Buying Instagram Followers: My Worst Business Investment As A Boss Queen
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link!*Yes, you read that correctly! I bought Instagram followers.
Here the life lesson story! Back in 2018, before jump starting my online business. I had decided to buy Instagram followers to begin increasing what I thought was going to be future sells, and engagement for my products.
Fast forward years later I came to realize that was a dud. During that time I wasn’t truly not happy with some choices I was making as far as not fully pursuing my passion in helping women heal. So I thought once I start my business (which wasn’t until a year and a half later) I could already have a decent following.
Ciara said “Level Up”, so I was trying get my Boss Queen on.
Wrong!!! Now I did do my research before buying the Ig followers, read all the pros and cons. So I somewhat knew what I was getting into, but my behind still bought them.
I was so busy trying to seek instant gratification and not value my hustle and business as a future female entrepreneur (a.k.a. a “Boss Queen”). I just wanted the bag and not put in the work.
Fast forward to a month ago (April 2020), I realized that having these Ig followers were actually hurting my business.
Here are my reasons why:
1. THEY WERE ALL FAKE ACCOUNTS.
Yes, what are called “Instabots”!!! Now if you are not hipped to the term, here’s some basic knowledge about these accounts. Instabots are considered accounts that are not used by real people.
Most of them are used to service Instagram companies to help customers gain followers, likes, and sometimes comments. At the time I didn’t exactly know what they were, but sadly came to find out no one was actually using these accounts.
I know you’re saying, '“Well what’s so wrong with that?” Just keep reading…
2. I PISSED OFF THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM.
With social media there’s a thing called the hosting algorithm, which is a well calculated system to organizing how posts are shown among your followers/friends. Technically buying Ig followers is against Instagram rules and if your account has been noticed to have “Instabots”. Your page is automatically out the loop of the algorithm. So my posts weren’t being shown to real people and was showing at a lower rate.
3. THEY STARTED TO SELF-DELETE.
After some time, bought followers will start to delete themselves via Instagram workers. Fake accounts are simply not allowed and can cause your page to be flagged, but luckily that didn’t happen. Yes, Instagram can legally delete accounts that are flagged to be fake.
4. NO ENGAGEMENT
With so many fake followers over real followers, a lot of my posts were being shown to those accounts. This was about a 80/20 deal. Which meant no engagement (No likes, No comments, No nothing!!!). As a business owner this just isn’t a go and you Boss Queens need to know this.
5. I FELT LIKE A “FAKE RAPPER TRYING TO STUNT WITH RENTED JEWELRY!”
After buying ig followers it never truly settled with me right. I felt like a fraud! I know the dramatic statement, but that’s the truth. Now granted there were a few other reasons beyond just getting that (k) behind my numbers, like, being able to use the “swipe up” feature in stories. It’s a great tool for marketing and directing traffic to your website, but what’s a promotion if no one is there to engage.
6. PEOPLE WILL NOTICE
As interesting as this sounds, people can and will notice if you have bought followers. It really doesn’t take a rocket scientist. For instance, if someone with 30k followers only get an average of about 100 likes and 2 comments. Ring-a-ling-a-ling!!! PAID.
Ugh!!! Now you see. The aggravation started to settle in real hard. So after finally coming to a head with all of this. I decided to delete them. Which meant I had to MANUALLY delete thousands of fake accounts. It took 2 whole HOURS!
After the course of over two years. I had bought about 10k Ig followers. Yes, 10,000 of them thangs! Which priced me about $80. I know eighty dollars isn’t a bad dollar investment, but nothing truly good came from it, so I was in the hole 80 bucks and spent hours deleting “R2-D2s”!!!
Well it was a healing lesson so I’m grateful for that. With 4K already removed from my account due to Ig cleaning them. I had to delete the rest at about 3k.
How did I know which accounts were FAKE? Easy! Here’s how:
A lot of fake accounts don’t have a profile picture. Which is so easy to spot out. Like come on who really has an Ig with no profile.
Some of them had a 0-0-0 (post, followers, and followings). Meaning they had nothing on they accounts. As an entrepreneur Boss Queen I’m not interested in those accounts.
Many had the same pictures of kids or foreigners used over different accounts. Yes lmao!!! When I noticed this I was like, “D**n ya’ll could’ve switched it up a little.”
Others were foreign kids that I knew wasn’t truly interested in my blog or products.
So overall it just wasn’t worth my time and I rebuked thee!
If you are a Boss Queen and want to use social media as a platform. I would greatly suggest NOT buying fake followers, views, likes, comments. It doesn’t matter if it’s Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter… Just focus on creating great content in your niche and blossom organically.
Here are some tips to flourishing as you secure the bag:
1. Be you be true. Know your niche and how to express yourself to others.
2. Be creative. Create a likable theme (especially for vision based platforms; Instagram/Pinterest). The first few things people notice coming to your page are colors, quality images, and organization.
6. Be a poster/engager. Yes, you have to post and engage in your comments and other comments that you can give advice to. This is good for people getting to know you and that you exist.
7. Be patient. It’s not going to happen over night sis, but trust and know that it will happen. I have faith in you. Manifest that work!
For me I’m still learning and growing and now my true aim is putting out informative healing content for women and only focusing on the passion and hustle of expanding my brand naturally.
You can still follow my page Though. Lol! No, but seriously @iamladyyoni
Start your womb healing journey with my eBook Womb Activation today.
Hey Girl Hey,
I'm Lady Yoni a.k.a. Naledi. I am the owner and creator of P.Y.E. fit™ (Phat Yoni Energy fitness™). I am a Women’s Health Coach, Yoni Detox Specialist, and Licensed Holistic Cosmetologist, with a Bachelor’s in Biology from Famu. I educate women on how to live healthier by detoxifying their bodies from past trauma, negative emotions, and bad habits to creating a more holistic life in touch with their feminine power.
Don’t forget your copy of my eBook WOMB ACTIVATION.
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