Buying followers on Instagram is an easy and quick fix to get more likes, comments, and visibility. But the truth is, it can be a big mistake that could cost your account dearly in the long run.

Your purchased followers are likely generated by bots or fake accounts and are not actual people.  It means that any likes, comments, and shares from these accounts won’t be genuine—and could ultimately hurt your engagement rate on Instagram.

Furthermore, purchasing Instagram followers won’t result in genuine engagement or assist you in developing deep connections with your target market.  When someone visits your page and sees that you have thousands of fake followers, they may be less likely to take you seriously or follow your account.

Instagram can shadow ban your account or remove it if they suspect you are trying to buy followers. It could spell disaster for your brand and its reputation.

The Risks of Purchasing Instagram Followers

1. Low engagement

People who buy followers often have lower engagement and interaction with their posts than those who build an organic following. It can lead to fewer likes and comments, which defeats the purpose of having a presence on Instagram in the first place.

2. Inauthentic relationships

Fake followers on Instagram won’t interact or engage with your posts. It could lead to a lack of trust from genuine followers and potential customers, as it’s unclear who engages with your account.

3. Getting shadow-banned

Instagram has the power to flag accounts that buy followers and can even ban them altogether if they suspect foul play. It could mean your account is no longer visible or searchable, making it impossible to build a genuine following and grow your Instagram business.

4. Wasting money

Buying followers can be expensive, especially compared to more effective tactics such as organic content creation and influencer marketing. It means you’re wasting money that could be used to grow your account meaningfully.

5. Need to create authentic engagement. 

Having many followers doesn’t always equal real engagement, as those fake accounts won’t interact with your content or purchase from you. It means the money spent on buying followers has been wasted, as it hasn’t achieved the desired result.

6. Risk of being banned

Buying followers can violate terms and conditions set by social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, which could mean your account is suspended or permanently deleted. It not only jeopardizes your brand reputation but also results in a total loss of your existing followers.

7. It can be expensive 

In the short run, purchasing followers could be a cost-effective solution, but it could become expensive if you keep buying more phony followers. You can pay more than you would have if you had developed an organic audience over time.

8. Reduces engagement

Real followers will interact with your posts and share them with their networks, but fake followers won’t. It implies that despite having a large following, the degree of engagement on your articles will stay low because there is no sincere interest from actual users.

9. Gives false impressions

Having fake followers can give people the impression that your account is more successful than it is. If a potential customer or partner sees that you have many followers, they may think that you are a well-established business with a strong customer base, when in reality, this may be different.

    10. Wastes time and resources

Trying to manage fake accounts can be an unnecessary time drain. You may spend more time dealing with fake followers than engaging real ones, which wastes valuable resources and detracts from your efforts to grow your business’ presence on the platform.

The Long-Term Effects of Buying Instagram Followers

When it comes to long-term effects, buying Instagram followers can have a detrimental effect on your overall reputation and credibility. As previously mentioned, many of these purchased followers may not be real people but bots or spam accounts.

These non-genuine followers will not engage with you meaningfully by liking posts and leaving comments. In addition, as new Instagram algorithms prioritize real engagement over follower numbers, the lack of genuine interactions from these followers can hurt your account and lead to lower visibility.

Another issue is that if people notice that you have an unusually high number of followers compared to other accounts in your category or niche, it can create an impression that you bought your followers. It could damage your reputation and brand credibility with potential customers or followers.

Finally, Instagram is cracking down on fake accounts and bots, so purchased followers may eventually be removed from your account, decreasing your overall follower count. That’s why focusing on organic growth and engagement is important as a better alternative to buying followers.

Growing your account organically will take more effort, but the results will likely last over time and provide authentic relationships with other Instagram users. Ultimately, an engaged following of real people is more valuable than many low-quality purchased followers that won’t interact with or support your brand.