Buy LinkedIn Followers - QQSumo

As of October today, there are approximately 1.15 billion users on LinkedIn. It is safe to assume that all users on this site are qualified professionals, however, there is also a “cold start” problem. Having an impressive resume or a unique company page is not enough. If you have a low follower count, then others will assume that you are not an authoritative figure. The professional networking industry is a paradox - influence is imperative to obtain influence.

This is the problem that services like QQSumo intend to address. They intend to solve the aforementioned problem by selling “100% real and active” LinkedIn followers. Despite the claims made by QQSumo, the practice of buying followers is dubious. Does the practice of buying followers to build credibility in an authentic economy make a lot of sense, or is it a career-ending decision?

In this analysis, I will provide insights on the QQSumo offering, providing analysis on the functions of these types of services, and provide a framework to determine the best ways to utilize this strategy in growing the LinkedIn profile of the target audience.

Analysing the offering of QQSumo. 

Before purchasing this product, there are a number of factors that must be considered regarding the seller. QQSumo claims that they are an engagement agency that does not use black-hat strategies like bot farms. This is an analysis of their LinkedIn follower engagement proposal.

1. The Product: Authentic Accounts, Gradual Delivery

While most competitors promise instant delivery (usually an indication that the followers are bots), QQSumo provides a delivery window of 6-8 days. This 'slow drip' delivery system is a clear advantage.

The Angle: LinkedIn's algorithm identifies fake follower accounts. By distributing the followers evenly over multiple days, QQSumo provides a solution that will not get flagged as an inorganic method of follower acquisition.

The 'Real' Follower Accounts: QQSumo provides the description that followers come from "verified, active accounts," which would be true, they would be real accounts that would not get flagged as a bot. This would pose a significantly lower risk than purchasing followers from an unreliable source that gets purged daily.

2. The Safety Assurance: No Password, No Problem

Many followers accounts are suspended due to the service. QQSumo is correct that you do not have a password. To avoid these situations, you only provide a link to the public profile. This is a safety protocol that requires your service not to provide your password.

3. The Retention Safety Net: 60-Day Refill

Most services that come to growing follower accounts have a significant drop-off. However, with QQSumo, you have a 60-day guarantee. The followers are replaced,, and you do not have to do anything. The followers are real people who accidentally follow.  They will replace the accounts.

4. Pricing Structure

The service is priced at $15 for 100 followers. This is a mid-to-premium pricing tier. This means that they could be paying actual humans (micro-influencers or users from developing countries) to follow accounts, instead of using bots to follow accounts.

The Psychology of Buying Followers (Why It Works)

To understand the value proposition, we need to look at the behavioral economy involved in LinkedIn.

1. The Halo Effect of Large Figures

Psychologically, people tend to trust what other people trust. Therefore, a profile that has 1,000+ followers is more authoritative than one that has 50 followers, regardless of the quality of the profile. Each of the potential clients or recruiters visiting a profile with a large follower count has a high number of followers, providing a sense of trust. This is the main reason people buy followers from QQSumo.

2. Favorability from the Algorithm

LinkedIn uses the size of a network and engagements in order to rank a profile. Although the number of followers is not the main determinant in developing the reach of a profile, a high number of followers is likely to improve the rank of that profile among the “People Also Viewed” and in the search results.  A high number of followers allows the algorithm to take you a lot more seriously.

3. The Social Proof Loop

Many times the first step to seeing the buy followers market actually help your own organic followers is the buying of followers. If real users see you have a big follower count, they assume your content is good and they will follow you. This is a feature QQSumo advertises: "attract genuine organic followers over time."

The Hidden Risks and Strategic Considerations

In spite of the robust guarantees offered by QQSumo, buying followers does come with some measure of strategy. A robust evaluation must address the elephant in the room: engagement vs. vanity metrics.

1. The Engagement Cliff

This is the Achilles' heel of buying followers. You pay for 1,000 followers, but these are passive observers.

• The Problem: If you post content and receive 2 likes but have 1,000 followers, the engagement rate looks abysmal (0.2%). Savvy professionals and LinkedIn's own analytics tools can spot this disparity.

• The Mitigation: QQSumo offers separate services for Endorsements, Likes, and Views. A holistic strategy *requires* buying these alongside followers to mask the engagement cliff. Buying followers without buying engagement is often counterproductive.

2. Relevance and Targeting

QQSumo gives the option of "Targeted Countries" (USA/Worldwide). But are these followers even relevant to your niche?  

• The Risk: A FinTech startup in London who purchases 500 followers from anywhere in the world may end up with 400 followers who are from completely different industries in Asia or South America. This looks good from an engagement standpoint but it dilutes the relevance of your audience. LinkedIn analytics will show you followers in places that are completely irrelevant to your business.

3. Compliance with LinkedIn's User Agreement

QQSumo services are advertised as "safe and discreet" and "compliance with policies". This is misleading. LinkedIn clearly states that the use of third-party services to boost followers is prohibited. In practice, LinkedIn's enforcement has only been on bots and scrapers. Because QQSumo uses "manual processes" with real accounts," they operate in a grey area instead of a black-hat one.  

Tips for Using QQSumo

If you are thinking about using this service, understand that it is not a magic solution. Instead, think of it as initial investment towards your social proof.

The Hybrid Growth Model:

1. The Foundation (Days 1-7): Purchase a basic package of 250-500 followers from QQSumo to remove the 'zero-follower' stigma.

2. The Content Engine (Ongoing): Start posting high-value content immediately. The followers will give you perceived authority to attract *real* leads.

3. The Engagement Buffer (Days 2-10): Purchase a small package of Post Likes or Endorsements for your latest articles. This will hide the engagement cliff.

4. The Transition: Use the initial momentum to drive real-world connectivity. Invite the 'real' purchased followers to connect, turning passive followers into 1st-degree connections.

Who Should NOT Buy Followers?    

• Niche Executive Leaders: Reputation risk is faced by C-level executives in publicly listed companies or those in leadership positions that are quite prominent and visible.  

• Niche Hyper Specialists: If your audience is limited to 5 000 individuals in the world and you add 1000 irrelevant followers, your analytics will be poorly skewed.  

Conclusion: Should You Buy QQSumo?    

Appearance begets the mind. Using modern marketing, QQ Sumo shields itself from the negative stigma associated with such services. Their policies regarding real accounts, no passwords, and refills set them apart.   

Digital marketers, entrepreneurs, and content creators make up the QQ Sumo audience. In this case, purchasing LinkedIn followers is an endorsement acceleration tactic. However, this should be done with the promise of strong content and engagement, QQ Sumo serves as an endorsement paint. You will require an engine (content) to win the race.   

Verdict: tread lightly, be precise in targeting (prefer USA followers, if possible, on a budget). Never allow purchased followers to exceed your engagement metrics.