In the universe of digital marketing, Buying followers on Instagram is a controversial practice., But many users don't seem to understand, in fact, the impact – or not – of this modality. In the middle of 2024, Where relationships matter more than numbers., It's still common for brands and influencers to look for an easy shortcut to increase the reach of networks.. Vanity, added to a social pressure for validation from greatness, made this method commonplace
On the surface, Buying followers seems harmless and just offers status., But the truth is that there are a number of problems and fragilities that, as a rule, They reduce the potential of digital communication to a farce., masking metrics and compromising public trust. To understand this point, Just think about the concept that influencer marketing provides to social networks.. An ethical Instagram profile planning will always be built on connection., authenticity and credibility.
The truth is that the amount, As impressive as it may be at first glance, is not a reliable indicator of influence or effectiveness – especially when handled. It seems obvious., but, in the end, The loser is influencer marketing.
Commitment vs.. The digital status
The study ⁇ The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report ⁇, of Sprout Social, shows that almost half of consumers (49%) make purchases motivated by influencers, reflecting the intention stimulated by genuine interaction. However, The "beacon" of Internet users is already clear in relation to advertisers who inflate accounts with bots. This year, a global survey by Adyen and the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) revealed that 11% of users who buy on social networks are hesitant for fear of being scammed
With that, when there is a manipulation in the range of profiles, Consumers tend to question the legitimacy not only of the influencer disclosing, But the company that hired him.. Buying followers creates an illusion of popularity that can lead to frustrated campaigns, because it trades trustworthy interaction with the public for a detour that does not sustain long-term engagement and further weakens the relationship of trust between brands and customers
Reaching the target audience in the right way, So that you take an authentic interest in the influencer and the company., requires effort, But clear strategies can serve as indispensable elements for reliable and concrete action.
How to differentiate and choose the ideal influencer
Differentiating an authentic profile from one that has "bought" influence is an initial step and requires attention to some details. Two main indicators help to detect this behaviour: the rate of irregular engagement, that is, If an influencer has thousands of followers, But a very low level of likes., comments and shares; and suspicious and generic interactions, that are frequently repeated or appear to have been written by artificial intelligence
You can see the importance that the influencer attaches to their followers., considering the level and quality of the dialogues. Unread comments or lack of self-profile manifestations on recent posts may symbolize a lack of real engagement with the audience.
But be careful.! Influencers get scammed too
There is a big difference between influencers who buy followers and those who suffer from automated robot comments: a practice that is beyond the control of the professional and does not involve the deliberate manipulation of the numbers. Recognising this distinction helps to avoid hasty judgments and allows brands to select partners based on fairer and more relevant criteria
Influencer marketing believes in the full authenticity of the content creator, Because what it offers to users is the real reason to build a secure relationship.. Today's consumers have a critical eye.. They are fully capable of perceiving the difference between quality and quantity influencers.. When choosing advertisers, Brands need to look at the metrics that really matter: concrete engagement., the quality of the content and the ability to establish a transparent connection
