In managing LINE official accounts (formerly LINE@), the number of friends directly determines the upper limit of message reach and conversion. Many brand operators ask every day: how to increase line@ friends? In addition to traditional traffic methods, various "Line follower buying" services have appeared in the market. However, in 2026, are these methods that claim to quickly increase friend counts actually reliable? This article will delve into four key details, analyze safe and effective growth strategies, and reveal the real risks behind follower buying services.
When many people think about how to increase line@ friends, their first thought is "boost the numbers." But in fact, LINE's algorithm increasingly values interaction quality. An account with 5,000 real, active friends has far greater marketing effectiveness than an account with 50,000 silent or fake friends.
LINE uses the open rate, click-through rate, and block rate of each message to determine an account's "health score." Accounts with too low a score may have their messages automatically classified as "Other Notifications" or even blocked directly. Therefore, any strategy for how to increase line@ friends must be based on "attracting genuinely interested people."
LINE users today are increasingly cautious about adding unfamiliar official accounts. They don't want their chat rooms bombarded with ads just for a small discount. This means traditional "add to get stickers" or "add to get 10% off" methods have significantly declined in effectiveness. The truly effective approach is to provide ongoing value, not one-time incentives.
The following four methods have been tested and can steadily increase friend counts without violating LINE's policies.
Many brands have websites or content blogs but fail to leverage their own traffic effectively.
Embed "Extended Resource" CTAs in Articles
Whenever you publish a professional article (e.g., "2026 Skincare Product Buying Guide"), add a line at the end: "Want the full checklist PDF of this guide? Add our LINE friend and send 'I want the checklist' to download it for free." This method typically converts at 5%-15%, and the friends who join are genuinely interested in the topic.
Timing Design for Website Pop-ups
Don't pop up the "Add LINE friend" window immediately when someone enters the site—it annoys users. Better timing: when users have stayed on a page for more than 30 seconds, when they are about to close the tab, or when they have added items to their cart but haven't checked out. Pair this with a clear benefit statement (e.g., "Add LINE friend and get $100 off instantly") to effectively increase the add rate.
Among LINE's official LAP ads, there is an objective called "Increase friends." This is the most direct and safe method.
Key to Ad Creatives: Tease Value, Not Promotions
Many ads simply say "Add friend to get a discount," with mediocre results. Better copy: "Add our LINE friend to receive exclusive industry trend analysis every week." Or "We don't send spam. We only provide solutions when you need them." Such messaging actually attracts higher-quality users.
Scaling Lookalike Audiences
Export your existing active friend list (those who have interacted in the last 30 days) as a seed audience, and let the system automatically find other LINE users similar to them. This group typically has a join rate and subsequent interaction rate 2-3 times higher than random targeting.
This is the most underestimated free traffic method.
The "To Be Continued" Hook on IG Reels and TikTok
Create a short video about "5 money-saving tips," but only reveal the first three. At the end of the video, say: "The complete 4th and 5th tips, plus the practice worksheet, are available on my LINE friend profile." Also place the LINE join link in your profile. One viral video can bring hundreds of new friends.
The "Supplementary Material" Strategy on YouTube
In the description box of every YouTube video, put a LINE join link and note "Add LINE friend to get this episode's sample file download." Verbally remind viewers twice within the video. Accumulated over time, the effect is remarkable.
Don't let LINE friends feel that after joining, they only receive ads. Design a recurring "Friends Perk Day."
Weekly "Flash Q&A" on Fridays
For example: every Friday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, LINE friends can ask any questions (brand-related or industry knowledge) and get real-time answers from experts. This service makes users reluctant to block you and also prompts them to invite their friends to join.
Monthly "Friends-Only Lucky Draw"
Prizes don't need to be expensive, but they should be highly relevant to the brand. For example, an apparel brand could draw three friends each month to receive that month's new product. Entry is simple: just send the words "I want to enter" during the campaign period. Such low-barrier events encourage existing friends to stay engaged and also prompt them to invite family and friends to join.
The market is flooded with "Line follower buying" services that claim to add thousands or even tens of thousands of friends in a short time at very low cost. These services often boast "real people," "slow increase," and "no account lock." However, based on long-term tracking and actual testing, the following four details are worth careful evaluation.
Most follower buying services claim to provide "real accounts," but the sources of these accounts are typically:
- "Click workers" recruited from overseas, each operating dozens of phones or emulators
- Disposable accounts registered with virtual phone numbers, with randomly generated profile pictures and names
- "Zombie accounts" previously flagged as spam by LINE but not yet deleted
The common characteristics of these accounts: they never open messages, never click links, never interact at all. When your friend count suddenly spikes but your message open rate plummets from 20% to 1%, LINE's anomaly detection system will immediately flag your account.
Between 2025 and 2026, hundreds of Taiwanese small and medium business LINE official accounts have been permanently suspended for purchasing follower buying services. The success rate of appeals is extremely low because LINE can clearly track that the registration IPs, device fingerprints, and behavioral patterns of these abnormal friends are highly similar. Once locked, not only do years of accumulated friend lists vanish instantly, but brand reputation also suffers a severe blow.
Many providers offer "lost follower compensation" or a "one-month no-lock guarantee." But think carefully: they are just compensating you using even lower-cost methods (e.g., recycling old accounts from other locked accounts). Moreover, LINE's penalties tend to be "cumulative"—the first time might only be a warning or function restriction, but the second time results in a direct permanent lock. Those follower buying providers have no responsibility for the long-term health of your account.
Let's calculate the cost: follower buying services cost about NT$500-1,500 per thousand friends. Meanwhile, LINE LAP ads cost about NT$20-60 per real friend acquired, or about NT$20,000-60,000 per thousand friends. At first glance, buying followers seems much cheaper. But the value of bought followers is zero (or even negative, because it lowers your account's weight). Real followers acquired through ads, if managed well afterward, can each generate hundreds or even thousands of dollars in lifetime value. In the long run, buying followers is actually the most expensive option.
Back to the original question: how to increase line@ friends? The answer is: there is no magic, only solid value exchange. LINE's ecosystem in 2026 is very mature. Any attempt to take shortcuts will be punished by the platform's mechanisms.
Three summary recommendations:
1. Focus on providing "ongoing tangible value after joining," not one-time incentives. When users don't want to block you, they will naturally recommend you to others.
2. Invest your budget in LINE LAP ads or high-quality content creation, not dubious follower buying services. The former is an investment; the latter is gambling.
3. Regularly review friend interaction data. If you find that friends added during a certain period have abnormally low open rates, suspect malicious follower inflation and immediately report it to LINE for protective measures.
Remember: one real follower who can talk to you is far more powerful than ten thousand silent numbers.
Disclaimer: This article is for social marketing learning reference only and does not constitute any guarantee of results. Readers should evaluate the suitability and risks of each strategy on their own and comply with LINE's official platform terms of service.