There's a new and worrying trend on the social network that could undermine the credibility of profiles. Here's what it is
Instagram isn't just the app on which to post and share photos of kittens, selfies and breathtaking landscapes. Instagram has become a huge moneymaker over the years. One of the most striking examples is represented by influencers, profiles with thousands or millions of followers who are paid by companies for each branded photo shared in their profile.
In reality, there are further internal dynamics that allow members to earn. One of the most recent phenomena is the buying and selling of followers or even Instagram profiles, a growing trend that is starting to take hold in Italy as well. On the other hand, building a fan base is hard work, requiring time, commitment, energy. Many people therefore decide to rely on the many groups designed to manage the buying and selling of accounts, or even turn to agencies that put in contact those who want to sell and buy a profile.
Profiles for sale on Instagram: what happens?
There are basically two ways - lawful - to increase the number of followers on Instagram: create an engaging profile with quality content, able to attract followers in a spontaneous way; and then there is the possibility to sponsor your content, so as to increase its visibility, and consequently also the likes and followers of the profile. In both cases, however, it takes time to see results, and you must be familiar with marketing to avoid wasting money on unproductive advertising. Besides these solutions to increase the number of followers, using patience and energy, there are others, not very legitimate and effective.
The first method is to buy fake followers. Well yes, many Instagram profiles buy followers to achieve fame first, and maybe get some engagement to brand their content. Unfortunately, however, the increase in followers does not always correspond to greater engagement. In fact, many of the profiles offered for sale are fake or bots, or accounts built to make numbers. The second method is to buy directly profiles that have a huge number of followers, which often have an important engagement. In fact, often the profiles offered for sale on Instagram are the result of spontaneous and quality work. And these are definitely the most coveted accounts, because behind there is hard work that someone else has done instead of the buyer. Moreover, these profiles can be checked before being purchased, and this is an additional guarantee for those who are interested.
Account buying and selling is a rampant trend, but it violates Instagram's Terms of Use, which is why agreements and transactions are kept secret. On the Vox platform, several users recently recounted their experience with this activity, justifying themselves with the fact that the app is now a major source of income for them. On Facebook there are even closed groups designed for those who want to buy or sell famous profiles, not only on Instagram, but also on Twitter, Youtube and other social networks. The costs of the various accounts vary depending on several factors. For example, buy an Instagram account with 25 thousand followers costs 26 euros, but there are also more expensive profiles, for example for one from almost 80 thousand followers you reach 800 euros, up to thousands of euros for more popular accounts. The most requested ones are the celebrity profiles, which start from an important fanbase and have certainly a lot of potential. There are even intermediaries, who just like normal agencies, act as intermediaries between those who sell and those who buy, taking a percentage.