5 Reasons not to buy Twitter followers

by Startacus Admin

Here at Startacus we’re forever championing the benefits that having a comprehensive, effective and (most importantly) active social media marketing plan can have for your business. This is especially the case when it comes to startups, who can find that platforms like Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter can be really effective in increasing the market awareness of their brand and can be handy in gaining a dedicated and loyal following.  

Having a large number of followers brings with it a great many benefits, not least of which is the credibility it can add - potential customers will think “oooh look how many Twitter followers they have… this must be a well respected, competent and professional business”.

But of course (like all things) social media sites have their challenges and one of the greatest of these and which is facing the modern startup is how to increase their number of friends, followers etc. It is here sadly, that many businesses begin to make their way down a dark and treacherous road… a road called “Fake Twitter Street”.   Ok perhaps that's being a little theatrical but you get what we mean…

There are countless sites out there telling how wonderfully simple, cheap and effective the purchasing of twitter followers can be. No doubt for some it has produced results, however we take a rather more cautious view of creating a fake following… and here’s why.

It’s a lie.  

Ok so maybe its only a little white one (or rather hundreds of little white ones) but nonetheless it is still dishonest. Is that really the image you want to project of your business?  

It can be very obvious

If you have only tweeted 50 times and yet have 3000 followers and your name isn’t Kylie Minogue then it will be as obvious as a hippo in a paddling pool that your followers have come straight from your credit card!

You may think to yourself “So what, if a couple of people realise my Twitter followers are fake, what difference could that make?”Well quite a lot actually, think about it like this… if you need to buy Twitter followers to appear reputable, doesn't that automatically suggest to a potential customer that you are not reputable and therefore should be avoided like the plague? By taking the easy route out, you may have scared off a potential follower…and isn’t 1 real follower infinitely better than 1000 fake ones?

There are tools to spot it

Yes many of you will be surprised to know that there are tools readily available which are designed to expose the use of fake followers…a fact which many have only been made aware when it’s too late! These tools have ruined reputations, turned industry experts into laughing stocks and left rivals jumping up and down with glee!  Consider carefully before you buy!

It can make you stop trying

There is nothing like the sight of an empty follower list to make you work harder, but one that is jam packed with followers (albeit fake ones) can cause you to rest back on your laurels and neglect what is really important - increasing your following of actual human beings!

It’s dangerous!

Yep, thats right dangerous!  Without sounding too much like a scaremongering politician/weatherman, purchasing Twitter followers can pose a real threat to your internet security and also that of your real contacts! Whilst there is nothing illegal about the creation or indeed the sale of fake followers, those who engage in this activity may have their sights on much much bigger prizes! It can sometimes (not always of course) be a front to gain access to important personal information such as your credit card/bank details and can also facilitate phishing, hacking and relentless spamming of your contacts.  
Of course there are two sides to every story… and we know that there are a lot of very convincing arguments out there in favour of the purchase of Twitter followers… but if you are in two minds about it, perhaps it might be best to err on the side of caution?

Why not take a look at some of our other great social media related posts? (and of course follow our Startacus Twitter account too!)

Advertising on Twitter - it’s here!

The Startacus guide to social media competitions

Pinterest web analytics -  A Pintroduction

Social media really works?!

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Published on: 20th January 2014