Never buy LinkedIn followers! Here is why.
Learn why buying LinkedIn followers will hurt your credibility. There are great alternatives to grow your network the right way.
Andi Groke
14 Oct 2024
Mastering LinkedIn
5 min
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Don't want to read? Listen to this Podcast:
Growth hacking and buying followers on LinkedIn
In this podcast we are talking about fake LinkedIn followers, bots and hacked accounts. What happens when you buy LinkedIn Followers? We`re looking at LinkedIn growth hacking with Matt Gray and other alternatives.
Buying LinkedIn followers might seem like a tempting shortcut to grow your network. But it comes with serious consequences. There is no shortcut to build LinkedIn connections. People who purchase LinkedIn followers get made. Other LinkedIn users and the algorithm will catch on and penalise you. You have to put in the work to get real LinkedIn followers and grow organically. Organic growth takes time and consistent quality. Real organic engagement from 10 real followers is worth more than 50.000 fake followers. Why? Because they each have 500 real followers who see that they liked your post.
This article will give you the mindset and tools you need to get more followers organically and set up a professional profile.
Let me break down why you should never buy LinkedIn followers and what you should do instead. Our goal is to get real LinkedIn connections that help you and your business to grow.
Reasons NOT to buy LinkedIn followers
There are many reasons why you should not do this. Here are my top picks:
Violation of LinkedIn’s terms of service
Buying LinkedIn followers, likes, comments, skills, and endorsements is against LinkedIn's User Agreement. This could and will lead to your account being banned. Many LinkedIn users report that their account has been deleted for this. Instead of getting more LinkedIn connections, you end up with none.
Damaged reputation and credibility
Fake followers ruin your credibility. If a potential clients see through it, your brand will suffer. When people discover you bought followers, you lost them forever. Purchasing followers gives a false impression of popularity. When people realise that your followers are fake, your credibility takes a big hit.
Waste of time and money
Fake followers don’t engage. You are wasting resources that you should spend on real growth. Purchased followers don’t bring real engagement, relationships, or business growth. It’s always a waste of money.
No guarantee of results
Buying LinkedIn followers won’t guarantee real engagement or visibility. You LinkedIn account will not get more traffic or engagement from the LinkedIn network. You need authentic followers and a professional presence to stand out. Purchasing LinkedIn followers will not do that for you.
You will have to keep buying LinkedIn followers
LinkedIn is removing fake accounts. This means your follower count will keep dropping if you have bought LinkedIn followers. To maintain the illusion, you will have to keep buying more. This cycle is expensive and brings no real value. Also, eventually you will get banned anyways and your genuine followers are gone.
Damaged organic reach and engagement
Bought followers don't care about your content. They won't engage with your posts, and this hurts your organic reach. It's also pretty frustrating, by the way. The problem is that purchased followers are either bots or inactive accounts, not active followers. Therefore those fake profiles will hurt your engagement rate. You will have a lot less engagement compared to the amount of (fake) followers you have. The algorithm will then stop showing you your target audience that might be genuinely interested.
The truth about buying linkedIn followers in 2024
In 2024, you still see many services selling LinkedIn followers. They use bots, fake accounts, or click farms to boost your follower count. They promise quick results and "high-quality" followers, but it's all smoke and mirrors. They should all advertise those as "low-quality followers." It never works - trust me. The followers you get are inactive, generic, and irrelevant.
Buying followers seems like an easy way to get some street cred. But it’s a risky move with many downsides that will not reach a bigger LinkedIn audience. You need to understand these risks and ethical issues before choosing this path. That's why we are here.
You might find a service provider that sells organic followers (instead of bots). Most of them are still inactive accounts. These services gain access to them to instantly boost your metrics. It looks like you get new followers or more engagement without notable advantages. Yes, you will receive followers and maybe even an instant boost in likes. But, after a day or two, the LinkedIn algorithm catches on and knows you're buying connections. There is no competitive edge in doing this because these are not real connections.
Buying LinkedIn followers means you get zero engagement. It never gives you access to a broader audience that actively engages. Purchased followers are bots or inactive accounts. They don’t interact with your posts or add value to your network. This hurts your professional credibility and personal profile. Engagement rates are crucial for organic growth. Fake followers bring none.
Also, the LinkedIn algorithm will analyze your follower-to-like ratio. Having 20,000 followers but only 3 likes can have only one of two reasons. Either your post is pretty bad, or your followers are fake. Either way, the algorithm will catch on and penalize you if you buy connections.
If you want to succeed on LinkedIn, genuine engagement, among several factors, is a must. Authentic connections help build trust and credibility. A lot of followers might look impressive, but real relationships will last. Focus on creating great content and meaningful interactions.
Buying LinkedIn followers isn't illegal. But it violates LinkedIn's Terms of Service. This can lead to penalties like suspension or a permanent ban.
