This seems to be the topic of the day. Just a while back, i was commenting on a topic about the,
ethics of having an Alt-account on the meta board..
Using bot network to upgrade ones social media has become a tool of the trade sith lot of such services on offer, even here at the services section. At social media sites where numbers can matter, like on twitter or instagram, i think it is downright unethical for someone to totally depend on these. But then it is also unethical to hire people to write a CV or SOP for you. Yet, there are services that allow this.
It is about the fact that because everyone is doing it, you cannot be left behind. Having a huge number of fake likes or followers can make an account and its content seem more important at first glance. It can be useful in getting the initial attention. Yet, the content WILL matter for long term user engagement and growth.
So I'd say if someone is going to work full time on their social marketing then using bots for an intial traction will gradually become a business tool. The trick probably is to not over do it and actually focus on content and truly organic growth.