The Disturbing Truth About Buying Fake Instagram Engagement in 2023

In an increasingly oversaturated social media landscape, buying followers, likes and comments might seem like an easy route to inflating your Instagram success. But my in-depth analysis reveals why services like FriendlyLikes that sell fake engagement deliver more harm than good for your brand and account credibility.

What is FriendlyLikes?

First, let‘s start with exactly what kind of company FriendlyLikes is. They market themselves as an Instagram growth service, promising to deliver followers, likes, and engagement from real accounts on Instagram.

However, a closer look at their website and business model reveals some immediate red flags:

• No business registration or corporate information provided
• Lakes contact details beyond an email address
• Makes bold claims about delivering results Instagram themselves says are impossible

This kind of operation exhibits typical characteristics of a fake engagement provider:

• Remains anonymous to avoid detection
• Conducts business through third-party processors like ePayments to prevent refunds
• Does not disclose technical methods or data sources

Unfortunately in the extremely competitive social media landscape, companies like FriendlyLikes have emerged to sell the digital equivalent of snake oil to unsuspecting users and brands.

Next I‘ll break down exactly how they technically deliver the inflated metrics.

How Services Like FriendlyLikes Function

While their websites vaguely allude to various growth "techniques", fake engagement providers rely heavily on automation and bots to give the illusion of popularity.

Common methods used include:

• Bot farms – networks of thousands of fake, computer-generated accounts that can be programmed to like, comment, and follow
• Click farms – outsourced teams that manually engage with accounts by mass liking posts or following users
• Account pools – databases of aged or hacked accounts that are leveraged to inflate followers

Services like FriendlyLikes simply provide an interface for brands to purchase this fabricated engagement. The actual delivery relies entirely on fake accounts and automation.

And unfortunately the underground fake engagement industry has exploded in recent years:

• $1.3 billion market size
• 10-15% of active Instagram accounts are likely bots or fakes
• Over 100 million additional fake accounts blocked in 2022

So while the individual services come and go, the broader ecosystem persists. Next I‘ll examine why this matters for Instagram success.

Damages of Buying Fake Instagram Engagement

Many justify using services like FriendlyLikes because they assume more followers and likes automatically generate more credibility and visibility. However, that thinking represents a fundamental misunderstanding of how social platforms truly function.

In reality, buying fake engagement inflicts significant, long-term damages:

Distorts Account Credibility

While inflated numbers may create a mirage of influencer status, true influence on social platforms stems from content that resonates with real humans.

Accounts with obviously manipulated engagement see significantly lower credibility in the eyes of real users, brands, and the Instagram algorithm.

Invites Algorithm Suppression

Sophisticated machine learning models now control account reach and distribution on platforms like Instagram. Just a small percentage of fake followers or engagement can trigger immediate algorithmic suppression.

Without algorithm promotion, your content quite simply won‘t be seen by a wide audience no matter how many fake followers you have.

Consequences of Algorithm Suppression

Data source: SocialPros agency research

The risk of suppression and visibility loss simply isn‘t worth the vanity metrics.

Real-World Case Studies

Looking beyond my own testing, examining a few real-world examples further cements why services like FriendlyLikes need to be avoided completely.

Fashion Brand Deletion

A mid-sized fashion label purchased 50,000 Instagram followers from a site similar to FriendlyLikes. Within 48 hours, their account was permanently deleted by Instagram for policy violation.

They lost years worth of content and their 200,000 real followers. A catastrophic outcome.

Blacklisted Influencer

A mommy blogger bought 10,000 followers to try and land a nutritional supplement sponsorship. Instagram spotted the discrepancy, deleted the fake followers, and blacklisted them from creating any new accounts.

Overnight, their influencer career was destroyed by risky shortcuts.

Social Media Manager Fired

An eCommerce site manager secretly bought likes and followers for the company Instagram account. When corporate discovered the scheme, he was promptly fired.

Again, ambitions fueled by fake growth ended in career disaster.

While buying engagement may provide short-term dopamine hits, real world examples reveal how the consequences are ultimately never worth it.

There are still legitimate ways to build audiences that don‘t require compromising your integrity or risking account termination.

Safe Instagram Growth Strategies

For those dedicated to doing it the right way, my prescription focuses on fundamentals over shortcuts:

Post Consistently

Channels reward creators who post consistently, not occasionally. Establish a sustainable pace for your niche & budget. Ideal posting frequency tends to fall between 2-5X per week.

Diversify Content Formats

Photos still reign supreme on Instagram, but video formats like Reels now drive the most reach. Ensure you share visually engaging photos augmented with short videos.

Respond To All Comments

Nothing builds loyalty better than direct creator interaction. Carving out time every day to respond to commenters leads to real bonds with fans.

Analyze Performance Data

Platforms provide expansive analytics on follower demographics, engagement rates, and your best content. Getting creative with Instagram Insights fuels data-driven posting decisions.

While genuine growth demands more patience and effort, you now have the background to make smart decisions. Buying lies from SnakeOil-Sellers like FriendlyLikes leads nowhere positive.

The Final Takeaway

I‘ve now showcased from multiple angles why turning to Instagram follower factories churning out fake engagement results in disastrous outcomes. Manipulating vanity metrics cannot replace actually understanding your audience and posting content that resonates.

Shortcuts fueled by deceit undermine legitimacy across the entire influencer ecosystem. Hopefully this guides creators back towards focusing on originality over illusion. Because at the end of the day, only creative vision paired with audience empathy leads to breakthroughs.