. This discrepancy can discourage others from following you, as it signals a lack of genuine engagement.
Brands are also becoming increasingly savvy, using sophisticated tools to assess the authenticity of an influencer's following. If they detect that your followers are not authentic, it can seriously damage your credibility and reputation, making it harder to secure partnerships and grow your influence.
4. Devaluation of Your Real Followers
While impressive metrics can help you reach your financial goals and personal milestones, the cost of buying followers can be high in unexpected ways. Imagine being a genuine follower who connects with an influencer’s content, only to realize that the influencer is more focused on inflating their numbers with paid followers rather than nurturing their authentic audience. This can lead to feeling undervalued, causing real followers to lose trust and even unfollow. When genuine followers feel neglected, they may switch their loyalty to influencers, prioritizing authentic engagement. This shift not only diminishes your community but also directly impacts the effectiveness of your ad partnerships and collaborations, as brands increasingly value authentic engagement over inflated follower counts.
5. The Risks and Costs of Choosing the Right Provider
You might think, "It only costs a few dollars," and it’s true—you can buy followers for just cents. But there’s a catch. Many companies offering these services have terrible reputations, ranging from monetary scams to outright fraud, where you could lose control of your account and credentials. The old saying, "The cheaper it is, the more expensive it could become," applies here.
On the other hand, more sophisticated companies offer various packages with different levels of service. However, with these providers, the costs can skyrocket. The price for these services can quickly escalate, and in the end, you may find that the investment doesn’t pay off in terms of genuine engagement or long-term growth.
The Right Ways to Gain Followers
Boosting Your Posts
Growing your follower count doesn't have to be risky. One effective method is boosting your posts. This approach allows you to reach a broader audience genuinely interested in your content. By setting "gain followers" as your objective, you can attract the right people to your profile. Additionally, the data from these ads helps you understand what content resonates with your audience, enabling you to refine your strategy and improve your content over time.Raffles and Prizes
Engaging your audience with raffles and prizes can be a powerful way to increase followers. Conduct surveys or engage with your followers to discover what they value most in your content and what would motivate them to share your account. Offering prizes that align with their interests boosts engagement and attracts high-quality followers who are genuinely interested in your content.Partnering with Other Influencers
Collaborating with other influencers can be a fantastic way to expand your reach. Whether co-creating posts, participating in trend videos, or launching challenges, these partnerships can expose you to new audiences. When you collaborate, you gain access to a similar or entirely new audience, giving them a chance to discover your content. It's a win-win situation, as both influencers benefit from increased visibility and engagement.Chatting with AImee
After downloading Filance AI and connecting your social media accounts, you can access AImee, your personalized AI assistant. AImee provides weekly insights based on your performance, offering tailored advice to help you grow your follower base. Her insights cover formats, hashtags, optimal posting times, and platform-specific strategies, allowing you to improve week by week.Check Your Weekly Filance AI Reports
Filance AI consolidates all your metrics in one place, providing you with weekly reports to help optimize your strategies and earnings. These reports bridge the gap between your social media performance and financial goals, allowing you access to financial products based on your metrics—all within the app.
Grow Your Follower Base and Engagement Safely with Filance AI
Achieve your financial goals without taking unnecessary risks. Download the Filance AI app, connect all your social media accounts, and start growing your audience correctly!
FAQ:
1. Why is buying followers on social media a bad idea?
Buying followers can result in low engagement, damage your reputation, violate social media platform's terms of service, and even lead to account suspension. It's a risky strategy that rarely pays off in the long run.
2. Can buying followers lead to my account being banned?
Yes, many social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok actively monitor and penalize accounts that engage in buying followers. This can result in reduced visibility, account suspension, or even a permanent ban.
3. How does buying followers affect my engagement rate?
Purchased followers are often bots or inactive accounts, leading to a lower engagement rate because they don’t interact with your content. A low engagement rate can harm your chances of appearing in feeds and reduce the likelihood of gaining new, organic followers.
4. What are safer alternatives to buying followers?
Safer alternatives include boosting your posts, engaging in raffles and contests, collaborating with other influencers, and leveraging AI tools like Filance AI to grow your followers organically and improve engagement.
5. How can Filance AI help me grow my social media presence?
Filance AI offers personalized insights through AImee, your AI assistant, and weekly reports that help you optimize your content strategy. These tools help you grow your audience and engagement rates without the risks associated with buying followers.
6. Is it possible to grow my social media following without spending money?
Yes, through consistent content creation, engaging with your audience, collaborating with other influencers, and using tools like Filance AI, you can grow your following organically without spending money on followers.
7. What happens if I’ve already bought followers?
If you've already purchased followers, it's essential to shift your focus to organic growth strategies. Engage with your real audience, create valuable content, and consider cleaning up your follower list to remove inactive or bot accounts.