The practice of compensating for increased viewership on Instagram, while not officially sanctioned by the platform, involves third-party services that promise to artificially inflate view counts on videos and stories. This can range from automated bot activity to purported engagement from real users within paid networks. For example, a content creator might purchase a package offering a specific number of views on a newly uploaded video to enhance its perceived popularity.
The perceived importance of artificially boosting view counts stems from the belief that higher numbers correlate with increased visibility and perceived authority. Individuals and businesses may pursue this strategy with the hope of attracting genuine followers, securing brand partnerships, or simply boosting their social media presence. Historically, the pursuit of higher metrics, regardless of authenticity, has been a recurring theme in the evolution of social media marketing, reflecting a desire to influence algorithms and public perception.