In this digital age, YouTube is more than a video sharing social network; it is a place where creators compete for attention. Every single day millions of creator’s upload videos, and because many creators want to stand out among all of this content, they are seeking quick and easy ways to get views. One of those options is to “buy shares” on YouTube. But what do you think is really important or good?

What Are YouTube Shares?

A share on YouTube is when someone shares your video link on another platform, like a social media platform, messaging app, or blog. The algorithm of YouTube recognizes that your video is being shared outside the app, which could ultimately factor into the extent it is recommended on the platform. Because of that reason, the total number of shares earned by a video is viewed by many as a measurement of popularity and reach.

How Do Paid Share Services Work?

The websites that provide this service are typically mediums for you to buy “share packages”, in which you can buy so many shares. Share packages vary by site you buy from– a share package could include hundreds, up to tens of thousands, of shares. Share delivery is typically described as “quick,” sometimes within a few hours, and you usually don’t have to give your YouTube password.

For example, services like YouTubeStorm advertise they provide shares from actual users and label themselves as safe, private, and easy to access. Payment options usually include a variety of user-friendly options like credit cards or PayPal, and may also include cryptocurrency.

The Promises vs. The Risks

While these sorts of services look appealing to up-and-coming creators struggling to get noticed, there are important factors to weigh.

1. YouTube’s Policy: Artificial behaviors (which includes purchasing shares) are against YouTube’s terms of service. Accounts that have been caught breaking the policies can be penalized in various ways including reduced visibility or account suspension under certain circumstances.
2. Authenticity: Although a service may advertise “real users,” there is no way of knowing the authenticity of the service. Some reviews from customers mention that heaps of the shares from many of these services came from inactive accounts or really poor quality accounts that will not benefit long-term success.
3. Short Term Gain vs. Long Term Plan: Purchased shares may help your video in the short term, but they are unlikely to help you build a consistent community of engaged viewers. Videos with high shares, but poor watch time or engagement can be seen as suspicious by real viewers.

An Equitable Outlook

The notion of purchasing YouTube shares illustrates the pressure for creators to obtain eye-balls in an over-saturated space. There are services that will optimize engagement via their algorithm either by providing quick numbers or getting attention, but they will never have a greater impact than regularly publishing video content, genuine engagement, and organic sharing.

Ultimately, and while you might see that purchasing shares might appear to be a shortcut, throughout history lasting success on YouTube has always boiled down to creativity, patients and genuinely connecting with a digital audience.