Instagram is currently the best social media platform for entrepreneurs, businesses, and influencers; however, buying followers may not be an effective approach for long-term growth.
Instead, we follow a good content approach without indulging in shady practices, and here’s how we grew one of our Instagram profiles in just 30 days!
The purchased followers, also known as fake followers, might reduce the brand’s credibility, audience interaction, influencer reputation, and may also target the wrong audience. Overall, this will decrease the genuineness of the influencer, or if you are running any company.
This article will guide you on whether you should buy Instagram followers or not in 2026, reasons not to buy fake followers, share the alternatives to attract organic followers, and what brands say about purchasing Instagram followers.
Is It Possible To Purchase Instagram Followers?
It is possible to purchase Instagram followers. You can find companies offering the service of selling fake followers. However, it is against Instagram’s policy, and doing so can violate the platform’s terms and conditions.
Companies or personal service providers offering Instagram fake followers do not guarantee a genuine audience. Instagram can ban your account if it detects any unusual activity, such as spam followers or suspicious activity.
What Happens When You Buy Instagram Followers?
If you buy Instagram followers, your engagement rate will decrease, the algorithm will drop heavily, and you will find difficulty in securing brand partnerships.
Here are the other things you might face when you buy Instagram followers:
- Reduce the Instagram account’s credibility
- Less to nearly zero engagement rate
- Loss of genuine followers
- Impact performance metrics and analytics
- Loss of investment
- High risk of scams
- and lead to account deletion or suspension
Why Do People Buy Instagram Followers?
People buy Instagram followers to stay ahead in the social media market, to gain audience reach faster, to increase popularity, and ultimately to boost sales if running a product business.
People usually find this a quick way to grab attention on their reels/posts among billions of reels on Instagram. However, it is suggested to avoid this shortcut, as it can lead to various drawbacks, whether you are an Instagram influencer or a brand.
Is Buying Instagram Followers Safe?
Buying Instagram followers is not safe at all. Insta can also ban your account or penalize you for violating the terms of service. It can also result in a shadow ban or permanent deletion.
The followers are mostly unreal, with fake or inactive accounts. Along with the waste of money to get fake followers, sharing your personal information can also put your account’s security at higher risk.
9 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy Instagram Followers
A lack of real audience engagement, a drop in the post algorithm, hampers credibility and reputation, increases account risk, and may lead to an account ban for violating Instagram rules. There are multiple such reasons you should not buy Instagram followers.
Further, go through each reason explained in detail to avoid buying Instagram followers.
1. Purchased Followers Don’t Engage With Your Content
More than 2 billion monthly active users are on Instagram, but besides the real ones, if you purchase followers, you can never reach a genuine audience.
Purchased followers do not easily engage with your content because they are mostly bots or inactive accounts. There will be no likes, comments, or shares on your reels. This ultimately limits the visibility to your organic followers.
2. Impacts Engagement Rate and Algorithm Performance
After purchasing Instagram followers, the engagement rate decreases, and the algorithm’s performance of your post declines. Genuine followers engage with your content and take some action of either liking, commenting, or sharing, but if this does not happen, the metrics fall.
Your posts’ reach on the Instagram feed also reduces. In short, more engagement is equal to more growth. And if it is less, the performance graph does not rise.
3. Violates Instagram’s Terms Of Service
Instagram never allows purchasing fake followers; it is against their terms and conditions. The platform might ban or suspend your account if it is spotted as having fake followers.
Instagram might warn you for the first time, but if the same thing repeats, then your account can be banned or shadowbanned. This will not only result in the loss of your account but also the loss of your genuine followers and brand identity.
4. Damages Your Credibility and Professional Reputation
If your Instagram account is spotted as having fake followers, it will ultimately damage your brand’s credibility and reputation.
As we saw above, genuine followers will fade if fake followers are exposed on your Insta account. Moreover, if you expect to grow your brand or yourself as an influencer internationally, it is advisable to avoid purchasing Instagram followers.
