Should You Buy LinkedIn Followers?

Let me start off first by saying, “No, you should never buy LinkedIn followers!”

OK, now that I have that off my chest, let me explain what led me to this article’s title.

Recently, a friend asked me this question.

I’ll admit that at first I was stunned and momentarily speechless.

(Yes, the latter does happen occasionally.)

The reason for my shock was I didn’t even think this was possible.

My friend assured me that it was and after a quick check on Google, sure enough, there are all sorts of folks offering this service.

Let me explain to you what I explained to my friend about why this is a very bad idea.

First, I’m pretty sure that this is a good way to run afoul of LinkedIn’s Terms of Service (ToS).

It may not be in them now but it soon will be if it’s not already.

You could conceivably end up getting banned from LinkedIn and trust me you don’t want that to happen to you.

Next, who are these supposed new followers of yours?

Technically, LinkedIn account holders can only use their real identities.

No anonymous or alternate identities are permitted.

So, how does anyone manage to “follow” someone else with large amounts of new followers unless they’re fake?

Finally, let’s say you do this and add a large number of new followers.

What are you going to do with them?

What are they going to do with you?

If you’re expecting meaningful engagement and solid content, you’re in for a rude awakening.

Yes, you may have a large followers number on your profile but even a rudimentary scan will show how hollow that number is.

Like anything else in life, you will only achieve good results on LinkedIn the old fashioned way.

That’s by hard work in a disciplined fashion with your engagement and content.

Doing this, you’ll gain connections and followers who appreciate both you and your work.

Others coming to your profile looking at you as a potential client or vendor will see that and recognize it right away.

There are no silver bullets in LinkedIn or other social media channels.

Yes, there are gimmicks and short cuts like buying followers but they’re fool’s gold.

Don’t fall for their false allure!

That’s it for now!

Please check-out my 8 step approach for developing a social media program to get some more ideas on how to use social media.

Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself!

In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog!

I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.

And, remember!

I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.

I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com.

My Twitter handle is @conpsweeney.

Stay well!