As Instagram has risen in popularity, more people have tried to establish a presence on the platform, but they’ve often discovered that growing followers is difficult.
It can be frustrating – with your followers increasing at such a slow pace, or even decreasing, some businesses may even wonder if the platform is worth it at all.
It is no doubt that your follower count and post reach on Instagram is powerful. Influencers, content creators, and businesses alike can monetize their following by promoting their brands and services, products, and partnering with other companies to advertise on their behalf.
But, to grow on Instagram, there are certainly many things you can do to get that follower count increasing. Yet, there are still things you might not know that you are doing that are detrimental to your growth.
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Bad Growth Methods
This is the most common issue we deal with as an Instagram marketing agency. New clients with a history of questionable growth methods, which have caused long-term follower loss. Here are some of the growth methods we recommend our clients to stay away from:
- Giveaway competitions
- Follow/Unfollow
- Buying bot followers
Instagram giveaways are competitions where the users are required to follow, typically between 20 and 40 accounts, to enter. A small percentage of these followers will stick around after the winner is announced, and those who continue to follow your account are likely low quality accounts who do not care or even see your posts.
A similar situation goes for the follow/unfollow method. It builds an audience based on reciprocation. And, more often than not, accounts which follow 1000s of users.
It can be tough to stop using these methods because when you do, you will see a continuous drop in followers.
An example of trying to keep up with follower loss from giveaway competitions on Instagram.
Posting and Ghosting
Right after you post, your content is most likely to get quality engagement shortly. Don’t forget to stick around and engage with them!
If you ghost your post, you will be missing out on a critical time to boost your engagement and create conversations with your audience.
Using the Wrong Hashtags
New users quite often fall into the trap of using popular hashtags with millions of posts in the feed. The problem with this is your post will get lost in the noise, and it can be extremely difficult to get listed in the “Top Posts”.
It’s important to use the most effective Instagram hashtags, relevant to you and your engagement level. Your primary goal when using hashtags should be to get featured as a Top Post, so don’t use competitive hashtags if you’re failing to do this.
Instead, start small. Continue to test hashtags with less than 300,000 posts and review if you are reaching the top posts. Increase and decrease the popularity of hashtags used accordingly.
Not Posting When Your Audience is Most Active
You should try to post on Instagram during prime times for your audience!
We recommend examining your Instagram Insights to find out when your followers are the most active, and try to post during these times.
- Go to your profile
- Tap Insights
- Tap Total Followers
- Scroll down to Most active times
You must have a Creator or Business account.
You Don't Have a Compelling Instagram Bio
Your Instagram Bio is one of the first things new visitors will read when visiting your profile. If your value isn’t clear within two seconds, you are more likely to lose them.
Use keywords and state exactly what you are offering your audience, in 3-4 clear and concise sentences. New visitors should know exactly why they should follow you. This is your opportunity to sell yourself!
Increasing your follower count and reach on Instagram is essential for you and your business. With these tips, you can get out of that stagnant phase of Instagram growth and get your account growing again.
