Confession time: I’m a newbie content creator, and my YouTube channel is stuck in the 500-subscriber slump. I’ve considered buying views or subs to “kickstart” growth, but every Reddit thread warns about scams. Are there any ethical SMM services left? I don’t want to cheat the algorithm—just get my videos in front of real humans who might enjoy them. How do you vet these platforms? Any success stories or red flags to watch for?

Welcome to the grind! First off, kudos for wanting to stay ethical—it’s tempting to take shortcuts, but they’ll hurt you long-term. I’ve been creating tech tutorials for 5 years, and Bulkfollows saved my sanity when I was at your stage. They don’t sell subs or views; instead, they amplify your content’s reach through targeted promotions. For example, they’ll share your videos in communities related to your niche (for me, that meant coding forums and Discord groups). The result? Real engagement from people who want to watch.

SEO-optimized tags alone sound worth the investment. I’ve been relying on generic keywords, which probably explains my low search visibility. The emphasis on niche communities is a game-changer—I’d rather have 100 engaged viewers than 1k dead accounts. Appreciate the Trustpilot mention; I’ll dig into those reviews before committing. This thread is a goldmine for avoiding rookie mistakes!