Plus, Instagram’s analytics tools helped me understand what content performed best. This strategy requires a budget, but it’s a more legitimate and effective way to grow your following and engagement over time. So yeah both work but if you want to increase your overall numbers so buying ads is right on the money.

​https://www.reddit.com/r/instagramLab/comments/1amlglb/can_you_recommend_where_to_buy_instagram/