Should You Use Boostlikes For Buying Instagram Followers? An Objective Analysis

In the increasingly competitive social media landscape, it‘s tempting for Instagram users to seek shortcuts to gain more followers and engagement. Services like Boostlikes cater to this demand, offering packages of followers, likes and comments for prices ranging from $3 to over $1000. But can sites like this really deliver without compromising your account? In this post, we‘ll analyze the pros, cons and risks of buying from services like Boostlikes, so you can make an informed decision about whether it‘s right for your brand.

What is Boostlikes?

Founded in 2018, Boostlikes sells packages promising thousands of high-quality Instagram followers, delivered quickly and easily. The site is fairly simple, with options to select followers, likes or story views, enter your username, then pay via PayPal or card. Boostlikes promises fully-completed orders, refunds if you don‘t get enough followers, and followers drip-fed naturally over weeks.

On the surface, it‘s a tempting proposition – rocket fuel for your Instagram growth with seemingly little effort. But is the reality so simple? We‘ll weigh up some pros and cons:

Potential Advantages

Quick follower spike: You can gain thousands of new followers within days. This looks impressive.
Engagement: More followers should drive more genuine engagement long-term.
Vanity metrics: Follower count impresses some people as a symbol of influence.

Disadvantages

Inauthentic activity: The bulk of new followers are likely fakes or inactive accounts.
Ban risk: Buying engagement violates Instagram‘s terms, risking bans.
Engagement issues: Fake followers hurt your actual engagement rates crucial for reach.
Reputation loss: Low authenticity and ethics can turn off real audiences.

So while the core idea seems neatly tempting, the reality is high risks for limited rewards. As social media industry expert [John Doe] notes, "any shortcut to growth will likely backfire". Next, let‘s analyze why sites like Boostlikes can prove so problematic.

The Follower Quality Problem

While Boostlikes promises "high quality" followers, evidence suggests they mostly deliver fakes or inactive accounts to meet demand. These ghost followers clog up your profile rather than engaging.

Common red flags include:

Default profile photos
Few/zero posts
Unrelated bios to your niche
Identical follow/follower counts
Bot-like usernames (jumbles of numbers/letters)

Studies suggest over [60% of followers from sites like Boostlikes] may be fake or abandoned accounts. Why pay for such limited value?

More concerning are the risks…

Account Ban Risks

Instagram prohibits inauthentic activity like fake followers or engagement. If they catch on you violated policy by buying from Boostlikes, penalties can include:

Post reach throttling (fewer people see your content)
Limiting actions like following or commenting
Profile downranking so you appear lower in searches
Removal of fake followers
Full account deletion in worst cases

No followers are worth nuking your account altogether. While the chances of getting caught may seem low, it‘s become [easier for Instagram to detect fake activity] with improved AI. The simple fact is buying engagement breaches Instagram‘s rules – so why risk account suspension?

Damaged Engagement Rates

Follower count means little if people aren‘t liking, commenting or sharing your posts. Yet floods of fake followers damage your account‘s engagement rate – the percentage of followers interacting with your content.

Say you have 500 real followers, averaging 50 likes per post. Then you buy 2000 more followers from Boostlikes, but they rarely engage. Perhaps your likes only reach 60 now. By flooding your profile, the fakes drowned authentic community interaction central to Instagram‘s algorithm.

This matters because low engagement signals content people don‘t care about. So Instagram will stop recommending your posts, reach drops further, and growth stagnates. Only by focusing on genuinely engaging real humans – not bots – will your account thrive long-term.

Alternatives for Organic Growth

Rather than buying into shady follower services, what are some authentic alternatives? A few proven strategies:

Improve content: Creating posts and stories your audience loves is the core of Instagram. Spend time crafting relevant, fun and shareable content.
Engage followers: Reply to comments, ask questions in captions, jump into hashtags related to your niche. Building relationships is key.
Optimize hashtags: Include a mix of popular and specific hashtags so ideal users can discover you.
Run contests/giveaways: Create some buzz by offering prizes for sharing posts or tagging friends. Just follow contest rules.
Leverage influencers: If budgets allow, get nano or micro influencers to showcase your brand.
Advertise mindfully: Consider small Instagram ad campaigns targeting ideal demographics.

While slower, organic growth aligns with Instagram best practices for genuine, lasting benefits. Sites like Boostlikes undermine the authentic community-building Instagram is meant for.

The Verdict: Avoid Buying From Boostlikes

The supposed benefits of instantly buying followers or engagement from services like Boostlikes simply don‘t measure up to the significant risks:

Flooding accounts with fake followers damages authentic interaction and reach
Breaching Instagram‘s policies can lead to account restrictions or disabling
There are proven organic growth strategies that, while slower, cultivate real relationships

Research also reveals some ethical issues around follower sites involving stolen data, compromised accounts and scams. Fundamentally, buying engagement deceives audiences about your actual popularity while subtly encouraging others to do the same.

In summary, staying aligned to Instagram‘s intended use means avoiding shortcuts from sites like Boostlikes which deliver largely fake followers with serious risks attached. While growth takes effort, authenticity pays off in the long run. As social media consultant [Jane Smith] summarizes, "Working organically to nurture your community is the healthiest approach on Instagram." So stay patient, get creative, and most importantly, keep your community‘s experience central to your approach.