We get it! As a business owner, you're tired of creating social media content only to see your metrics aren't reflecting the overall effort that goes into developing quality content, and your follower growth is stagnant. This can be discouraging for anybody because a return on investment is critical.
The same is held for influencers and thought leaders, who are often deemed valuable if they have a high follower count. This quality of wanting to feel valuable leads to a constant struggle of searching for ways to increase value in hopes of obtaining more clients.
When things become stagnant, people get anxious and desperate and search for quick fixes. One that's most common is buying followers to increase the number of page followers or purchase likes to give the illusion that content is highly engaging to attract people to interact with the content.
As a business owner, buying likes and followers on social media is tempting to make your brand appear more popular and credible. However, this short-sighted strategy can hurt your business in the long term. In this blog, we'll explain why you should avoid buying likes and followers and provide alternative strategies to grow your social media presence authentically.
The Dangers of Buying Likes and Followers
Buying likes and followers is unethical and dishonest. It's a form of cheating, and if people find out, they may lose trust in your business and be less likely to engage with your content or buy your products. Additionally, social media platforms are getting better at detecting fake likes and followers and may remove them, leaving you with fewer likes and followers than you paid. Further, it has become easier to detect fake followers or bought likes. Social networks openly share who has liked a post or page, and it's easy to discern between genuine human profiles and bots.
No Real Engagement
The likes and followers you buy are often from bots or fake accounts, which means they're not real people. They won't interact with your posts, like your content, or leave comments, so your engagement rate will be low. A low engagement rate can hurt your credibility and make it less likely that your posts will be seen by real people.
A Waste of Money
Buying likes and followers is a waste of money. The likes and followers you buy won't bring in any real business. They won't buy your products or services, and they won't recommend your business to their friends and family. Instead, invest in organic growth strategies like creating great content, running social media ads, and engaging with your audience, which will lead to real business results.
Alternatives to Buying Likes and Followers
Focus on Creating Great Content: Create high-quality and relevant content that will engage your audience and make them more likely to like and share your posts.
Use Social Media Advertising: Use social media advertising to reach a wider audience and attract new likes and followers. Target your ads to people based on their interests, demographics, and behavior for more effective results.
Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and messages, and ask questions to spark conversation. This will help you build a relationship with your followers and make them more likely to engage with your content and recommend your business to their friends and family.
In conclusion, buying likes and followers on social media is a harmful strategy for business owners, influencers, and thought leaders. Instead, focus on creating great content, using social media advertising, and engaging with your audience. These strategies may take more time and effort, but they will ultimately lead to real business results and help you build a genuine and authentic social media presence.
Need help creating a strategy for your social media presence? We can help! Set up a consultation with one of our experts to help get you on the path to growth and reaching your ideal target audience. Let's get started.