The Problem With Socialsteeze – Our Review

If you’ve been searching for a way to increase your following on Instagram, then you’ve probably heard about Socialsteeze. This Instagram growth service has been recognized by several successful brands including AdWeek, Forbes, and Social Media Explorer. Socialsteeze’s high level of social proof may lead you to assume that it’s the best Instagram automation tool on the market. I decided to look deeper into this tool and test it out for myself.

In my opinion, Socialsteeze is a decent Instagram automation tool. However, it’s possible that this service may be problematic. But, you don’t have to take my word for it. In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Socialsteeze so that you can make your own informed decision.

Keep reading to learn more about Socialsteeze’s key features and pricing options as well as a few pros and cons of using this Instagram tool. I’ll also give you the scoop on why you may want to steer clear of this Instagram marketing service.

Socialsteeze: How It Works

Socialsteeze promises to grow your Instagram audience using advanced social media technology. This Instagram growth service markets itself as the most powerful Instagram growth tool on the market. Like many other services, Socialsteeze claims to grow your account with real, targeted followers rather than bot followers.

This application specializes in growing accounts across a variety of niches including lifestyle, online retail, photography, and travel among others.

Socialsteeze’s Key Features

Socialsteeze offers a variety of features to assist with growing your Instagram following organically:

Hashtag Targeting

Like many Instagram growth tools, Socialsteeze uses hashtag targeting to find and engage with users who may have an active interest in your niche. The logic behind this growth method is to help your account get seen by users in your niche. By engaging with these users, they may take a look at your feed and decide to follow you.

Username Targeting

This feature requires you to select accounts that you admire or your brand’s direct competitors in order to target their followers. The logic behind this feature is to reach users who are already following accounts in your niche. These users are more likely to have an interest in your account and follow and engage with you.

Location Targeting

If you’re running a business that needs to reach users in your local area, then it’s a good idea to use a tool that allows location targeting. Socialsteeze’s location targeting feature allows you to target specific cities, states, provinces, and countries.

Blacklisting

Socialsteeze also allows you to blacklist users. This feature is useful if there are certain users that you prefer to avoid engaging with. 

Getting Started With Socialsteeze

Getting started with Socialsteeze is a pretty straightforward process. First, you need to sign up. This step requires you to answer a few questions. From there, Socialsteeze will connect you with a growth expert.

After you’ve signed up and logged in, you can begin to set your targeting preferences. You can select hashtags related to your niche and specific locations you’d like to target. This tool also allows you to target your competitor’s and idol’s followers.

Unlike other similar Instagram growth tools, Socialsteeze does not offer a free trial.

Pricing & Plans

With Socialsteeze, you can choose between two different plans and three different pricing structures. They have a Regular Plan and an Elite Plan. You can pay weekly, monthly, or yearly. Each of Socialsteeze’s plans provides real Instagram growth, tailored growth strategies, audience targeting, and security. Let’s take a closer look at Socialsteeze’s pricing plans:

Socialsteeze’s Regular Plan

If you’re interested in Socialsteeze’s Regular Plan, here’s how much you can expect to pay depending on the pricing structure you choose:

• Weekly: $15
• Monthly: $38
• Yearly: $449

Socialsteeze’s Elite Plan

If you’re interested in Socialsteeze’s Elite plan, here’s how much it will cost you depending on the payment plan you choose:

• Weekly: $25
• Monthly: $99
• Yearly: $669

As far as features go, there’s not much of a difference between the Regular and Elite plans. The only difference is that the Elite Plan promises double the exposure. You’ll also have access to priority support. When it comes to affordability, this tool is on par with the average cost of other similar tools.

Socialsteeze Review: The Pros

Now that you’ve learned a bit more about the basics of Socialsteeze, let’s talk about the effectiveness of this tool. I’ll start with the good stuff:

I really appreciate the fact that Socialsteeze features seemingly real reviews with links to real Instagram profiles on their website. Many similar tools feature website reviews that seem vetted and inauthentic. A couple of the accounts listed seem to have suspiciously low engagement rates in comparison to their follower counts. However, there are quite a few that seem legit. Having the ability to view actual accounts that have used Socialsteeze adds an authentic touch to their website.

Another great thing about Socialsteeze is the fact that each account includes a human account manager. This individual performs tasks and keeps you updated on the growth of your account. Having an account manager onboard makes your growth seem more authentic and organic.

If you are someone who’s not technologically savvy, then you’ll appreciate the fact that Socialsteeze is easy to set up. All you have to do is sign up, choose a plan, and customize your targets. It’s easy to get this tool up and running within just a few minutes. I always prefer Instagram tools that don’t require additional software downloads. You can use Socialsteeze directly from your web browser on almost any device.

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Socialsteeze Review: The Cons

Now let’s discuss the problems that I encountered while testing out Socialsteeze.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the testimonial accounts I reviewed seem to have significantly low engagement rates in comparison to their follower counts. After trying out the tool for myself, I realized that many of the followers that I gained from the tool were low-quality, low-engagement followers. Honestly, a couple of them looked questionable (perhaps they were bot accounts?). 

