Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Everyone wants the instant fix, nowadays. Sometimes, it seems better to cut corners to reach success quicker. But does the corner-cutting really help in the long run? When you buy YouTube views, are you really benefiting?
I suppose that depends on who you ask.
Socially perceived success today might actually hurt your progress as a creator. Sure, you might get a quick social bump, but it’s not sustainable in many instances.
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What Do You Get When You Buy YouTube Views?
The reason why a lot of these YouTube viewer and subscriber sellers make so much money is because social proof matters. The more popular you “appear” to an audience, the more likely they’ll subscribe or follow your account.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that well for many people. In fact, YouTube is full of creators who have thousands of “subscribers” but very few views per video.
Inflated Numbers
When you buy YouTube views, you’ll artificially inflate your numbers. This is because people are paid to subscribe, and in some cases, bots and fake accounts are used.
In a matter of days, your channel could look like something viral is going on. It’s all about artificially inflating video views to make the creator more enticing to a new viewer.
It’s often the curiosity syndrome. Someone sees a new channel with lots of views wants to know why. Is it good? What kind of content is being created? Who is this new creator?
Short-Term Social Clout
On the Internet today, social clout is vastly important to a lot of people. It opens the doors for endorsements and a slew of other ways to make money.
Artificially inflating your numbers on YouTube makes your channel stand out to those who want you to advertise products. However, this can act as a double-edged sword.
Sure, you might get approached by brands. However, many of these companies only keep influencers around who are performing. If your audience isn’t buying anything, because most of them are fake accounts and bots, the brand will drop you.
And this doesn’t bode well for your long-term reputation as a creator.
Not Your Target Audience
When you pay someone to view your video, he or she is not really your target audience. It’s the people who find value in your content who will drive your success.
Let’s say you buy YouTube views to improve the numbers on your videos. In most instances, those people (or fake accounts) will not click ads or buy goods from sponsors. They’re there simply to inflate your numbers.
Where will your channel be once the contract for buying views expires? If you bought 1000 views, where is number 1001 coming from? Are you going to keep buying views and hope you build an audience?
Low Return-On-Investment
In the long-term, buying YouTube views has a low return-on-investment. You’re spending money with the hopes of becoming popular without a guarantee you’ll recuperate that money once you’re monetized.
Instead, you could use that money to improve your video content. Better camera, better sound, and focusing more on content that appeals to an audience far outweighs 1000 paid subscribers.
If you want to reach Casey Neistat-levels of success, it’s more about quality content than appearing to be popular.
High Subscribers or Views, Low Retention
In most cases when you buy YouTube views, you’re getting a boost in subscribers and registered video plays. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll have audience retention.
And YouTube puts an incredible amount of emphasis on how long someone watches your content.
Even if a seller improves retention on 1000 videos, it doesn’t mean your audience will sit through the entire clip. How long will viewer 1001 watch the material?
Case in point, I have one video that someone shared on Reddit that was set to auto-run. It received thousands of views, but only had a 30-second retention rate. YouTube’s algorithm still buried the video.
In fact, my 4-Star Textbroker video has far better impression, click-through, and retention rates. This is because the video itself worked on its own merits without getting shared with people who didn’t really watch it all the way through.
In this case, quality far outweighed the number of views.
What About Fear of Missing Out?
The reason why people push buying YouTube views, subscribers, Twitter followers, and more is because it plays into the idea of fear of missing out.
This is when someone will follow a trend, channel or influencer because they don’t want to miss something that everyone else is appearing to get. Humans are herd-minded creatures, and when someone appears to be popular, he or she gets attention.
The problem with this mentality, though, is what happens when the masses don’t think you’re popular? I’m no the only one who will abandon an influencer if I think his or her content is subpar.
Don’t get me wrong, FOMO is what drives a lot of business on the Internet. But to create an artificial following will work against you if you don’t have the personality to keep viewers coming back for more.
Why Growing Organically is Better
Growing your channel organically is a far better option in the long-term. Yes, it will take you longer to start making that “Mad YouTube Money.” However, the success you’ll achieve is far more sustainable.
For one thing, you’ll evolve yourself as a creator.
Your Audience is More Focused
When you work to gain your audience, the subscriber list is full of people who are more focused on your content. They’re more likely to watch every video you upload, buy from your sponsors and trust your opinion.
And these are the people who will push your success forward. The paid viewers and bots, not so much. Because once the money runs out, those views you bought won’t matter because they are no longer watching your content.
Better Gauge of Your Quality
When you don’t buy YouTube views, your channel is progressing according to the actual quality of your videos. If you don’t get a lot of views or have a low retention rate, then maybe your videos just aren’t that good.
You can spray paint a turd gold; it’s still a turd.
The quality of your content is paramount to future success. Focus more on creating what your audience wants to see and it will all fall into place.
Fake or forced views don’t really tell you what videos are engaging and what you should work on. And without knowing how to improve, you’re not going to go far once those fake viewers stop coming around.
Better Understanding of What to Make
Your audience will guide you in what performs the best. It’s why many creators on YouTube change formats, backgrounds, intros and outro videos often. But if you’re paying for views and subscribers, you’ll never understand your target audience.
It takes a lot of work and pouring over a ton of data to see what is effective on YouTube.
In a way, buying YouTube views creates a disconnect from yourself and who you’re trying to attract. Knowing what the masses want will boost your chances of success.
Improving Yourself in General
Lastly, and this goes along with everything I just mentioned, growing organically improves your abilities overall as a creator. I’m not just talking about creating videos that people want to watch, though.
Responsibility, ethics, determination, motivation…they all contribute to an incredible YouTuber. You hinder yourself from evolving if you buy YouTube views from some business that touts success.
It’s these elements that attract top-name brands as they can see your audience loving your work.
My Opinion of Buying Views and Subs
For myself, success or failure of my YouTube channels is 100% my doing. If people don’t like the content enough to view or subscribe, that’s on me as a creator.
If I become a sensation, I know without a doubt that it was all because of what I create. If you buy YouTube views, you really can’t say the same at any point throughout the life of your channel.
I suppose I am a bit of a creator purist. But I wouldn’t be caught dead using or promoting any service to artificially inflate my popularity.
Don’t Buy YouTube Views
In reality, the decision to jump on the fake bandwagon is up to you. No one can force you to do anything with your money. But when you buy YouTube views, you’re kind of shooting yourself in the foot later on.
Put more effort into developing yourself as a creator and impress the masses. People like me don’t care if you appear popular or not. It’s all about what you deliver in terms of content.
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