5. Attracts Spam and Inappropriate Content
If you are getting followers inorganically through any personal site or service provider that grows fake followers, then you should be aware that this can also be a scam.
You are ultimately giving access to your Instagram profile by adding another unknown account or sharing your email with a third-party site. This can lead to a big spam trap, as your genuine followers might find inappropriate content or messages unexpectedly, even if you are not active on your Instagram account.
6. Creates Misleading Analytics and Data
As mentioned earlier, a higher engagement rate leads to increased growth. However, the unnatural, sudden growth might mislead your content, and the analytics of your post can drop.
Most of the time, the followers purchased do not belong to the same niche, and this makes it impossible to understand what content actually resonates with your actual audience. This makes it difficult for you to plan a strategy for your future reels, as there is a smaller real audience and more fake followers.
7. Provides No Return on Investment
It is crucial to understand that fake followers won’t pay for your products, recommend them to others, or even bring customers to you. It does not matter how much money you put into purchasing followers; it will be a waste of money.
There is no return on investment because the fake accounts won’t spend money on your products. In contrast, if you are an influencer, no brand will collaborate if they spot you have more followers with a lower engagement rate.
8. Instagram Regular Purges Decrease Followers
Instagram regularly purges the account if it sees that you are violating the community guidelines. However, Instagram provides a 30 to 90-day grace period to delete the account or completely remove data from its servers.
Due to the wide cleanup, if your account is not removed or deleted, then your follower count will decrease. Additionally, this is not a one-time process, but Instagram continuously cleans up the platform.
9. Attracts The Wrong Audience Demographic
An inaccurate customer target is often when you purchase followers for Instagram. Not only are the wrong targeted customers, but there is also an irrelevant demographic, where your niche or personally, you as an influencer, are not famous.
The fake followers attract the wrong audience demographic. This can actually create confusion about the clarity of your target audience and which content works best for your actual followers.
Major Brands Affected By Fake Followers
As per IIMB, the Points North Group reported that 78% of the followers of influencers hired by the Ritz-Carlton were fake accounts.
Not only that, Sway Ops, an influencer marketing agency, estimates that fraud costs about $1 billion. When they checked Instagram posts with #sponsored or #ad tags, less than 18% of comments came from real users.
Not only that, here’s what the CEO, Keith Weed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Unilever, said regarding fake influencers;
‘At Unilever, we believe influencers are an important way to reach consumers and grow our brands. Their power comes from a deep, authentic, and direct connection with people, but certain practices like buying followers can easily undermine these relationships.’
Additionally, FTC says Devumi was a company that SOLD fake followers. This company was actually a service provider, not the buyer.
The FTC later shut down Devumi for selling fake social media metrics (followers, likes, views). Moreover, German Calas Jr. (Devumi’s CEO) was fined $2.5 million.
The FTC also found suspicious fake product reviews for the Sunday Riley Skincare brand. It was only company employees who posted fake reviews to achieve a 5-star rating on their own products. However, the FTC ordered to avoid such false activities in the future.
Overall, not only influencers but also big brands are affected by buying fake followers.
7 Better Alternative Ways To Buy Instagram Followers
Instead of buying followers, consider alternative methods, such as improving content quality, partnering with other influencers or brands, running paid ads, or initiating a joint giveaway.
Go through the detailed description of the methods that you can follow, other than purchasing followers.
1. Create High-Quality Content
Create content that will easily connect with the Instagram users you want to target. To improve video or photo quality, try different lighting zones, timelines, and use catchy captions. Most importantly, decide what type of content you want to create more in video format or image format.
Experiment with new things and check your Instagram analytics to see which content is attracting your audience, whether it’s from Instagram Reels or Stories. The consistency and high-quality content will naturally lead to growing your followers.
We all know Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the largest following on Instagram with 663M followers today, mainly due to his unique niche, the consistency that keeps him connected with his audience, and glimpses of his sports.
