Buying Likes on Instagram: Is It a Good Engagement Strategy?

It’s easy to get insecure when you compare the likes you get with those of a more popular creator. But don’t be fooled by the illusion of their like counter going up and up. Sometimes, it’s all smoke and mirrors—like when they’re just buying likes on Instagram to artificially balloon their engagement rate.

Likes are the lifeline of Instagram. Since the social media platform was born, likes have been the currency every creator wants to amass. And with such fierce competition on the platform, some people get extra desperate for likes and turn to buy some. But is it really a good idea to purchase likes on Instagram? How do you even do it? Keep reading to find the answers.

Can You Buy Likes on Instagram?

If you’ve never heard of this controversial way to gain engagement, you’re likely wondering, can you buy likes on Instagram? Yes, you can! Brands and creators often purchase IG likes to give their posts a good leg up in the algorithm.

Purchasing likes refers to the act of paying third-party apps and services to deliver more likes to your Instagram posts. When you pay for these services, you’ll see lots of new likes (typically from bot accounts) roll in. By ballooning your like count artificially, you create the illusion of being more well-liked and popular on the platform.

The thing is, paying for Instagram likes isn’t as glamorous and effective as it sounds. There are also many risks and cons associated with it.

First, the likes you buy aren’t even real likes. Sure, you’ll have a glitzy number next to the heart icon on your post. But that satisfying feeling will fade. You’ll feel empty when you realize no one actually genuinely engaged with your content. It didn’t resonate with real people.

You can also damage your online reputation should your authentic fans find out you’ve been purchasing likes. It suggests you’re not entirely authentic, which can turn some people off you. It may be challenging to rebuild the trust your fans once had in you after something like that.

Paying for likes also won’t have the algorithmic impact you assume. Some creators buy likes for IG posts in the hopes of boosting their visibility on the feed. But Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes authentic engagement. If your account is flagged for buying fake likes, not only will you not find favor with the algorithm. It will even deprioritize your content further. Big yikes!

Why Would Someone Buy Likes on the Instagram App?

Every creator has their own motivations for why they want to buy likes on the Instagram app. But at the end of the day, all those reasons have to do with finding validation from others. 

Here are some reasons why one might feel tempted to purchase likes online:

• Their content isn’t gaining enough traction: It’s incredibly disheartening to get fewer likes on your posts than you’re used to. It makes you question what you’re doing wrong this time around. Paying for likes is a quick band-aid solution to this dilemma.
• To create the illusion of popularity: It’s embarrassing when you have thousands of followers but can’t even garner a few dozen likes on your content. Paying for likes immediately fixes that and makes your post look more successful than it actually is.
• To build credibility as a new brand: It can be difficult to get your foot in the door when competing in a niche as a new creator. Getting lots of likes on your content immediately gives you extra credibility, putting you on the map faster.
•  For potential brand partners to notice them: Brands only tap influencers with high engagement rates to be part of their campaigns. Creators desperate for brand deals might buy Instagram likes to make it seem like they have a highly engaged audience.

At the end of the day, creators who purchase likes aren’t necessarily evil. They’re just caught between a rock and a hard place and want to improve their social media presence. They just might be doing it in a way that isn’t so strategic and sustainable.

How To Find a Trustworthy App for Buying Likes on Instagram

There are many available sites and apps on the internet that sell likes (popular ones include Buzzoid and Stormlikes). But how do you weed out the ones that give you fake bot likes from those that provide high-quality likes?

Here’s a checklist for finding the best apps for buying likes on Instagram.

• It needs to be a reputable service with a proven track record of legitimate results.
• There should be at least a few good reviews about its service from real clients.
• It should be transparent with packages and have affordable prices, not exorbitant ones.
• Its payment methods should be SSL-secured to encrypt your financial information.
• You should never have to surrender your Instagram password to them.
• It will help if they have customer service available to answer your questions about the buying process.
• It should have a money-back guarantee if they don’t deliver the likes you paid for.

