2 Big Reasons to Growing Your Instagram Followers the Right Way

We’ve been talking lately about how amazing a tool Instagram can be for your business. Instagram is chock full of marketing opportunities – from paid ads to IGTV to product posts.

However, capturing people’s attention isn’t just about sharing an image and collecting Likes and followers. You need to spend time interacting with people and liking other users’ posts – time that many business owners simply don’t have.

Managing a business Instagram account is another task on your to-do list that’s already packed with meetings, deadlines and projects.

Short on time, a big mistake that many businesses make is trying to buy Instagram followers or engagement.

If you’re thinking of buying Instagram followers or using Instagram bots to try and increase engagement, don’t.

Here are 2 big reasons why you want to avoid paying for Instagram followers:

1. Instagram Bots Are Not Human

   It may seem tempting to buy Instagram followers and have bots automatically comment, like posts and auto-follow Instagrammers in your niche. Using Instagram bots makes it look like you have a lot of followers and comments – often in hours or days.
    
   For example, an Instagram bot could comment “Awesome!” on any post with a hashtag you’ve determined and follow the poster.
    
   The problem with Instagram bots is they aren’t real.  They’re robots. You aren’t growing your followers organically with people genuinely interested in your service or product, and you can forget about engagement.
    
   Many Instagram users are wise to Instagram bots and won’t follow someone who leaves a one-word comment on their post. If they start realizing you’re using bots, they might react negatively towards your brand and cause other users to join in too.
    
   Instagram has shut down a large number of third-party automation sites and apps like Instagress and PeerBoost for violating their Community Guidelines and Terms of Use, so using bots could even jeopardize your account.

   Bots can also leave comments that don’t make sense and can be downright insensitive, like “So cool!” on a tragic post. Bots don’t understand the context of the conversation, they simply add comments based on a hashtag.

2. Buying Instagram Followers is a Big Fake

   It can be enticing to beef up your numbers fast by buying Instagram followers, especially when you see how cheap it is – sites like Buzzoid charge as little as $3 per every 100 followers.
    
   Well, first off: if you buy Instagram followers you’re going against Instagram’s Terms of Use.
    
   Instagram monitors fake followers and deletes their accounts so it’s likely you will eventually end up losing paid followers and your Instagram account could suffer.

   Other issues with buying Instagram followers include:

   • It doesn’t increase engagement because the bots don’t engage with your content.
   • It destroys your brand reputation as your audience sees that you have a high number of followers but limited engagement.

There’s no easy way to grow your Instagram followers. If you take shortcuts, you’re running the risk of being banned by Instagram and ruining your reputation.

You’re better off posting engaging content, interacting with people, and using the proper hashtags to attract and retain your audience.

Read our blog on How to Build Real Followers on Instagram

It’s simple: you can’t automate the level of human interaction today’s Instagram users expect from brands.

If you don’t have the time to devote to growing your Instagram followers and engagement or aren’t sure where to start, contact our social media experts. We’re happy to work with you on building your presence on Instagram and other social media platforms.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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