Buying plays on SoundCloud can be an effective way to build social proof and grow a channel. Used as one part of a marketing plan, buying plays can be a simple way to give your content a boost. However, there are a few scenarios where you might want to take a step back and think about things first. It's always important to remember that buying plays is not a silver bullet strategy. By itself, this won't help you achieve internet fame and fortune. Buying plays needs to be part of a larger strategy, so make sure you don't jump the gun.

When you don't know what you're doing

The absolute worst time to buy SoundCloud plays is when you don't know how the whole fame and growth process works. This also goes for buying any type of social media signal. A few wrong moves can leave you with a lot of wasted time and money. In some cases, you can even end up with a permanent ban on your SoundCloud profile.

This doesn't mean to deter you from buying plays, but do take extra caution. The biggest concern is the provider you buy plays from. Be sure to buy from a reputable provider and you won't need to worry about getting ripped off or banned.

Always pay attention to what guarantees are offered by providers. Most will offer some sort of satisfaction guarantee that lowers the risk factor. Still, be wary of shady vendors with too-good-to-be-true guarantees. Look for recent verified reviews from other buyers to be certain.

When you don't have a marketing strategy

Now, just because you've got a top-rated provider sending plays, doesn't mean you're set. If you don't have a killer marketing strategy to put those plays to use, they won't be useful. You might get a handful of organic plays, but advertising is where you put social proof to use. Don't expect a few thousand fake plays to take care of everything.

A good marketing strategy after buying plays also involves adding other appropriate social engagements. Favorites, shares, comments, and followers are all necessary to add legitimacy to your plays. When you've got the whole package of boosted metric, advertising becomes very lucrative. You'll see a much higher response every time you post your song on a forum or share it on social media.

When you don't want fake social proof

If you're someone who wants to go at it from a completely organic standpoint, don't buy plays. Bought plays are can be easy to notice. The general public usually won't be able to tell the difference, but other SoundCloud users can. For those who are trying to build a 100% natural following, it's going to be a challenge to make it from the bottom to the top without an initial boost to your social proof.

It's not impossible to succeed without that initial boost of social proof, but it's much harder. Don't buy into the myth that no popular SoundCloud artists bought plays or followers – because they have. No, not all of them, but you'd be surprised how many have used fake plays to boost their following. The difference is that once they reach a threshold, they have enough real followers to completely eclipse the fakes.

To buy or not to buy

So now you're left with a decision: buy plays, or try going 100% legit. The most effective marketing strategies will comprise components of both, boosting their social proof with bought plays while targeting and engaging real potential users. Just keep in mind that like with all online services, there's a right and wrong time, and good and bad providers. Know your goals, your audience, and your providers, and you can't go wrong.

Date: February 2, 2016 / Categories: SoundCloud Plays, Tips, / Author: Viv