So you won't get a fine or end up in jail. Still, losing your account altogether is pretty bad. LinkedIn will also ban the next account you create once they figure out it's you. Yes, they hold a grudge.
When you buy followers, you risk deceiving your connections and clients. It distorts your perceived influence. Instead of shortcuts, focus on building meaningful, genuine connections. Authentic practices will safeguard your credibility and foster real relationships.
Buying followers raises ethical questions. It goes against the core values of LinkedIn. This platform thrives on genuine connections and interactions. Buying followers contradicts everything LinkedIn stands for.
I know what you're thinking. Why should you care, right? You want those big numbers.
A big follower count might seem like a boost. But it doesn’t enhance your reputation in any way. Fake followers harm your brand because your connections will see through it. Once your clients figure it out, they won't trust you again.
Yes, people can tell if you've bought followers. Here are some red flags that make it obvious:
Suspicious follower growth
A sudden, unrealistic increase in follower count is a dead giveaway. Your LinkedIn audience (the real one) will realize this.Low engagement rates
Despite having many followers, there is very little engagement on your posts.Follower quality
Fake followers often have incomplete profiles or look like bots.Irrelevant comments
Bots leave generic comments that don’t make sense.Follower account depletion
LinkedIn removes fake accounts. If your follower count suddenly drops, people will notice.
This is how you spot fake influencers and followers:
Instead of buying followers, focus on effective strategies to grow your LinkedIn presence.
Optimize your profile
Professional headshot
Get a high-quality headshot. Make sure you look confident and approachable.
Compelling tagline
Write a tagline that highlights your expertise.
Company details
Add your company name, logo, and a solid description of what you do.
Keyword optimization
Use relevant keywords throughout your profile to show up in searches. Yes, your LinkedIn profile shows up in Google. A lot.
Strong call to action
Tell visitors what action they should take next.
Featured section
Highlight key offerings in your Featured section to attract attention.
Social media links
Link your other social media profiles for more reach.
Create high-quality content
Focus on content that adds value.
Experiment with articles, carousels, and videos to keep people interested.
Identify your niche
Specializing helps establish you as an expert. Focus on topics you know well and that your audience needs.
Use the "Icky Guy" exercise
The "Icky Guy" exercise helps you combine your skills with market needs. It is a great method to surface your passion while using your skills to explain things to your audience. You should try it.
Establish content categories
Create subtopics or content categories within your niche. This helps attract an audience interested in areas you are passionate about.
Post consistently and strategically
Consistent posting shows LinkedIn that you are active and valuable. This is the hardest part about LinkedIn, but there is no way around it.
Post at least once a day. Daily posting maximizes reach. If not daily, at least have a consistent schedule. Three times a week is the bare minimum.
Focus on getting "reposts". Content that gets reposted is seen as valuable by the LinkedIn algorithm. Create shareable content that others want to repost.
Optimize your posts to get more LinkedIn followers.
Craft scroll-stopping hooks
The first three lines of your post are key. Make them engaging to get readers to click "See more." These first lines make or break your post. Hook readers immediately.
Use the magic words "I" and "You"
Using personal pronouns helps create a connection with your readers. It feels more conversational.
Establish benefit and authority
Highlight the value of your post. Show why your experience makes you credible.
Network with the right people on LinkedIn.
Connect with people in your industry. Target potential clients and thought leaders. Don't add random connections.
Desire for social proof
They think a big follower count makes them desirable.Perceived boost in visibility
People think that more followers make them visible to clients and employers.Shortcut to growth
Buying followers seems like an easy way to grow.Pressure to keep up
Competitors have big numbers, so some people feel the need to match them.
I don't recommend buying followers. But if you made it this far and still want to buy LinkedIn followers. Here is how to do it.
Step #1: Compare services to buy LinkedIn followers.
Step #2: Select a service and provide your LinkedIn URL.
Choose a service and follow the steps to share your LinkedIn profile and package.
Step #3: Start with a small test.
Try a small package first to test the quality before investing more.
Step #4: Monitor results daily.
Keep an eye on your follower count and engagement. Be alert for sudden drops. LinkedIn may remove fake accounts.
Buying LinkedIn followers might seem like a quick win. But it’s super risky and actually has no benefits. The gains are short-term, but the damage to your reputation can be long-lasting. Professional growth is hard. So is building a professional network in a targeted audience.
If you want real success, get more LinkedIn followers organically. Create valuable content, engage authentically, and put in the work. It takes time, but the rewards are worth it. There are many great tools and best practices out there to grow on LinkedIn.
Author
Andi Groke
Andi is the CEO of Mind Nexus and Co-Founder of postline.ai. He is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and former Dentsu executive. Andi worked in marketing for more than 15 years, serving clients such as Disney and Mastercard. Today he is developing AI marketing software for agencies and brands and is involved in several SaaS projects.