Buying YouTube subscribers is something that many video creators are tempted to do sooner or later.
Growing your YouTube channel is a challenge, even with a great strategy. Gaining organic subscribers takes time and effort. And it can be slow going.
Giving your subscriber count a boost by buying them can seem like a straightforward solution.
After all, there are dozens of providers out there that offer paid YouTube subscribers.
But does it actually work? Is it a scam? Or will it help you boost your channel?
Here’s the full scoop.
Contents
Can You Buy YouTube Subscribers?
To start with, yes you can buy YouTube subscribers.
There are scores of services online that offer subscribers for cash. Some of them are scams, but many do deliver what they promise – increased subscriber counts on your channel.
Some of the most well-known among these services are Stormviews, GetFans.io, and UseViral. They offer 100 subscribers for $9.95, $21, and $29 respectively.
Typically, the subscribers you buy on these services appear almost instantly on your channel.
Some services even offer guarantees to “refill” your subscribers if they drop below the number you purchased.
The general promise is to boost your channel’s visibility and make it easy to get social proof.
Is Buying YouTube Subscribers Safe?
While it is absolutely possible to buy YouTube subscribers, it’s not the way to go if you’re aiming for sustainable channel growth. Or building a loyal audience.
In fact, buying YouTube subs can be dangerous. It can hurt your monetization, alienate your audience, and even get your channel penalized or deleted.
Here’s why.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy YouTube Subscribers
It’s Illegal
First off, buying YouTube subscribers is explicitly against the platform’s Terms of Service.
Trying to manipulate YouTube metrics, including subscribers, can get you into deep trouble. If you’re found out, your channel can get suspended temporarily or even deleted forever.
They’re Likely Bots
Another reason to avoid buying subscribers is that they are often bots.
The vast majority of services that offer subscribers in return for payment rely on bots programmed to access your account regularly. This is an artificial inflation of your subscriber count – and something that YouTube’s algorithm can pick up on easily.
While you may see your subscriber numbers and view counts surging initially, it’ll soon be followed by a steep drop. That’s because YouTube regularly purges fake subscribers and penalizes accounts that benefited from them most.
Even If They’re Real, They’re Unengaged
A third reason to avoid paying for subscribers is that they’ll be unengaged.
Even if they are real people, they’re not genuinely interested in your content or your personal brand.
The foundation of a solid YouTube growth strategy is growing a loyal audience. Having a smaller but highly engaged audience is eons better than boasting hundreds of thousands of subscribers who don’t care about you.
You’ll Hurt Your Monetization
Most YouTubers’ ultimate goal is to make a living off the platform.
Buying YouTube subscribers, though, can seriously hurt your monetization strategy.
Not only are these subscribers unlikely to use features like Super Thanks, click on affiliate links, leave tips on platforms like Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon, or buy any of your merchandise.
Fake subscribers can also seriously lower your engagement metrics. And these are something that potential brand partners pay a lot of attention to.
No brand wants to spend money on an audience of bots or apathetic people. Many now routinely use tools to spot fakes, and you might well get blacklisted instead of monetizing your channel.
Your Audience Will Feel Duped
Finally, you always run the danger of alienating your organic audience if they realize that you buy subscribers.
If someone checks into your channel regularly, it’s pretty easy to see when your subscriber counts jump unrealistically. And call you out on it.
Growing an audience on YouTube takes authenticity. Your viewers tune in to see you. If they realize you’re trying to trick the system, losing subscribers will be the least of your worries.
Conclusion - Avoid Buying YouTube Subscribers
The bottom line is that it is possible to buy YouTube subscribers. But you should absolutely avoid it.
Most bought subscribers are simply bots that manipulate your metrics in the short run before getting purged by YouTube. Even those that are real people are unengaged and not interested in your content.
In addition, buying YouTube subscribers is against the platform’s terms of service.
At best, this can hurt your monetization strategy. At worst, it can get your channel deleted.
Growing a successful YouTube channel takes time and dedication. There are no shortcuts. To go viral, you need to find a great niche, develop a killer content and monetization strategy, and stick with it.
Yes. It is possible to buy YouTube subscribers off platforms such as UseViral and Stormviews. However, these subscribers are likely to be either bots or unengaged and can ultimately hurt your channel.
No. Buying YouTube subscribers is against the platform’s terms of service. It can get your account suspended or deleted.
No. If you want to grow your channel sustainably, you should absolutely avoid buying YouTube subscribers. Not only is it against YouTube’s terms of service. Unengaged or artificial subscribers also hurt your engagement metrics and monetization.