All of these are signs that a service selling likes is legitimate. If you buy Insta likes, make sure the service you work with ticks most, if not all, of these boxes.

How To Buy Likes on Instagram: Step-by-Step Guide

Most websites and apps selling likes essentially have the same buying process. Here’s how to buy likes on Instagram in a few simple steps:

1. Choose which website you want to buy likes from.

2. Browse the site to see their available likes packages.

3. Select which package you want to purchase.

4. Provide a link to the specific Instagram post for which you want to buy likes.

5. Pay for your package and wait for your likes to roll in!

Is It Safe To Buy Likes and Comments on Instagram?

We’ll rip the band-aid right off—no, it’s usually not safe to buy likes and comments on Instagram. There are lots of risks involved that could make your social media account pay.

First, purchasing likes and other forms of engagement are considered to generate fake activity. This clearly goes against Instagram’s terms of service. If you get caught dabbling in this kind of internet fraud, you could get banned on Instagram.

Plus, Instagram cracks down on fake activity by cleaning up inauthentic likes and comments. That means it removes any engagement it thinks was generated by bots. That means the money you used to buy fake likes will likely just get flushed down the drain.

And there’s always the risk of your credit card info getting stolen if you buy likes from scam websites. That’s why you should make sure to always purchase likes only from reputable sites that have secure payment methods.

Better Ways To Drive Genuine Engagement on Instagram

It might be tempting to buy likes for IG when you’re desperate for high engagement. But the cons truly outweigh the benefits, from possibly ruining your reputation to getting your social media account banned.

Want to focus on safer, more sustainable, and more authentic ways to drive real likes on your posts? Here are some ways to get free Insta likes without resorting to buying them online.

1. Create High-Quality Content That Stands Out

The easiest way to get tons of organic likes on Instagram is by creating high-quality, interesting content. Don’t just post the same old selfies and OOTDs. 

Create content that includes you visiting cool places, whipping up inventive meals, dancing to underrated songs, trying new crafts, and more. Your goal is to stand out against your competition, so you have to go against the grain.

2. Post When Your Target Audience Is Most Active

Posts that drive high engagement as soon as they’re published get pushed out to the feed and Explore page more. So, try and upload photos and videos when your followers are active on the app. 

That way, you can get tons of likes as soon as the post goes up. This increases your content’s ranking on the algorithm, allowing it to appear on more screens and get more likes.

Pro tip: Check Instagram Insights to get an idea of when your followers are online throughout the day!

3. Like and Comment on Other People’s Posts

Engage with other people’s posts when you stumble upon content you genuinely like. And don’t stop at just one post. Head to their profile and like a few other of their feed posts, too.

This will get you noticed. They might feel so appreciative of your engagement that they tap the heart icon on your posts, too.

4. Use Relevant Hashtags To Boost Visibility for Your Post

Lastly, use trending hashtags in your post captions. This gives your content a chance to show up on the hashtag’s main page, increasing the visibility of your post. 

When more people see your content, the likes and engagement it can drive are higher. So, add those hashtags!

Frequently Asked Questions

Buy Followers and Likes on Instagram in a More Authentic Way With Path Social

Don’t want to get caught with fake likes from bots on your content? Buy followers and likes on Instagram in a smarter, more sustainable way: investing in a growth service like Path Social.

Our team uses AI to hunt down your niche target audience on the platform. Then, we promote your content to ensure they see it. The more people see your content, the more real, loyal, engaged fans you reel into your community. Before you know it, you’ll have an authentic community that loves every piece of content you put out.

With our help, you won’t even need to consider buying likes on Instagram. We’ve built up creators like Terrell Conyers to get an average of 700+ likes on each of her posts. And trust us when we say we can do it for you, too. So, what are you waiting for? Work with Path Social today to get more likes and genuine IG followers fast!