Buying TikTok followers has become an increasingly popular marketing tactic as the platform continues its meteoric rise in popularity. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become a critical platform for brands and influencers looking to expand their reach. The idea behind buying followers is that it can help kickstart growth by making an account look more established and influential. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding whether to buy followers and how to do so effectively.
This article will provide an overview of buying TikTok followers, including key considerations around cost, targeting the right audience, prioritizing quality over quantity, and setting realistic expectations for metrics and growth. We’ll also look at some of the potential pros and cons to keep in mind when evaluating whether buying followers makes sense for your goals on TikTok.
Cost Factors
The cost to buy 1,000 TikTok followers can vary greatly depending on the provider, engagement level, and other factors. According to research, prices typically start around $5 per 1,000 followers from reputable providers (Source). However, costs may be higher for targeted, high-quality, and engaged followers.
In general, buying followers in larger quantities brings the average cost per 1,000 down. For example, buying 10,000 followers may cost $15 per 1,000 rather than $5 (Source). The engagement level of the followers also impacts price. More active, real followers cost more than bot or fake followers.
Factors like audience targeting and growth speed also affect costs. For a brand wanting U.S.-based, interested followers in a certain niche, expect to pay premium prices. Prices also increase for quickly delivered follower spikes versus gradual, natural growth.
Overall, while baseline costs may start around $5/1,000, brands should expect an average cost between $10-$20 per 1,000 real, targeted, engaged TikTok followers from reputable seller.
Reputable Providers
When buying TikTok followers, it’s important to use reputable providers that deliver real, high-quality followers. According to industry experts, some of the top sites to buy TikTok followers from include:
Bulkoid – Known for providing fast delivery of followers. They offer packages starting at just $2.97 for 100 followers.
ViralHQ – Offers followers from real accounts with complete profiles. Prices start at $12 for 500 followers.
FastPromo – Delivers gradual, drip-feed delivery to make growth look organic. Packages start at $24.99 for 1,000 followers.
Focusing on established sites with proven track records can help ensure you get quality followers and avoid scams when buying TikTok followers.
Consider Audience Targeting
When buying followers on TikTok, it’s important to consider getting targeted followers rather than just random accounts. As explained in this article from Path Social, “Targeted Instagram Followers: How To Gain Them,” targeted followers fit the ideal customer profile for your brand or account. They are more likely to actively engage with your content by liking, commenting, sharing, and becoming paying customers.
In contrast, random, untargeted followers may not care about your niche or content. As this article on audience targeting for Twitter explains, “Quality over Quantity: Why Targeted Twitter Followers Matter More,” targeted followers drawn to your useful content will better engage, inquire, and convert compared to generic followers. Essentially, a smaller number of truly targeted followers is more valuable than a larger number of irrelevant followers.
Quality Matters
When buying followers on TikTok, it’s crucial to prioritize quality over quantity. Real, active followers are more valuable than fake or inactive accounts. Brands should thoroughly vet potential providers to ensure the followers they deliver are authentic users who will actively engage with content. According to How to Spot Fake Instagram Followers, there are telltale signs of fake followers, including no profile photo, few posts, and generic names. Brands can use free tools like FakeCheck to analyze a profile and determine the percentage of real versus fake followers. It’s better to grow an organic, engaged community slowly rather than risk a high percentage of fake followers.
Gradual Growth Recommended
While buying followers may seem tempting for quick growth, experts recommend focusing on natural, gradual growth instead. Sudden spikes in followers from purchased accounts can appear artificial and raise flags with TikTok’s algorithm. TikTok wants real engagement from genuine users.
According to Social Pilot, growing organically takes more time but leads to higher quality followers who actually watch and engage with your content. Purchased followers rarely interact. Focus on producing captivating content, using relevant hashtags, engaging with your audience, and collaborating with others in your niche. Patience and persistence pays off in the long run.
As expressed on Hootsuite’s blog, buying followers goes against TikTok’s terms of service. There are no shortcuts—real growth stems from consistently providing value to attract an audience organically over time. Stay authentic and let your account grow naturally.
Metrics Impact
Buying followers can negatively impact key TikTok metrics beyond just follower count. While an inflated follower number may seem impressive initially, the disconnect between followers and authentic engagement often becomes clear. According to Dash Hudson, buying followers typically leads to a lower engagement rate, since the purchased followers do not actively interact with content. Purchased followers also do not aid in driving views or building an audience organically.
In fact, buying followers may actually decrease visibility on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm favors videos that generate engagement and sharing among real viewers. With bot followers failing to engage, a creator’s content risks missing the For You page and languishing with limited reach. As noted by Hootsuite, authentic viewer behavior is key for being recommended by the algorithm. Buying followers bypasses this, jeopardizing creators’ distribution.
Thus, inflated followers bought through shortcuts undermine meaningful metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares. These reflect genuine user interest. Focusing on bought followers over real engagement can create a mirage of success, while obscuring low viewership and community interaction. Ultimately, creators need audiences that actively watch, enjoy, and share their content.
Pros of Buying Followers
There are some potential benefits to buying TikTok followers, especially for businesses and creators looking to grow their accounts.
One major pro is increased reach and discoverability. Having more followers can help expose your content to a larger audience on TikTok. The algorithm may start recommending your videos more often, allowing you to reach both your current followers and new potential followers organically (Source).
There’s also an argument that more followers can lend credibility and “social proof” to an account. Some users may be more inclined to follow and engage with accounts that already have a substantial following, assuming that those accounts’ content has been vetted and validated by others (Source).
So in theory, buying followers could give a credibility boost, especially for newer accounts trying to establish themselves. However, this effect likely only goes so far, and works best when combined with quality, engaging content.
Cons of Buying Followers
There are several risks associated with buying TikTok followers, especially from third-party sites that provide fake followers. TikTok is able to detect fake, bot, and spam accounts and will delete them. According to Dash Hudson, TikTok routinely removes these inauthentic accounts, meaning any spikes in followers from purchases will be short-lived. You could end up wasting money on followers that disappear.
Having large numbers of fake followers can also get your account banned by TikTok. As stated by Hootsuite, TikTok cracks down on accounts that violate its terms of service, including buying or selling accounts and fake engagement. Your account could get suspended or banned entirely.
In addition, fake followers don’t actually help you reach real human users. According to Fanbytes, purchased followers don’t interact with or share your content. They only inflate your numbers artificially without bringing more authentic engagement. Focusing on organic growth is safer and more rewarding in the long run.
Conclusions
In summary, the cost to buy 1,000 TikTok followers can range anywhere from $10 to $100 depending on the provider, targeting, and follower quality. While buying followers may seem like a quick shortcut, it comes with risks and is not a recommended long-term growth strategy. The best approach is to grow a real, engaged audience organically through compelling content and strategic cross-promotion.
When evaluating buying followers, carefully vet potential providers, aim for gradual follower growth, and monitor metrics to ensure the purchased followers are authentic and active. While buying followers can temporarily inflate numbers, it will not drive meaningful business results if the audience is not genuinely interested. Focus first on creating value and connecting with real humans rather than pursuing vanity metrics.
In closing, proceed with caution when buying TikTok followers. While the costs may seem trivial, low-quality or bots followers can actually harm your account. The better path is to remain patient, post consistently, and build community with humans who care about your brand. This organic growth will pay off much more in the long run.
