I’m Kayla. I test stuff, even the cringey stuff, so you don’t have to. And yes, I actually tried fake followers on Instagram. Twice. I wanted to see what it does to a small creator account. I took notes. I felt weird. But I learned a lot.
Here’s the thing: it looks good for a minute. Then it bites.
Why I Tested It (and How I Set It Up)
I used a spare account I own for food content. It had 1,480 real followers. My average post got 70 to 90 likes and a handful of comments. Stories reached 400 to 600 people on a normal day.
I tried two different “packages” a few months apart. I won’t name the sites. I don’t want to send anyone there. Plus, Instagram bans this (Hootsuite’s deep-dive on the policy is eye-opening). I’m not telling you how. I’m telling you what happened.
Day One: Big Numbers, Big Smile… for Like 10 Minutes
Within 48 hours, my follower count jumped by about 2,100. The number looked wild. My phone buzzed all day. I felt a tiny rush. You know what? It gave me stage fright. I posted a pasta reel that night.
But guess what didn’t jump? The likes. Still around 80. Comments stayed the same, too. So now my account said “3,580 followers,” but the love stayed tiny. That gap felt loud.
The Comments Got Strange
By Day Three, I saw a pattern:
- “Nice pic dear” repeated by three different accounts.
- “Wow amazing post” on a video of… soup boiling. Come on.
- Emojis only. Ten fire emojis in a row from a profile with no posts.
The usernames looked off. Lots of numbers. No faces. Zero stories. Half followed 7,000 accounts. A few wrote in languages that didn’t match my audience. I cook Midwest comfort food. Why would I have 600 new fans from random bot-like accounts that never speak again?
The DMs Turned Messy
I got spam DMs about crypto, “sugar daddy” offers, and a fake giveaway link. Three of them sent the same message word for word. I blocked and moved on. It felt like letting gnats into my kitchen. You swat, more sneak in.
For a broader, year-long perspective on jumping into adult-oriented social apps, check out this honest take.
If the sketchy follower marketplaces remind you of those equally dodgy “chat with strangers for free” sites that pop up everywhere, you’re not wrong. InstantChat’s explainer — Why Most Free Chat Websites Suck — breaks down the hidden data grabs, safety gaps, and quality issues behind those platforms so you can spot the same red flags before you hand over information anywhere online.
Then the Drop Hit
A week later, the new number slipped. Fast. I’d open the app and see minus 50, minus 120, minus 300. Instagram Insights even showed a note that some “accounts were removed.” Story reach fell from 500-ish to under 200. It stayed low for weeks.
Engagement rate tanked (a pattern explained well by Influencer Marketing Hub). Brands check that number first. I had a bigger follower count but a weaker story. Not smart.
A Brand Reply That Stung
I pitched a local coffee shop. They liked my vibe and asked for screenshots. I sent my Insights. They passed. Their note was kind but clear: “Your engagement looks off for your size.” My stomach sank. That’s the risk. Trust is slow to build and fast to break.
The Second Try Wasn’t Better
Months later, I tested a “slow drip” style. Followers trickled in over two weeks. It looked more “real.” But the same things showed up:
- Hollow accounts
- Copy-paste comments
- Weak saves and shares
- Reach stuck in the mud
I also got a pop-up warning about “suspicious activity.” No ban, but it spooked me. I stopped right there.
Are There Any Pros?
A few, if you can even call them pros:
- The number looks big. That’s it.
- Friends might say “Whoa, nice growth!”
But it’s like stuffing socks in your shoes. It looks taller. You still can’t run.
Red Flags I Saw, Plain as Day
- Comments that don’t match the post tone
- New followers with no posts, no stories, weird names
- Likes that stick at the same old level
- Reach and saves slide down right after the jump
- Spam DMs and repeat messages
- A note in Insights about removed accounts
If you see these, take a breath. It’s not growth. It’s noise.
What Worked Better for Me (Real Stuff, Simple Steps)
I went back to basics. Boring? Maybe. But it worked, steady and clean.
- Reels with a hook in the first two seconds. A close-up sizzle shot helps.
- Carousels with “save for later” tips. People actually saved them.
- One collab a month with a micro creator in my city. We swapped recipes.
- Clear captions with one question at the end. Comments went up.
- Posting when my audience is active (check Insights; mine like evenings).
- A tiny ad boost on a winning post. Five bucks can still move the needle.
- A real giveaway with a local bakery. One prize, simple rules, no nonsense.
For a tiny, legitimate boost in visible engagement, you can also embed a simple reaction widget from LikeButton so genuine viewers can show support without inflating your numbers.
Other creators experimenting with monetization on platforms such as TikTok and OnlyFans have outlined what genuinely moved the needle for them here.
It’s slower. But the comments feel human. And brands can smell real.
My Verdict
Would I recommend fake followers? No. It looks shiny. It costs trust. The short win flips into a long drag. And if a platform flags you, you’ll spend months digging out.
If you feel stuck, I get it. Growth can be quiet. Try this: pick one series and stick with it for four weeks. “5-Minute Lunches,” “Budget Bakes,” “Sunday Prep.” Ask people to save it. That one action beats a hundred hollow follows.
I made the mistake so you don’t have to. Your voice matters more than a number. And the algorithm? It still loves real saves, real comments, and posts that help someone today. That’s the game. And it’s fair.