The practice of acquiring a greater number of channel followers on the video-sharing platform without monetary expenditure represents an attempt to artificially inflate a channel’s perceived popularity. This commonly involves engaging with services, often of dubious legitimacy, that promise to deliver a rapid increase in subscriber counts at no cost to the channel owner. An example includes utilizing third-party websites or applications that offer purported free subscribers in exchange for user engagement, such as watching other videos or completing surveys.
While a higher subscriber count may initially appear advantageous, potentially attracting organic viewers and improving search ranking algorithms, the practice carries inherent risks. These artificial followers are often inactive or automated accounts, providing no genuine engagement with the channel’s content. Historically, such tactics were more prevalent before platforms implemented stricter measures to detect and penalize inauthentic activity. The long-term effects can include damage to the channel’s reputation, decreased organic reach, and potential suspension or termination of the account if detected violating platform terms of service.
