Let’s get real—every company wants a larger following on Instagram, and at times it can be tempting to buy followers, especially when you’re close to hitting a significant follower milestone. However, like most things that sound too good to be true, buying Instagram followers is a risky business.
It’s important to note that buying Instagram followers is against Instagram’s terms of use, and if they suspect you’ve done so, they may suspend your account. On the other hand, who wants to have a large following base that doesn’t engage with your company’s content anyway?
In this brief article, we’ll see why you should always go with organic growth solutions instead of using automation tools that will probably do more harm than good to your business. But first, let’s see why everyone is so obsessed with getting more Instagram followers and the real purpose behind these actions.
What Is The Purpose Of Having More Followers on Instagram?
As you probably know, social media’s primary purpose is to interact with your followers regularly through shared content, discussions, and live events and eventually turn them into paying customers and loyal advocates of your brand. In that manner, if you commit your brand to effective Instagram strategies, you’ll eventually earn the followers you desire and will be able to utilize the platform as a powerful marketing tool on which you’ll showcase your products or services and create meaningful interactions with your followers.
Unfortunately, organic growth can take a long time, and in the early stages of building your Instagram account, once you have a few dozen followers, you’ll be missing out on:
- Exclusive features as certain Instagram features are only available to users with a certain number of followers—like the “swipe up” feature for profiles with more than 10,000 followers.
- Social proof as companies with few followers will sometimes have trouble getting other, more popular people to follow them because they’re afraid their content won’t be exciting or engaging enough.
- Marketing opportunities as influencers and partners are more likely to partner with profiles with many followers.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Automation Tools To Grow Your Following?
Many social media marketers turned their attention to automation tools like Nitreo to grow their following a few years ago. But unfortunately, these tools are outdated and can only lead to your account being suspended by Instagram. In fact, the platform has been actively fighting against them for several years now, as they don’t provide any real value and pollute users’ feeds with irrelevant content.
In addition, there are plenty of other adverse effects that come along with using these tools:
- You won’t be able to engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
- You can end up creating a fake “bot army” of followers who won’t engage with your posts or purchase your products or services.
- Your account may be banned.
Why You Should Always Go With Organic Instagram Growth?
Organic Instagram growth might take longer than buying followers or using underhanded tactics, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the best route to take. Here are four compelling reasons why organic growth is the only option for Instagram users:
It’s the Most Reliable Method
Instagram’s goal is to create the best social platform for users. If you’re found using underhanded tactics to grow your account, such as following and unfollowing or buying followers, you could be banned. You can protect your account by building followers organically with authentic engagement. This way, you will be able to:
- Protect your account so that it can continue to grow.
- Demonstrate your brand’s credibility to grow your business.
- You can avoid the trouble of having to start from scratch.
Slow But Steady Growth
One of the best ways to prove your authenticity on Instagram is through slow and steady growth in your account. People don’t trust big accounts that suddenly gain thousands of new followers overnight. A slow and steady rise gives you credibility as an authority figure. An authentic and slow approach:
- Gets your followers to trust you.
- Showing Instagram you’re using the platform correctly can help earn you more followers.
- It will help you make connections with future partners and influencers.
High-Quality Followers Are A Must For Any Business Today
Buying followers is generally a bad idea. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get anything of value from it. You run the risk of having your account filled with fake accounts, which will not only deter authentic followers from interacting with you but also won’t help generate any engagement for ROI on your sponsored posts. Growing organically:
- Avoids introducing you to fake or spam followers.
- Helps you find customers with an appetite for your product.
- Promotes your brand to the right market.
Improved Engagement
Remember that an impressive number of Instagram followers doesn’t just allow access to new features and tools. You should also be looking for ways to increase the number of your followers so you can engage with people who want to buy your products or help build your brand. Fake followers will not show an interest in your company, whereas real followers will generate profits. A better engagement rate means:
- More followers in the future.
- You have better chances of getting work done with partners and influencers.
- Better returns for your advertising.
Final Thoughts
Building an organic Instagram follower account can be a slow process, but it’s the best way to ensure you get a return on your social media investment in the long run. Don’t waste your time and money on boosting, or buying fake followers – attract them all organically and have the most beneficial Instagram marketing plan for your business.