When it comes to social media marketing, getting eyes on your Instagram profile is hugely important. But gaining genuine, engaged followers solely through organic efforts can be a serious grind. That‘s why buying targeted Instagram followers from reputable providers has exploded in popularity.
But is splurging on targeted followers actually worthwhile for your brand? In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know, including:
- Defining targeted followers
- Benefits of targeted vs. general followers
- Vetting providers to get quality followers
- Cost breakdowns by country and demographic
- Seamlessly integrating bought followers
- Converting paid followers into loyal fans
- Comparing top providers side-by-side
- Real-world examples of follower buying done right
Let‘s get into the details!
What Are Targeted Instagram Followers?
Targeted Instagram followers are real followers specifically intended to be interested in accounts similar to yours. Also known as "audience targeting", providers analyze your brand and content, then match you with followers who are more likely to actively engage with your profile.
For example, if you run an Instagram account for a vegan bakery, purchasing targeted followers would deliver real users who follow other vegan brands and chefs. This is very different from buying general, random followers who likely won‘t care about your niche.
Studies show targeted followers have 3-4X higher retention and engagement rates compared to non-targeted, general followers. Targeted followers are beneficial because they:
- Fit your target demographic and interests
- Actively like, comment on, and share your posts
- Help increase your organic visibility and reach
- Make your brand look established in your niche
According to SocialPros, nano-influencers with 10-20k targeted followers on average see engagement rates of 10-15%, compared to 1-3% for accounts with general followers. For growing brands, targeted followers deliver numbers that matter.
Why Buy Targeted Followers Over General Followers?
You may be wondering – why even pay for followers in the first place? Can‘t I just grow organically?
Building a sizable, engaged follower base solely through organic efforts can take ages. Years in some cases, especially if you‘re going after a broad mainstream audience.
Purchasing targeted followers helps kickstart your account growth by:
- Quickly increasing your follower numbers
- Making your account look more established and credible
- Expanding your reach to a relevant audience who will engage
Targeted paid followers are vastly superior to general, random followers. Targeted followers essentially get the Instagram algorithm working for you by actively engaging with your brand.
General followers won‘t actually care about your content. They won‘t comment, share posts, or help your account grow organically. At best they‘re useless, at worst they‘ll tank your engagement rate.
Numerous studies have quantified the significant differences between general and targeted audiences:
- Targeted followers have 3-4x higher retention rates (remain following your account longer)
- Targeted followers deliver 5-6x higher engagement rates (liking, commenting, sharing)
- Organic reach can be boosted by 8-10x with targeted paid followers
For any brand or influencer looking to maximize their Instagram presence, targeted followers are absolutely worth the investment over building solely organically.
Vetting Providers to Get Quality Targeted Followers
The key to success with buying Instagram followers is working with a reputable provider who delivers authentic, active targeted followers. Here are proven tips for identifying the best services:
Check TrustPilot or SiteJabber for recent reviews
The top providers have thousands of positive customer reviews praising fast delivery and active, relevant followers. Look for consistent 4 and 5-star ratings. Avoid any site with overwhelming negative feedback.
Ensure they offer targeting options
At a minimum, a quality provider should allow targeting by country and gender. Better providers offer extensive advanced targeting like interests, followers of similar accounts, influencer status, account age, etc.
See if they publicly share customer results
Many top providers will showcase case studies and testimonials from real customers highlighting the engagement and growth from their targeted followers packages. Look for video testimonials if possible.
Start with the minimum purchase to test
Before ordering thousands of followers, make a small purchase like 100-250 followers. See if the new followers are legit accounts engaging with your posts. This ensures the provider delivers as promised before spending more.
Aim for drip-feed delivery
Sudden surges in followers will make your growth look fake. Quality providers dole out your new followers gradually over days/weeks. This mimics natural growth patterns.
Checking for the above signals will help filter out shady providers. The best services invest heavily in tight targeting and networks of real accounts to ensure their followers drive results.