I decided to do some digging, and I found quite a few bad reviews of Socialsteeze that mentioned the same thing. If you’re going to go through with signing up for Socialsteeze, I’d suggest keeping an eye on your engagement rate and follower numbers. Accounts with high followings and low engagement always come across as inauthentic.

Another thing that I found interesting about Socialsteeze is that the brand does not seem to be active on social media. I always find it odd when a social media tool does not have a following online. The only social media profile that I found for Socialsteeze is an abandoned Twitter account. I usually like to see how an Instagram automation tool’s services and strategies are working for its own brand before signing up.

In my opinion, the negative aspects of Socialsteeze are common amongst many similar services. The main reason that I warn against using this tool is that there are similar alternatives that are cheaper. This particular tool doesn’t offer anything spectacular in comparison to other Instagram growth tools. Because of this and the controversy surrounding Socialsteeze, I don’t think this tool is worth spending money on.

Addressing the Rumors: Is Socialsteeze Actually SocialEnvy?

Although Socialsteeze itself doesn’t seem to be too bad of a tool, there is a great deal of controversy associated with it. The most controversial rumor regarding this tool is the belief that Socialsteeze is actually the rebranded version of the now defunct SocialEnvy.

According to the rumors, the owners of Socialsteeze are the same group of New Zealanders who created SocialEnvy.

Before I get into the details, I want to clarify that I cannot completely verify these rumors. However, I found a few details while researching the topic that could support this theory. 

SocialEnvy’s Bad Reputation

SocialEnvy was once at the top of its game as an Instagram growth automation tool. However, in early 2019, Instagram’s API went through a few changes that made this tool unusable. Even before this unfortunate event, SocialEnvy didn’t have the best reputation. Many previous users complained that this company took their money without delivering the results that they marketed on their website. 

Because I’ve never used SocialEnvy, I can’t speak to the truth of these allegations. However, by conducting a quick Google search, you can find plenty of authentic reviews that report similar experiences.

The founders of SocialEnvy were recently sued by Facebook for selling fake Instagram likes and follows. Some bloggers claim that this lawsuit also names Socialsteeze. However, the only other sites that I saw named while browsing the legal documents were Likesocial.co and IGFamous.net.

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Connecting the Dots: Socialsteeze and SocialEnvy

Many people point to the name similarity as evidence that Socialsteeze is, in fact, SocialEnvy, but there are plenty of automation tools with “social” in their names. While this piece of evidence isn’t enough to confirm the rumors, there are a few other clues that seem to make sense.

One article that I read on this subject claims that Socialsteeze’s PayPal seller information reveals the truth. Apparently, if you pay for Socialsteeze via PayPal, then you’ll notice that the seller’s information lists “SocialEnvy” as its name. There’s also an email address that contains SocialEnvy’s domain name listed as well.

While I cannot verify the validity of this screenshot, I would still suggest staying away from Socialsteeze until the brand addresses the rumors. I checked the brand’s blog and social media platforms to see if they have ever addressed the issue. As of now, they have not. Like I mentioned earlier, they do not have much of a presence on social media, so they haven’t made any statements via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram either.

I do find it interesting that the only platform they seem to have an account with is Twitter. It makes you wonder if they are staying off of Facebook and Instagram due to the possible legal issues with the parent company.
Socialsteeze’s possible connection to SocialEnvy makes using this tool risky. If Socialsteeze and SocialEnvy are in fact connected, then the tool is likely on Facebook’s radar for a complete shutdown. Should this happen, those who have paid to use SocialSteeze are at risk of losing money.

It’s important to note that any time you use a third-party service to gain new followers or engagement, you’re putting your Instagram account at risk. Many of the actions performed by these tools violate Instagram’s guidelines. The platform can ban or disable your account if Instagram’s detection tools catch on. It’s best to stick with tools that have a good reputation and positive reviews to minimize this risk.

Socialsteeze: The Final Verdict

Socialsteeze offers decent features, average pricing, and typical growth results. It’s basically your average Instagram growth automation tool. While there are a few operational downsides to using this tool, it seems to work well overall.

The main problem with Socialsteeze is the rumor that it is the revamped version of SocialEnvy. Because of SocialEnvy’s problematic past, I’ve decided to disconnect Socialsteeze from my Instagram account. With so many similar alternatives on the market, I prefer to stay on the safe side just in case the rumors are true.

Whether you decide to give Socialsteeze a try or not is completely up to you. Although it’s not fair for this tool to lose business over rumors, it’s smart to protect your bottom line. As I previously mentioned, Facebook can force this service to shut down if the rumors are true. It’s best to avoid using Socialsteeze until the brand clears up the rumors. In the meantime, I suggest exploring a few other similar services to avoid the risk of losing money.

If what attracts you to Socialsteeze is the human account manager, you should check out Upleap. This Instagram growth tool also pairs you with a dedicated account manager. It also targets potential followers using hashtags and your competitors’ following lists. As far as pricing goes, a monthly subscription to Upleap’s Lite Plan is only $1 more than Socialsteeze’s monthly price for its Regular Plan. You can also try Upleap for three days before committing to a paid plan!

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