The Role of Buying Followers in Influencer Marketing
When it comes to influencer marketing, numbers are important- often more than we would like to admit!
As an influencer, whether you have just started or are in the process of building your personal brand, you may often feel the pressure of having a large and engaged following. At some point, you may have also thought about whether buying followers will help you achieve Instagram fame or will it just backfire.
Before you dismiss it as just another cheat code for social media success, it may help to explore this notion and determine whether this strategy works. Let’s find out!
Why Do Influencers Need a Large Following
The first thing to understand is why a large following matters so much for influencers. The truth is whether you are on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or any other social media channel, your follower count can make or break your opportunities. Here is why.
Social Proof
People naturally gravitate toward accounts that have a substantial number of followers because they perceive them as popular and credible. Think about it- would you rather buy a product that has hundreds or thousands of glowing reviews or one that has only a handful? Social media is no exception! When brands or influencers see a large following, they are more likely to consider you a valuable partner for collaborations.
Higher Visibility
Algorithms across social media accounts give a higher ranking to content from accounts that have more engagement. And with more engagement, your content gets more visibility too, which then opens the doors for new followers. Eventually a cycle is formed as a result of which your reach increases exponentially.
Collaboration Opportunities
Brands are always looking for influencers with a large and engaged audience to promote their product or service. The bigger your following is, the more likely you are to catch the attention of brands willing to pay for sponsored posts, affiliate marketing deals, or product collaborations. When you are being considered as an option for collaboration with other influencers, you may be a more competitive choice due to your large following.
Monetization
A large follower count can also bring many new opportunities your way! It increases your prospects of monetization as you can earn from sponsored content and affiliate links. You can also leverage the exposure to market your products or services. A bigger audience gives you more ways to generate income.
Can Buying Followers Help
Buying followers is certainly a tempting idea! The idea is that a few hundred or even thousands of followers could magically appear on your account, thereby increasing your visibility and opening new doors to collaboration with other lucrative opportunities.
And while it is true that buying followers can boost your numbers quickly, there is more to it than just looking good on paper.
A Quick Boost
The most obvious benefit of buying followers is the instant boost it gives to your follower count. If you have just started building your profile and presence on social media or want to jumpstart your social media presence, buying followers can cut down your workload! It will make it look like you are already popular.
The key, then, is to ensure that the followers you buy come from a trusted source and are genuine and active. If you end up buying fake accounts or bots, your paid followers will not bring any engagement. These followers will not interact with your posts, comment on your videos, or like your photos. All these interactions are important to influence the algorithms to work in your favor.
The fake following will only dilute your engagement rate and make your drop-down further in algorithm ranking. So, although your follower count might increase, your engagement rate may actually drop and make your account look less authentic.
More Popularity Means More Opportunities
As mentioned earlier, as well, a large following creates a sense of authority! Brands and businesses usually consider the follower count when deciding whether to reach out for collaborations. The more followers you have, the more opportunities you are likely to attract.
This, hence, puts you in a position to negotiate bigger and more lucrative deals and partnerships. You may even be able to land a sponsorship with a brand just because your numbers look good on paper.
Competitive Edge
The field of influencer marketing has become quite competitive and saturated. This is why standing out is a lot of work and quite challenging, too. If you are competing against others with similar niches, audiences, or products, having more followers- even if purchased- will make your account more appealing and prominent. It might just be the thing that gets you noticed by a brand or helps you get into a partnership that boosts your credibility.
Final Thoughts
Organic growth is still the golden standard and an achievement that businesses and influencers continuously strive for. In this regard, buying followers for your influencer profile may help you build a solid foundation that you can leverage to enhance your presence.
A large following through growth service may help you attract collaborations and brand deals, but authenticity and engagement will always remain an important consideration for audience retention and community building.
Sources
