Today i want to share a little personal story.

This took me a lot of courage so please don’t laugh at me, just learn from me instead.

THE TEMPTATION

Few months ago, I was scrolling through my instagram and i saw an advert promising to skyrocket my followers overnight.

I looked at my 70 followers that i have managed to get in 3 years and i sighed.

I just immediately imagined how great it’ll look with thousands of followers.

So you can guess what next i did.

Yup correct.

I paid for the package of fake followers.

And instantly, my followers increased.

Gosh, i was so happy.

So it’s this easy to have 20k followers and i’ve been with just 70 for the past three years.

Information is key o.

(I mean, so i thought.)

THE REALITY CHECK

I was still feeling like a superstar.

But it didn’t take long for reality to hit. My posts were getting no engagement

no likes, comments, or even shares.

With 20k followers?

Is this a joke?

I should be getting at-least 100 comments na.

but yeah that was when i realized that those followers weren’t real people.

they were just empty accounts.

empty !

THE COST OF FAKING IT

Atleast usually from my 70 followers, i would get 10-15 likes, but now almost nothing.

Seeing my engagement drop was the wake-up call.

It was a literal "dey no dey tell person".

I was self aware of the situation now.

I felt embarrassed and frustrated.

I knew I needed to change course.

It became clear that my credibility was more important than a numerous fake follower count. especially as i was intending to make the page a business page for my brand.

THE SHIFT TO ORGANIC GROWTH

I decided to focus on building my audience authentically.

I started creating quality content that real people engage with.

I also started using relevant hashtags.

It took time, but slowly, I began to see results.

My page grew with real followers who cared about my brand.

THE TAKEAWAY

Organic growth might be slower, but it’s far more rewarding.

Today my engagement rates are healthy, and my followers are truly invested in what I do.

If you’re thinking about boosting your social media presence,

I’m here to tell you: skip the shortcuts!

I went through this so you dont have to.

You’re welcome.