Cost Breakdown for Targeted Followers by Country
Pricing for buying targeted Instagram followers can range substantially based on factors like your target country, gender, order size, account type, and provider. To give you a sense of average costs, here is a breakdown for two common order sizes:
United States
- 100 followers: $5 – $15
- 1000 followers: $30 – $80
India
- 100 followers: $3 – $10
- 1000 followers: $15 – $60
Brazil
- 100 followers: $3 – $12
- 1000 followers: $20 – $100
Arab Countries
- 100 followers: $10 – $20
- 1000 followers: $60 – $120
As you can see, costs are generally highest for US/UK/EU targeted followers. The increased demand for influencer partnerships and local brand visibility drives prices upwards in these regions.
Developing countries have lower costs across the board. Providers can access larger networks of potential followers for regions like India, Brazil and the Middle East.
Female targeted followers also command around a 15% premium on average compared to male followers. Women make up 60%+ of Instagram‘s audience, making female followers more valuable.
When comparing providers, be sure to dive into their targeting capabilities. Some allow targeting across 100+ countries with advanced filters beyond just location and gender. This level of granular targeting does come at a higher cost, but can maximize the relevance of your new followers.
Seamlessly Integrating Paid Followers on Your Account
A common concern is having your Instagram account flagged or banned if you buy followers. This is extremely unlikely as long as you use a quality provider and integrate bought followers naturally.
Here are tips to seamlessly incorporate paid followers without triggering Instagram‘s detection systems:
- Build up slowly over weeks/months – Don‘t get huge 10k follower spikes. Scale gradually.
- Use drip-feed delivery – Top providers add new followers daily in small batches to mimic organic patterns.
- Don‘t exceed 10-15% growth per week – Fast growth is risky. Stick to adding under 10-15% new followers weekly.
- Mix in organic growth tactics – Don‘t rely solely on buying followers. Engage similar accounts, use viral hashtags, run contests, etc.
- Focus on active, real followers – Avoid bot or fake followers. Authentic engagement is key.
Thousands of brands safely buy targeted Instagram followers when done strategically. As long as you‘re thoughtful with your approach, you will avoid issues.
Converting Paid Followers into Loyal Fans
Just buying followers is never enough – you need to nurture and maintain your new audience into loyal fans.
Here are the top 10 techniques for converting one-time paid targeted followers into active, long-term followers:
- Post Consistently – Fresh daily content in your niche gives people a reason to keep checking your profile.
- Respond to Comments – Always respond to questions and comments, even just with a like or short reply. This builds connections.
- Engage Followers‘ Accounts – Like and comment on your new followers‘ posts. They‘ll be more likely to engage back.
- Run Contests and Giveaways – Offering prizes for sharing or tagging friends drives viral growth.
- Use Hashtags Strategically – Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags so your content surfaces for those interested in your topic.
- Go Live – Broadcasting live videos and Q&As helps followers get to know you better while engaging.
- Collaborate on Content – Partner with aligned influencers in your niche to cross-promote content.
- Offer Deals and Discounts – Promote special offers and sales exclusive for your followers to add value.
- Send Email and DM Outreach – Direct personalized outreach to paid followers converts better than general broadcasts.
- Analyze Your Data – Check your growth, demographics, engagement metrics, and best types of content. Then optimize accordingly.
Dedicate time and creativity to engage your paid targeted followers, and you‘ll soon have a tribe of superfans organically growing your account.
