Showerthought: People are still paying for fake Instagram followers in 2024

I just saw a local cafe in Tampa brag about hitting 50k followers, but their posts get maybe 15 likes. It's so obvious they bought a bot army. This matters because it wrecks their ad targeting and makes real engagement impossible. I know because I ran their page through a free tool called Social Blade and the follower graph was a perfect straight line up overnight. Why do businesses still think a big number means anything when the comments are just fire emojis from fake accounts? Has anyone actually seen a real return from buying followers, or is it always a waste of money?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah3201mo ago

Sad and desperate" is exactly the vibe it gives off.

owens.anthony1mo ago

Notice this everywhere now, not just with cafes but even with local politicians and artists. I mean, it feels like we're all just swimming in a sea of fake numbers that don't connect to anything real. It has to backfire because actual customers can spot the emptiness a mile away and just scroll right past. Maybe it's just me but that gap between the huge follower count and the tiny engagement makes the whole brand seem kinda sad and desperate instead of popular.

foster.tessa1mo ago

It's the same with a few small shops I follow. They have thousands of followers but only get a handful of likes on any post. That big, quiet space just feels off and makes me less likely to trust them.