2. Engage Authentically With Your Community
Your content plays a major role. Use niche hashtags only if necessary, as Instagram is not currently prioritizing hashtags. The platform is more favorable to posts that have genuine followers and a higher engagement rate.
I recommend using keywords in the caption and bio to increase visibility and engage with different demographic communities on Instagram. Real followers have an interest in your content, and they like and comment on your reel, which sends signals to Instagram about your authenticity and connection with the audience.
For example, create a reel that is original with your own voice and a catchy caption. Give it a try, as this is a proven way to boost your account, as many lifestyle influencers follow the same process.
3. Partner with Legitimate Influencers and Brands
If you are responding to comments, engaging with other accounts, and building genuine relationships within your niche, there is no need to buy followers; a real audience will get attracted to your content.
You can even partner with different influencers and companies (brands). This will create the credibility of your brand, making it more attractive to companies that would like to approach you for promotional opportunities.
For more reference, visit the accounts in your niche; there are plenty of influencers or brands that collaborate to gain more genuine followers.
4. Leverage Instagram Features and Trends
Use various Instagram Reels, Stories, and trending audio to enhance visibility and expand your reach to new audiences. Check the current trends and see if you can create a relevant reel to stay in line with the Instagram trend.
Schedule the post at the correct time. Take the help of Instagram insights, too, where you can check out what time your audience is most active. You can also check out our guide on the best time to post on Instagram. This is the best way to grow organic followers rather than purchasing unreal followers.
I will share an example with you; you may be familiar with Xiaomi, boAT, and Nothing. These are some of the most popular worldwide brands that follow the current trends on Instagram. Their reels will be more Gen Z, more casual, which easily catches the attention of a large audience.
5. Host Contests and Giveaways
To increase genuine followers, collaborate with real influencers or a well-established brand that can provide exposure to your account by connecting with relevant audiences.
By hosting contests or giveaways in collaboration, the number of participants is also increased, which ultimately helps grab the attention of a large targeted audience.
Based on my personal experience, hosting contests and giveaways naturally increases the number of followers. There was an increase of 500 followers in just 30 days, during the summer sale.
6. Use Instagram Advertising For Targeted Growth
The paid Instagram ads are the best option, as they allow you to target specific demographics and interests, resulting in higher-quality followers who are genuinely interested in your content.
Instagram ads give you reach faster, which not only helps increase followers but also improves the conversion rate from follower to purchaser if you’re running a product business.
The best thing you can do is track your audience after running an Instagram ad, such as which age group clicks on the ad, check the demographics, the time spent by users on your ad, etc. This will help you target that specific audience only next time you run an ad.
7. Implement Strategic Hashtag Research
Instagram no longer follows specific Hashtag features. It has removed the option to follow hashtags to improve content relevancy. Focus on well-researched SEO keywords, captions, and high-quality content.
However, you can still add proper hashtags related to your business and brand personality, which will attract followers interested in your products or services. Even influencers who buy fake followers can follow the same methods to earn genuine followers.
Sharing one example, I once uploaded a reel only with proper caption and only a few hashtags, and it got boosted naturally. It was a reel of me talking about my personal experience as a writer.
How To Spot Fake Follower Services?
If there is no company name or no authentic source, it is better to avoid or fall for fake follower services, as they can also be scams, where you may even lose money.
Here are some of the ways you can spot fake follower services;
- No Customer Support or Guarantees
- Lack of Transparency About Follower Quality
- Unrealistic Delivery Promises
- Too-Good-to-Be-True Pricing
How to Spot Fake Followers on Instagram?
It’s important to understand how to distinguish between genuine audience vs fake followers or the ones that are purchased. This is especially essential if you’re considering an influencer partnership or planning to collaborate with someone.
Here is a checklist to look into to spot if someone has fake followers or a genuine audience:
- Spammy Username
Often, the spam followers will have shady usernames. These may look like:
- Username1234
- John_smith_x9y
Often, these profiles will have pictures from years ago and unoriginal images. Look at the example below:
- High Number of Following, No Followers & Private Account
Often, these bot accounts have a huge number of followers in their list, while no followers or way too few. Most importantly, they also keep their account private. While this may not necessarily mean it’s a fake account, the chances of these are higher.