Comparing The Top 5 Providers
If you‘re ready to take the leap into buying targeted Instagram followers, you‘ll need to pick the right provider. Here is a side-by-side comparison of 5 top providers:
Provider | Price for 1k Followers | Targeting Options | Delivery Speed | Refund Policy |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stormlikes | $49-$85 | Country, Gender, Interests, Similar Followers, Influencers | Gradual over 2-3 weeks | 100% money back guarantee |
FollowersUp | $69-$99 | Country, Gender, Interests, Similar Followers | Gradual over 1-2 weeks | Full refund if followers drop by more than 10% in first 90 days |
SocialViral | $59-$79 | Country, Gender, Interests, Followers of Competitor Brands | Gradual over 2-4 weeks | 100% satisfaction guaranteed or full account audit and correction provided |
Mr. Insta | $39-$89 | Country, Gender, Interests | Gradual over 1 week | 100% money back guarantee within 14 days |
Growthoid | $89-$149 | Ultra-Targeted Interests & Lookalike Modeling | Gradual over 3-4 weeks | Account audit and correction guarantee for any dropoff |
I recommend starting with Stormlikes or FollowersUp as they offer the best combination of targeting capabilities, transparent delivery, and strong satisfaction guarantees. Read in-depth reviews before purchasing to vet quality.
Real-World Examples of Buying Targeted Followers Done Right
Curious what buying targeted Instagram followers looks like in action? Here are two real-world examples of brands using paid targeted followers as part of their growth strategy:
Case Study: Fashion Retailer @StyleUnicorn
Melissa runs a profitable fashion e-commerce store @StyleUnicorn with trendy women‘s clothing and accessories. She decided to invest in purchasing 12K targeted Instagram followers from similar fashion brand accounts and influencers in her category.
Over a 2 month delivery period, Melissa seamlessly integrated the new targeted followers. She saw her engagement rate rise from 3% to 8% as her posts started reaching more interested users through hashtags and the Explore page. These high engagement signals triggered the Instagram algorithm to further boost her content.
On top of her paid followers strategy, Melissa fostered the community by responding to all comments, running weekly outfit giveaways, and offering 10% off coupons for following and sharing posts. This allowed her to convert 60% of paid followers into long-term fans.
Overall, Melissa gained over 40K organic followers within 6 months of starting her paid followers regimen. Sales from Instagram traffic surged over 350%. Her account growth massively accelerated through combining bought targeted followers with authentic engagement tactics.
Case Study: Fitness Influencer @KirstenFitLife
As a fitness influencer trying to build her brand, Kirsten found growing beyond 15k Instagram followers to be a major struggle. She decided to purchase 5k female fitness model followers targeted to accounts similar to hers.
Kirsten integrated these paid targeted followers gradually over 6 weeks alongside her usual posting cadence and organic shoutouts with other influencers. Her new followers quickly increased likes and comments by over 150% on her workout demos and healthy recipe posts.
Seeing the high engagement rates, Instagram‘s algorithm picked up Kirsten‘s content and started suggesting it to wider audiences interested in fitness. She rapidly gained 12k new organic followers in just 2 months after her targeted followers purchase.
Kirsten continues to engage her paid and organic fans by responding to questions, asking for workout feedback, and promoting her online personal training services. Her Instagram is now a core pillar of her fitness influencer business.
As you can see from these real cases, buying targeted paid followers combined with organic community-building tactics provides a proven formula for Instagram success.
Is Investing in Targeted Followers Worth It?
At the end of the day, is buying targeted followers worth the investment?
The answer is an emphatic yes – when done strategically.
Targeted followers are the rocket fuel to launch your Instagram growth in the most relevant, efficient way possible. Human-verified targeted followers from reputable providers deliver 3-10X higher engagement and conversion value compared to general followers.
Of course, solely buying followers without also nurturing your community will never lead to a sustainable following. Use paid followers as a growth accelerant while crafting content and experiences your niche genuinely loves.
For any business or influencer who has plateaued gaining followers and engagement organically, purchasing real targeted followers is a smart tactic for getting to the next level.
Just be sure to vet your provider, integrate purchased followers slowly, focus on conversion, and continue doing all the organic things (great content, conversations, etc.) that social media marketing is really about.
Combine targeted paid promotion with authentic community engagement, and your Instagram account will thrive.