The Pros and Cons of Free Trial Instagram Followers

Social media is all about being visible and engaged, and accomplishing that, especially to gather more Instagram followers, can seem quite difficult. The free trial Instagram followers are often seen by users and businesses as the tempting, short-term remedy. But this way has its pros and cons.

Pros

• Immediate Boost in Numbers

Of course, the most obvious reason for free trial Instagram followers is that they quickly increase the overall follower amount. A massive benefit especially for new accounts, and accounts having a hard time building their following. As we have mentioned in the past, a page that has a bigger follower count can look more credible and trustworthy to a regular person who is influenced by these numbers and this is one of the many ways to attract organic followers.

• Enhanced Social Proof

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon wherein people assume the actions of others to reflect accurate behavior. Accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers are seen as more credible and worth a follow. Real users do follow users that seem to have a good following and this will lead to a snowball effect.

• Increased Engagement

A few services – but not free trial followers – also deliver likes and comments. This can result in making your profile more attractive and keep it live which is a better thing for the Instagram algorithm. Instagram’s algorithm will promote accounts with high engagement, leading to increased visibility on the platform – like the Explore page.

Cons

• Low-Quality Followers

One of the major disadvantages is the fake followers acquired from free trials. Typically, these are ghost followers in the form of bots/ inactive accounts that never actually engage with the content. This means even though the follower count may increase the engagement rate (likes, comments, shares) might not show any considerable change, and this is where things might get a bit wrong in the long run.

• Algorithm Penalties

The Instagram algorithm will think you’re another bot that people should ignore and eventually phish out your account permanently. If caught, such accounts face decreased visibility, shadow bans, or removal. This risk outweighs a temporary, albeit not unremarkable, spike in followers.

• Misleading Metrics

Having many followers but low engagement can be deceptive. Engagement is also an important factor that brands and potential collaborators look for when determining the influence of an account. Such disparities between follower count and user engagement can trigger alarm bells and in worst-case scenarios, lost opportunities for partnerships and collaborations.

• Ethical Considerations

Free trial followers can also raise some ethical issues. Online, authenticity is key, and practices such as these would be deemed dishonest. This could ruin your image, and you will no longer have the trust of your real followers.