Why You Should Not Buy Twitter Followers

Some brands and individuals build up their social media followings by posting engaging content and interacting with other social media accounts. It can take a long time, sometimes years, to gain a substantial following. However, others try to go the quick route. This means they buy twitter followers to make it look like their twitter account is more popular. The thinking is that when others see your popularity, they will in turn follow you since they assume you have content that’s worth consuming.

There is also the vanity aspect as well. Some people just like to be able to say that they have 500 thousand followers, even if they are all a mirage. The fact is, there is very little evidence that buying twitter followers works, and there are actual drawbacks from engaging in this practice. Here are some reasons why you should not buy Twitter followers.

How Do You Buy Twitter Followers?

Even though it is a bad idea, you should have an understanding of what buying twitter followers really means. In most cases it means finding a service that will create fake accounts and have them follow you and others who have paid for that service. These accounts can also be set up as bots, which means they will send spam messages to thousands of other users to ask them to follow you. Not many will, but it can still increase your follower count.

Twitter Forbids Buying Followers

Even though there are people and brands that do it, buying twitter followers is actually against their rules. If you are suspected of buying followers, then you can be permanently banned from the platform, which means that any progress you have made to build your twitter account will be wasted. This can be disastrous for a brand, especially if you have a username that is the same as your company name. You are, however, allowed to promote your account and ask people to follow you. This means purchasing ads and producing good content that will make it worthwhile for your potential followers.

Twitter Users Can Spot Fakes

The theory is that if you have more followers, fake or otherwise, real users will be more likely to follow you. However, as technology has gotten more sophisticated, so have the people who use it. Users who have grown up with social media are much more savvy to trickery than when twitter first came on the scene. They will look at your profile, your pinned posts, and your most recent posts. If you have a lot of followers, but very little engagement, then they will notice. By having a large amount of zombie followers, there is almost no way that you will have enough engagement relative to your follower count. Also, if your most recent posts aren’t worth it, then they will click away, never to be seen again, let alone become followers.

Twitter Follower Services are Dishonest

If you do make the mistake of deciding to buy twitter followers, then there is a very low chance that you will get what you pay for. Twitter follower services are already engaging in shady practices, so there’s no reason to think they are being honest with you. They will make several claims that might make them seem different or legitimate. These claims are patently false. For instance, many will say that they will give you quality followers, not just quantity. However, since they are fake accounts, they will not engage with your content, and they certainly will not be purchasing your product or service.

Others will claim that the followers they give you will be permanent. This is also impossible. While it’s true that they could pledge not to remove any of the fake ones that they have given you, they can’t guarantee that Twitter won’t. Every once in a while, the social media platform will conduct an audit of its users, gather all the data available, and purge the ones that seem to be fake or bots. There is nothing a follower service can do about this. Also, if you do happen to draw in some real followers who were faked into thinking your large following meant that you had quality content, they will probably leave when they realize the truth. There is no way to guarantee that your new followers will be permanent, whether they are real or otherwise.

There is no quick way to magically increase your follower count. You can attract people to your feed with advertising, but if your content isn’t relevant, then you will lose them. The best thing to grow your Twitter profile is to provide quality content and to engage with other accounts. This will give you a strong organic following that is motivated to interact with your brand. It may take longer, but your Twitter presence will be healthier and of better use to your business going forward.