As one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, Instagram has 2 billion users and counting. It’s no wonder why individuals and companies are doing whatever it takes to get their share of the engagement — sometimes even cutting corners to get as many followers and likes as possible, as quickly as possible.
One of these corner-cutting strategies is buying Instagram accounts, a practice that has a lot of appeal for new or struggling businesses. While the lure is understandable, there are some significant considerations to make before taking this route.
In this article, we’ll explore whether buying an account is really worth it. We’ll look at what this process entails, the expectations vs. reality, the risks involved, and some alternatives that can help brands get the long-term success they’re after.
What does buying Instagram accounts entail?
Buying an Instagram account is what you might expect from the name: paying for an account that already has an established number of followers and posts. They may also have a strong niche and brand identity, which can be helpful for companies that are just getting started.
There are a few ways people can make these transactions online, with the most common being third-party platforms and marketplaces that connect account sellers with potential buyers.
The appeal is pretty obvious: instead of starting from scratch, you’re basically getting a head start. Building a solid follower base organically can take months, even years. But by buying an account, you can skip that long process and jump right into engaging with an already established audience.
What you might expect vs. what really happens
Unfortunately, those who buy Instagram accounts don’t always get what they sign up for. That’s why it’s critical to balance your expectations against the reality of the situation.
What you might expect
Seeing a surge in followers is probably the first thing that comes to mind. It’s exciting for businesses trying to build their online presence quickly or influencers who want to appear more popular.
Having a big follower count also boosts your brand image. When people see a lot of followers, your profile looks more established and influential. This can create a snowball effect, where more people follow you just because your account already seems popular.
In competitive industries, a strong social media presence can give you an edge. A large follower count not only sets you apart but also makes your profile more appealing to potential collaborators or sponsors.
And of course, more followers often mean more opportunities—think partnerships, sponsored posts, and collaborations. Brands are always on the lookout for influencers with a big, engaged audience to help promote their products or services.
What really happens
Sure, buying accounts might give you some quick wins, but it’s far from a sure thing. Here’s the reality that many people run into:
Questionable follower quality: A lot of the followers you get from purchased accounts might be bots, inactive users, or people who are into the old content but don’t care about what you’re posting now. This mismatch can actually backfire, leading to lower engagement rates.
Engagement decline: If your new followers aren’t into your content, you’ll probably notice a drop in likes, comments, and shares. Since Instagram’s algorithm boosts posts that get genuine engagement, this decrease could seriously hurt your visibility.
Potential penalties from Instagram: Instagram’s algorithms are pretty good at spotting suspicious activity, like a sudden spike in followers or unusual account behavior. If they think something’s up, you could face penalties like reduced reach, shadowbanning (where your content gets hidden), or even a permanent ban.
How buying an account can hurt your engagement
As a general rule, the followers you get through a purchased account aren’t as likely to be genuinely interested in your content as followers you earn organically. This is especially true when the followers don’t match your niche. For example, if you buy a fashion account with a millennial audience, but you’re promoting a clothing line that appeals more to a Gen Z audience. There would be an immediate mismatch between the audience and what you have to offer.
Instagram’s algorithm favors accounts with consistent and real engagement. When your content truly resonates with your audience, it boosts your engagement rate, which Instagram loves—it helps build a sense of community and loyalty around your brand.
On the flip side, if you suddenly have a bunch of inactive or irrelevant followers, Instagram’s algorithm might flag your account as suspicious, which can limit your reach. Plus, when people realize your followers aren’t genuine, it can hurt their trust in your brand and damage your reputation.
Risks you should be aware of
It’s important to keep in mind that buying an Instagram account can come with significant risks.
Violating Instagram’s terms of service
Instagram explicitly prohibits the buying and selling of accounts. If you’re caught in this practice, Instagram could ban your account without warning, erasing all the progress you’ve made. This is a risk you take on as soon as you decide to purchase an account.
Ethical concerns
Be sure you’re avoiding ethical issues. For example, it can be viewed as dishonest and misleading to present an inflated follower count, as it implies you earned them organically like most other brands. This can damage your brand’s integrity and may cause you to lose potential followers and customers who value transparency and authenticity.
Financial loss
There’s also the financial risk of investing in an account that doesn’t deliver the promised results. If the followers are fake or unengaged, the money spent on buying the account is wasted, and you’ll be left with an ineffective tool.
Short-term gains vs. long-term success
Buying an Instagram account can give a “quick win” in some ways, but it doesn’t always bring the long-term results you might imagine. The only way to guarantee a sustainable, engaged, and loyal audience is to grow it organically.
The downside of short-term gains
The initial excitement of having a large follower count can quickly turn into frustration when you realize that these followers don’t engage with your content. The drop in engagement can harm your brand’s reputation and make it more challenging to attract genuine followers in the future. Plus, any potential penalties from Instagram could undo any progress you’ve made, setting you back even further.
The value of organic growth
Though it’s a slower process, organic growth ensures that your followers are genuinely interested in your content. This leads to higher engagement rates, better relationships with your audience, and long-term success. When you build your audience organically, you create a community of followers who are more likely to engage with your posts, share your content, and support your brand.
How Instagram feed plugins can help instead
Instead of buying accounts, try boosting your online presence organically with tools like Instagram feed plugins. These plugins allow you to seamlessly integrate your Instagram feed into your website or blog, increasing visibility and engagement across channels. For example, you can boost growth from your website using the link in bio feature, which allows you to create a single place for all of your most important content.
Spotlight is a great Instagram feed plugin that lets you embed an Instagram feed directly onto your website. This can help you attract the right audience, keep engagement high, and convert website visitors to Instagram followers.
With Spotlight, you can:
- Customize your feed’s style and functionality to match your branding on your website
- Use calls-to-action to lead visitors to the right places at the right time
- Create shoppable feeds and feeds based on hashtags or tagged posts
- Embed user-generated content (UGC) to show your popularity and credibility
- Filter and moderate content to match your brand guidelines and image
- Access analytics to continuously improve your campaign performance
- And much more
Conclusion
On the surface, buying an Instagram account may seem like a quick and simple way to find success on social media. But the reality is much more complicated. The risks — like fake followers, engagement drops, potential penalties, and ethical concerns — far outweigh the temporary boost in followers.
In the long run, brands will have much more success focusing on organic growth, building a genuine audience, and leveraging tools like Instagram feed plugins. Instead of opting for the shortcut, invest the time and effort into valuable content and nurturing authentic connections with truly interested and engaged followers.
You might have heard the old saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.” When you approach your Instagram with patience, strategy, and some elbow grease, you’ll grow it sustainably while growing a trustworthy and credible brand reputation. This outcome is much more valuable than empty numbers.