For instance, the account could look like this:
- Stolen or No Profile Picture
Generally, fake accounts have no profile picture, or they may have stolen images, such as stock photos from someone else.
- Check Their Engagement Rate
Usually, any genuine account will have decent reach, or the balance between followers + likes will be quite proportionate. For example, if you notice an account with 10k followers, barely getting 10 likes, the chances of them having fake followers are high.
- Sudden Spike In Followers Without Any Good Performing Content
You can see someone’s followers’ growth history using Social Blade or other tools available in the market. A sudden spike in follower count is typical if the content performs well.
For instance, a Reel went viral or a post went viral. The person can get a sudden audience. However, if you see no recent posts performed but there is still a sudden spike, this could be a sign of purchasing mass followers.
Will Instagram Ban You For Buying Followers?
The first thing to clarify is that Instagram does not allow you to buy fake followers for the purpose of gaining more likes or for any other reason. It is against their terms and policies.
Instagram will penalize and eventually ban the account if the same pattern repeats. Your account can also be shadowbanned without notifying you, which is not a good sign if your purpose is to reach a large number of targeted audiences on Instagram.
However, a ban doesn’t mean it will completely delete or spam your account in the blacklist. Your account will be temporarily suspended for violating the rules. However, if you purchase fake followers again, Instagram might permanently ban your account.
What to Do If You’ve Already Bought Followers?
If you’ve already made the mistake of buying Instagram followers, don’t panic. The good news is, there is still a chance to recover and create a genuine profile (unless Instagram has banned your account).
Here’s what you can do (step-by-step):
- Audit Your Profile
First, begin by checking your followers. Look for any spammy accounts that appear and remove them from your followers. Note here that Instagram only allows up to 400 accounts to be removed at once. You might not be able to view your followers’ profiles for a few days if you remove 400 at once.
Instead, remove 100 accounts daily. Second, you can check your Instagram story views and scroll to the bottom. Over here, if Instagram flags any suspicious account, it goes under spam view. Remove them from your followers if you find them.
- Rebuild your strategy
With your fake followers gone, it’s time to build a genuine profile from scratch that will help the Instagram algorithm notice your profile and push it. The methods we have given above to grow your followers organically will help you in the long run, even if it’s a slow and lengthy process.
Tip: If you’re running an eCommerce business profile or want to boost your profile, you can also make use of Meta Ads. This will help more people notice your profile as per your target audience.
Conclusion: Buying Instagram Followers Reduces Reputation And Credibility
Buying Instagram followers is not a good idea if you’re focused on personal branding or running a company. It will affect your brand reputation and credibility.
Looking at the current digital scams, it is best to avoid such shortcuts. The most effective way to increase followers is by creating high-quality content, engaging with other relevant brands, running targeted paid ads, and staying up-to-date with Instagram trends.
Lastly, I would like to remind you not to buy Instagram followers; instead, grow your followers organically to avoid risks and scams.
Have any questions about growing your Instagram profile? Feel free to drop your doubts in the comments!
FAQs
There is no such policy regarding Illegality, but it is against the Instagram terms of service. Buying Instagram followers can lead to negative consequences for both influencers and brands.
You can create high-quality content to attract genuine followers, interact with them, and post content relevant to their interests. Stop purchasing fake followers as soon as possible to avoid suspension of your Instagram account.
You should focus on your organic growth; you can run paid ads too, to attract genuine followers. Fake followers with less engagement can easily be spotted, but the real followers, even less, with more engagement show the high credibility of your account.
The organic growth might take from a few months to years. Consistency is the only key to staying in the Instagram reel market. This will ultimately result in honest and steady organic growth.
The 5-3-1 rule on Instagram is like 5 posts, comment on 3 posts, and follow 1 account each day in your niche. This helps build a strong account with growing visibility.
