As a professional influencer marketing agency, we are well aware of the dangers of buying Instagram followers. Sure, it may seem like a great idea at the time - you get an instant boost of followers, and you can use those numbers to show your influence. However, this practice can be extremely harmful to your account in the long run.
When you buy Instagram followers, you are not only paying for fake accounts, but you are also inviting a whole host of problems. Not only do these followers not interact with your posts, but they can also make it difficult for your actual, legitimate followers to engage with your content. Additionally, if the followers you have purchased are bots, they can be flagged by Instagram, resulting in a decrease in your overall reach and engagement.
At our agency, we prefer to work with influencers who have a minimum of 80% authentic followers. This means that their followers are real people who actively engage with their content and add value to their brand. If you have purchased followers in the past, or if you have a lower follower quality due to bots or people who stopped using their accounts, we recommend removing those followers to improve your overall follower quality. If you are going to go this route, be sure to do so slowly as this could flag your account to Instagram as well. (More on this here.)
At the end of the day, buying followers can be a fast and easy way to get a quick boost in followers. However, it’s important to remember that this could have detrimental effects on your account in the long term. Investing your time in building a real community and gaining quality followers is the best way to ensure that your influencer marketing campaigns are successful.