You might be thinking that you know your Instagram content is good, but imagine how much better it will seem if it looks like 10,000 people agree. The temptation to take shortcuts and buy followers on Instagram to become a social media celebrity or simply spread brand awareness on Instagram can be tempting for anyone, whether you’re trying to get started as an influencer online or looking for a new way to increase your reach.

1: Can you buy Instagram followers?

You can buy Instagram followers. There are several cheap services available that allow you to buy a few hundred followers for as little as $10 or even less. However, you may be paying for the number obtained. Many of those followers are bots or inactive accounts which means they’ll never engage with your posts.
Buying Instagram followers can help with your public image and social standing. But of course, if it was that cheap and easy, everyone would be doing it. So, what’s the catch? Is buying Instagram followers legal and safe for your business? Is it a worthwhile investment? And how much do these fake followers cost anyway?

2: How much do Instagram followers cost?

Buying Instagram followers can cost anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on how many you purchase. Usually, buying followers is against Instagram’s terms of service, but the price you pay could be more than monetary. Buying followers may cost you your account and lower engagement or reach, typically.

3: Should you buy Instagram followers?

Buying Instagram followers is not a good idea because purchased followers are bots or inactive accounts and won’t engage with your posts. This means you won’t be able to show up on Explore Pages, or your real audience’s newsfeeds. It will also make it hard to measure metrics.

4: Experts offer alternative ways to grow your Instagram account without buying followers.

Instagram’s new algorithm looks at your engagement rate, including likes, comments, and shares. The higher your engagement is, the more likely you are to reach the audience you want. Instagram allows you to market yourself or a company in various ways using techniques like hashtags, profile photos, and captions. Showing other content that interests your intended audience will help them notice you in their newsfeeds.
Here are 7 steps you can follow to start growing your audience today:

Step 1: Make your account public

Make your account public so that users can see your profile and content and you can grow your audience organically. This way, you can attract an audience that’s just right for your brand.
You will be able to make your account public by unchecking the Private Account Box in your Privacy and Security settings.

Step 2: Get users to follow you by publishing quality content

Publish updates to your followers’ feeds. You can post images, GIFs, Reels, videos and so much more. Make it easy for your followers to navigate through your posts by using high-quality photos and writing catchy captions. Use unique styles with captions and keep simple thematic posts up to make your account stand out among others. Research which hashtags are trending, gain insight from your competitors, and create a designated hashtag specifically for your company while staying aligned with your brand’s mission.

Step 3: Try Instagram Reel

Instagram Reels has been known to increase the chances of getting a post more hits. This presents an opportunity for your content to attract more people who are already engaged with posts similar to yours. Create a 30-second Instagram Reel and then attach your clips with a few hashtags to the caption. Publish it once a week so that you get consistent exposure and people can enjoy it after they watch it. This is how you find out how many people are watching your content.

Step 4: Use Hashtags

Hashtags can help you engage a new audience. Hashtags and related content get placed on your page by different people. Using hashtags in your captions leads to a greater chance of showing up above more people who are not familiar with your content. Including hashtags in your content strategy can make it easier to reach the right people. That said, Instagram has a limit of 30 hashtags. However, with a thoughtful idea of how you will use the hashtag, it might be easy for you to find more than 30 that work for your business. A successful hashtag will take time and effort but it will be worth it in the long run.

Step 5: Engage with other Instagram users

If you want to get the most interactions possible on Instagram, it’s important to interact with other people. Whether you like, comment, save or share their posts, interactions make a difference in how much value you can get out of the platform.

Step 6: Use Instagram stories

Instagram stories are a way for people to share valuable and unique content. People often see videos or memes uploaded to them in stories. Readers anticipate new viral videos sliding across screens.

Step 7: Conduct market research

Get the mindset you need for success on Instagram. Social media is not just about photos but also content that keeps people engaged and gives them something to think about.  A solid Instagram strategy begins with comprehensive market research and feedback from your audience about what content they want to see.

The popularity of Instagram is not slowing down. There’s a lot of pressure for brands to keep up with the growth and so many social media influencers offer bots or ‘hacks’ that can make buying followers a tempting option, but you should never do it. Buying Instagram followers comes with a fair amount of risk and is typically not worth the trouble. The alternatives in this article can help you navigate a path toward organic follower growth. Register for your free account at CMS Hub here.